Can I append OneNote files from non-networked computers 1 & 2?

[Arnie S.]

I have an office computer and a home computer. Both have OneNote 2007 and
similar Notebooks. The OneNote files on each computer differ and are set up
to be installed on that particular computer only (they're not networked).
Periodically, I copy the OneNote files from one computer to the other; but,
of course, that overwrites the second computer's files. I want to get the
files to agree one time each week. Is there a way to "update" or say "append"
the files on the second computer, so that only new info is added to that
computer.

 

[Matthew Heaney]

I have an office computer and a home computer. Both have OneNote 2007 and
similar Notebooks. The OneNote files on each computer differ and are set up
to be installed on that particular computer only (they're not networked).

This sounds similar to my question (I have several computers, and I want to
share a OneNote notebook or section -- but using Windows Live Sky Drive).

You might want to look through the "OneNote 2007 Guide" that's automatically
incorporated as a notebook. The "Getting Started with OneNote" section has a
"Use shared notebooks" page, and the "More cool features" section has a
"Multiple computer support" page. Both of these have information -- but I'm
not sure enough to answer your question.

You could also trying searching for the term "synchronization" in the help
system.

 

[arnie582]

Synchronization and/or sharing are not the issue ... I think. These two
machines are standalones and need to be standalones. I'm not looking to share
the information. I'm simply (or not so simply, as the case may be) trying to
add info contained in one notebook to the info in the other notebook. I don't
think OneNote can accomplish this, although I think there are perhaps some
third party tools / software that may be able to do that. I know there is a
"append" feature in windows that allows such updating for other types of
files & I was wondering if OneNote has some similar capability ... that I'm
just not seeing. But, thanks for that input & I'll keep trying to come up
with a solution.

 

[Rainald Taesler]

I have an office computer and a home computer. Both have OneNote
2007 and similar Notebooks. The OneNote files on each computer
differ and are set up to be installed on that particular computer
only (they're not networked). Periodically, I copy the OneNote
files from one computer to the other; but, of course, that
overwrites the second computer's files.

Exactly. And naturally so.
ON works with a file for each section. And there is no way around this
as there is no way to "merge" files.

I want to get the files to
agree one time each week. Is there a way to "update" or say
"append" the files on the second computer, so that only new info is
added to that computer.

The only way would be to do this manually, perhaps with notebooks with
different names and keeping new stuff in "new" pages and/or comparing
the pages on two windows of ON.
And this seems hardly workable.

Rainald
P.S. Pls see my parallel reply to your to your new posting.

 

[Rainald Taesler]

Synchronization and/or sharing are not the issue ... I think.

Why not?
OneNote - different from all other software I know - has a fantastic
synching feature which ideally handles comparing and updating files
(true "replication") and the result is what you are after.

These
two machines are standalones and need to be standalones.

Why that?
But they can stay working "stand-alone".
It would be fully sufficient to connect* the machines once a week and
run the ON synchronization. This could be done with an "ad-hoc"
connection (wireless or with a cable).

I'm not looking to share the information.

Well understood. But updating information in ON requires that.

I'm simply (or not so simply, as
the case may be) trying to add info contained in one notebook to
the info in the other notebook.

The only way to accomplish this is to store the notebooks on only *one*
of the computers and open them shared on the other.

I don't think OneNote can
accomplish this, although I think there are perhaps some third
party tools / software that may be able to do that.

Nothing that I would know of. No PowerToys for *merging* section files.

I know there is
a "append" feature in windows that allows such updating for other
types of files

No, there is no such feature in windows!
I have no idea what you have in mind when say you "know" that.
The only software where on can *append* information from other files are
*database* applications. And ON is anything but a database.

& I was wondering if OneNote has some similar
capability ... that I'm just not seeing. But, thanks for that input
& I'll keep trying to come up with a solution. --

As said before: Use OneNote's great synching feature which does not need
more than just connection the computers whenever the data shall be
updated.

If you'd need any help in so far, pls ask.

Rainald

 

[Milver]

Arnie,

I have a similar dilemma. I keep finding important info at work, add it as a
page in my "work" notebook, then emailing it home, arriving home and
copy/pasting it to my "home" notebook. However, I have just read that OneNote
and DropBox works flawlessly. Therefore you should be able to maintain
notebooks into a DropBox folder that is seen by the two computers that are
not part of the same network. You could keep the same notebooks at work and
at home without the need to "merge" them back and forth. I think Windows has
also a similar product (LiveSky?).

Milver

 

[Rainald Taesler]

I have a similar dilemma. I keep finding important info at work,
add it as a page in my "work" notebook, then emailing it home,
arriving home and copy/pasting it to my "home" notebook.

Why sending it by mail and not just copy the pages to an USB stick?

With mailing and copying things to an USB stick the same main problems
remains (as the OP has stated): No way to to "append" new/changed items
in an existing notebook section.

