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By Adam Pash, 4:00 PM on Mon Feb 16 2009, 50,082 views (Edit, to draft, Slurp)

The popular cross-platform file-syncing application Dropbox is a hit among Lifehacker readers, but it has one major drawback: It only syncs files placed inside the My Dropbox folder. Here's how to get around that limitation.

In order to sync files and folders that live outside the My Dropbox folder, you need to create a symbolic link between the My Dropbox folder and the folder on your drive that you want to sync. Symbolic links are sort of like shortcuts, so if you had a folder called SyncMe that lived on your desktop, you'd create a symbolic link that made it appear as though SyncMe also lived inside the My Dropbox folder. This process varies depending on your operating system. On Windows:

Use either the JUNCTION utility from Sysinternals, or the MKLINK command built in to Windows Vista and Server 2008, for example:

 junction "C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\My Dropbox\DesiredFolder" "C:\Path\To\DesiredFolder"
 mklink /D "C:\Users\Steve\Documents\Dropbox\DesiredFolder" "C:\Path\To\DesiredFolder"

Or, if you prefer a GUI, install Link Shell Extension.

[You could also] use SyncToy to echo changes from another folder to your Dropbox folder. This keeps 2 copies on disk though.

On OS X or Linux, try the following:

Use the ln command, for example:

 ln -s /path/to/desired-folder ~/Dropbox/desired-folder 

This works with files too:

 ln -s /path/to/desired-file ~/Dropbox/desired-file 

Another easy way to do this with Terminal is type the ln -s part, then from Finder drag the folder/file that you want into the Terminal window then drag the Dropbox folder and hit return.

Note that an Alias file or folder does not work.

The wiki also offers an Automator workflow to streamline the process if you're using OS X. If this syncing obstacle has held you back from using Dropbox, give these symbolic links a try. If this seems like too much of a hassle, previously mentioned Syncplicity and a few other popular file-syncing apps have user-defined sync folders baked in.

How to sync folders (or files) that exist outside the "My Dropbox" folder [Dropbox Wiki via Ask MetaFilter]

Only having one folder to sync with Dropbox was a major deal breaker. This neat trick greatly expands it's usefulness. Now I wont get mad at myself for not moving that work file into my Dropbox folder so I could work from home.

I got this working on my iMac at work. Now just to get home and do it on my Windows 7 machine.

This + Evernote = WIN^10

"In the video, unearthed by Gizmodo, we see a very fluid interface where any item can be drag and dropped easily. The overarching metaphor is apparently dubbed the “infinite journal,” where items can be clipped and stored from the web, annotated and highlighted, moved around, and modified with a palette of drawing and design tools."

By Adam Pash, 2:29 PM on Tue Sep 29 2009, 103 views (Edit, to draft, Slurp)

iPhone/iPod touch only: Dropbox, one of our favorite cross-platform file-syncing tools, has now made it's way to the iPhone and iPod touch, complete with offline file viewing

Once installed on your device, Dropbox for iPhone provides access to all your Dropbox files, allows you to view any file supported by your iPhone (including documents, photos, music, and video), uploads any photo or video you've taken on your device to your Dropbox account, and lets you save any file as a favorite for offline viewing. If you want to share a file in your Dropbox with someone else, the application can generate an email with a link directly to the file.

In short: If you're already a fan of Dropbox and you've got an iPhone or iPod touch, you'll want to download this app. Like the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions, Dropbox for the iPhone is freeware and requires only a Dropbox account.

Dropbox [iTunes App Store]

Is this what heaven is like?