Before Dropbox and OneDrive, We Had Windows Briefcase

You’re incorrect if you deliberation that the quality to sync files is simply a caller diagnostic offered by tech companies. Microsoft has really offered this diagnostic since Windows 95 with a virtual folder called Briefcase.

A Brief History of Windows Briefcase

As you tin conjecture by the sanction itself, Windows 95 was released successful 1995, and it is considered one of the champion operating systems to date. It came with a user-friendly UI and introduced galore precocious capabilities, similar the quality to usage peripherals without having to restart your computer aft plugging them in.

While each these features were great, the 1 that was 1 of a benignant for that clip was Windows Briefcase. It was a virtual folder, precise antithetic from the regular folder that you make connected Windows. Since it had a somewhat antithetic look and, honestly, looked benignant of cool, galore people, including myself, utilized to make a caller Briefcase alternatively of a regular folder to store files. In fact, for the longest time, I wasn't alert of what's the usage of the Briefcase folder connected Windows.

It wasn’t until 2010 that my machine teacher told maine that I could bash much with the Briefcase folder than conscionable store files. It was 1 of the champion options to synchronize files successful those days.

If you made immoderate changes to a transcript of a papers stored successful the Briefcase, you could sync those changes backmost to the archetypal location. It worked the different mode astir too, i.e., if the archetypal mentation of the record was updated, Briefcase fto you update the transcript stored successful the Briefcase folder to lucifer the latest version. Interestingly, Windows Briefcase allowed you to sync files implicit the web arsenic well.

How Was Using Windows Briefcase Compared to Modern Cloud Services

These days, determination are plentifulness of cloud services similar Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and more. However, dissimilar these services, Briefcase worked without an net connection. And portion each modern unreality services let you to sync files crossed aggregate devices, Briefcase was constricted to syncing files with a azygous location.

That said, the process to make a Briefcase folder was the aforesaid arsenic that to make a regular folder connected Windows. You conscionable had to right-click connected the determination wherever you wanted to make the Briefcase, hover your rodent implicit the “New” option, and prime “Briefcase.”

After creating a Briefcase folder, you could usage it for record synchronization. Let’s accidental you moved a papers into a Briefcase folder connected an outer thrust similar a floppy disk, past plugged that thrust into different machine and made changes to the document. The adjacent clip you plugged the floppy disk backmost into the archetypal computer, the Briefcase folder would admit the changes. You would past person the enactment to either judge each the updates oregon manually take which changes you wanted to use to your document.

Why Microsoft Deprecated Windows Briefcase

Windows Briefcase was a unsocial and utile invention erstwhile it launched successful 1995, but implicit time, radical started to acquisition its limitations. It lone allowed you to sync files betwixt 2 locations, similar your machine and an outer drive. Furthermore, you had to manually update the Briefcase to sync immoderate changes.

Many companies, similar Dropbox, aboriginal introduced unreality services that addressed these issues. In fact, Microsoft besides launched its ain unreality work successful 2007 called SkyDrive, which was aboriginal rebranded arsenic OneDrive.

With the motorboat of each these services that allowed syncing files crossed aggregate devices and implicit the Internet, features similar Windows Briefcase became progressively irrelevant. Looking astatine this, and to beforehand OneDrive more, Microsoft decided to region Briefcase from Windows.

Although it was deprecated successful Windows 8, immoderate experts came up with a mode to enable it adjacent connected Windows 10 by making immoderate changes successful the Windows Registry. However, that workaround stopped moving with the merchandise of Windows 10 physique 14942, and Windows Briefcase officially became a happening of the past.

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Windows Briefcase wasn’t the archetypal diagnostic Microsoft deprecated. They’ve consistently phased retired features they see outdated oregon nary longer relevant. For example, they discontinued the Messaging app and Facebook Chat with the merchandise of Windows 8.1. And if you’re looking for a much caller example, Microsoft phased retired the Paint 3D app successful August 2024.

That said, erstwhile you comparison Windows Briefcase to modern unreality services similar OneDrive, it’s wide that utilizing Briefcase contiguous conscionable doesn’t marque sense. In summation to record synchronization, today’s services connection features similar web access, record sharing, real-time collaboration, commenting, simultaneous editing, and galore different precocious features.

Even though Windows Briefcase has been deprecated, it volition ever beryllium remembered arsenic 1 of the earliest features to connection record synchronization.