Therefore: would it be possible for you to just work with an USB stick
for storing all notebooks?
This way you could just carry stick with you and work with the same data
one the computers are work and at home.
For further details pls see David Rasmussen's article "OneNote Notebooks
on USB drives and SD cards" [1]

However, I
have just read that OneNote and DropBox works flawlessly.

I cannot say as I did not yet try it out.
Why don't you just test it and report here?

Therefore
you should be able to maintain notebooks into a DropBox folder that
is seen by the two computers that are not part of the same network.
You could keep the same notebooks at work and at home without the
need to "merge" them back and forth. I think Windows has also a
similar product (LiveSky?).

Do you have Office Live Space in mind?

There are dozen (if not hundreds) of "online storage" solutions
available in the net.
With many there are difficulties:
(a) For opening the notebooks stored in the net one needs a proper path
(mapped drive or a UNC path).

(b) There are known problems with opening/storing and synching notebooks
which stored outside a LAN.
One would have to test things in detail.

AFAICS there is not yet a comprehensive list of online-storage solutions
which really work with ON.

Rainald
[1]
http://blogs.gotdotnet.com/david_rasmussen/archive/2006/06/29/650705.aspx

 

[Milver]

USB...maybe if I can find a way to encrypt all its contents

DropBox...failure since I couldn't even download it at work (blocked by
websense), although I found a success story

http://joeycalveyonline.com/2008/10/09/sharing-onenote/

Ideally I think there should be an auto synched ssl protected solution
Windows based that we can use with OneNote...as DropBox that acts and feels
as a regular folder (according to the success story)...more than online
storage it is remote storage auto synched.

I have a similar dilemma. I keep finding important info at work,
add it as a page in my "work" notebook, then emailing it home,
arriving home and copy/pasting it to my "home" notebook.

Why sending it by mail and not just copy the pages to an USB stick?

With mailing and copying things to an USB stick the same main problems
remains (as the OP has stated): No way to to "append" new/changed items
in an existing notebook section.

Therefore: would it be possible for you to just work with an USB stick
for storing all notebooks?
This way you could just carry stick with you and work with the same data
one the computers are work and at home.
For further details pls see David Rasmussen's article "OneNote Notebooks
on USB drives and SD cards" [1]

However, I
have just read that OneNote and DropBox works flawlessly.

I cannot say as I did not yet try it out.
Why don't you just test it and report here?

Therefore
you should be able to maintain notebooks into a DropBox folder that
is seen by the two computers that are not part of the same network.
You could keep the same notebooks at work and at home without the
need to "merge" them back and forth. I think Windows has also a
similar product (LiveSky?).

Do you have Office Live Space in mind?

There are dozen (if not hundreds) of "online storage" solutions
available in the net.
With many there are difficulties:
(a) For opening the notebooks stored in the net one needs a proper path
(mapped drive or a UNC path).

(b) There are known problems with opening/storing and synching notebooks
which stored outside a LAN.
One would have to test things in detail.

AFAICS there is not yet a comprehensive list of online-storage solutions
which really work with ON.

Rainald
[1]
http://blogs.gotdotnet.com/david_rasmussen/archive/2006/06/29/650705.aspx

 

[Rainald Taesler]

USB...maybe if I can find a way to encrypt all its contents

Are you afraid of loosing the stick?
You could make all the sections of your notebooks password-protected.
Would not be too comfortable to work with, however.

Some sticks come with encryption software.
And you may work with some third-party encryption software like
Truecrypt or the like.

DropBox...failure since I couldn't even download it at work
(blocked by websense),

so try it from some other place.

although I found a success story

http://joeycalveyonline.com/2008/10/09/sharing-onenote/

Thanks fro the link. I followed the links there too. Sound as if this
might be solution.
And as said there are numerous other web-storage solutions too.

Ideally I think there should be an auto synched ssl protected
solution Windows based that we can use with OneNote...as DropBox
that acts and feels as a regular folder (according to the success
story)...more than online storage it is remote storage auto synched.

Contradiction to the latter.
When working with ON, No synching with any other instrument, no synching
on a "per file" basis.
The built-in automatic synching of ON will seriously be disturbed
otherwise.

Rainald

 

[Steve Silverwood]

I have an office computer and a home computer. Both have OneNote 2007 and
similar Notebooks. The OneNote files on each computer differ and are set up
to be installed on that particular computer only (they're not networked).
Periodically, I copy the OneNote files from one computer to the other; but,
of course, that overwrites the second computer's files. I want to get the
files to agree one time each week. Is there a way to "update" or say "append"
the files on the second computer, so that only new info is added to that
computer.

The simplest way would be to keep the notebooks for BOTH computers on
a single external drive, such as a USB flash drive or external hard
drive. Then just make sure that drive is connected whenever you start
OneNote.

//Steve//

Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
Email: (e-mail address removed)
Web: http://kb6ojs.com