iDisk on a Windows computer?

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iDisk on a Windows computer?

Hi,

Is it possible to get access to my iDisk files (not the ones in the public folder) from a Windows computer? If so, could the files be accessed using the Windows Explorer?

Should I expect any synchronisation issues?

Many thanks,
Hans.

Imac 3.06 Ghz / 4gb, Mac OS X (10.5.6), soon Macbook Pro 17"

Posted on Nov 2, 2009 12:09 PM

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Answer 1

varjak paw

Level 10

182,656 points

Nov 2, 2009 12:15 PM in response to hans.kamp

Is it possible to get access to my iDisk files (not the ones in the public folder) from a Windows computer?

Yes. See:

http://www.apple.com/mobileme/features/idisk.html

http://www.apple.com/mobileme/features/idisk.html#quicktour

If so, could the files be accessed using the Windows Explorer?

No. It's done via a web interface.

Should I expect any synchronisation issues?

No, since there's no "synchronization" going on, per se. iDisk is a shared volume, just as a shared hard drive would be. So whatever you copy to your iDisk will be viewable and downloadable from any other computer, but copying documents to and from the iDisk will be up to you.

Regards.

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Answer 2

IanB

Level 4

1,374 points

Nov 2, 2009 12:37 PM in response to hans.kamp

You can access your iDisk files via Windows Explorer. See here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3264

There is no sync, all the files are stored on the iDisk in the cloud.

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Answer 3

hans.kamp Author

Level 1

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Nov 2, 2009 12:52 PM in response to IanB

Thanks Ian,

This is very helpful.
If the files are stored on the "cloud" there should not be any sync issues. At the same time I should be able to access my files through the File-Open and File-Save menu's from my apps. So far so good.

Now what about my Mac's?
Should I expect any sync issues when multiple Mac's log in on the same iWeb account?
My guess is I need to sync each Mac in order to gain access using the Finder. Or is there a similar solution where I can have direct access to the files on the cloud using Finder. If so I could use 1 Mac only to synchronise, thus creating an offline backup while eliminating sync issues?

Thanks a lot,
Hans.

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Answer 4

IanB

Level 4

1,374 points

Nov 2, 2009 1:39 PM in response to hans.kamp

Hans,

You're welcome.

I would be cautious about relying on your network connection for opening and closing files on the iDisk. For a start it will be quite slow. I tend to copy a file to local storage, work on it and then copy it back when I'm done.

I've never really tried the scenario you describe so I can't properly answer your other questions. I believe that if you turn iDisk syncing off in System Preferences on a Mac it works in a similar way to the way Windows does when mounting it like described in that article.

Good luck.

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Answer 5

hans.kamp Author

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Nov 2, 2009 11:59 PM in response to IanB

Thanks Ian,

You were right twice.
Turning iDisk syncing off allows a Mac to work directly on the cloud using Finder.
And it is slow, yes.

It will need some proper testing before setting it up this way. Which is what I will do.

Thanks so far for solving my questions.
Hans.

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Answer 6

IanB

Level 4

1,374 points

Nov 3, 2009 5:59 AM in response to hans.kamp

You're welcome Hans. If you ever come across a cross-platform sync solution that works, I would be interested to hear about it.

Message was edited by: IanB

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