{"id":146602,"date":"2021-01-03T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-03T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-was-the-windows-briefcase-used-for-anyway\/"},"modified":"2021-01-03T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-03T08:00:00","slug":"what-was-the-windows-briefcase-used-for-anyway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-was-the-windows-briefcase-used-for-anyway\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Was the Windows Briefcase Used For, Anyway?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dd1ea510ae\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dd1ea510ae\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-was-the-windows-briefcase-used-for-anyway\/#The_Briefcase_Was_All_About_Syncing_Files\" >The Briefcase Was All About Syncing Files<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-was-the-windows-briefcase-used-for-anyway\/#How_the_Briefcase_Worked\" >How the Briefcase Worked<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-was-the-windows-briefcase-used-for-anyway\/#What_Happened_to_the_Briefcase\" >What Happened to the Briefcase?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#What Was the Windows Briefcase Used For, Anyway?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-396640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ximg_5bfc56f0f1c38.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.tIekm98A0P.png\" alt=\"\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Windows Briefcase was introduced in Windows 95 and was the Dropbox of its day. It\u2019s still part of Windows 7, but was deprecated in Windows 8 and is no longer part of Windows 10.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Briefcase_Was_All_About_Syncing_Files\"><\/span>The Briefcase Was All About Syncing Files<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-396630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ximg_5bfc4dafb749f.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.fInXSQfU_j.png\" alt=\"\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re old enough, you\u2019ve probably seen a \u201cMy Briefcase\u201d icon on a PC\u2019s desktop at some point, even if you\u2019ve never used the Windows Briefcase.<\/p>\n<p>The Windows Briefcase was designed to make synchronizing files easier in the days before solid Internet connections. For example, you might use it to take essential files from your workplace home on a floppy disk. Or, you might synchronize files from your workplace\u2019s local network to your laptop before you disconnect.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t just about copying files back and forth, which you can do just with copy and paste. The briefcase was all about keeping those files synchronized. If you edited the copy of the files in the briefcase, you could then synchronize them back to the original location. Or, if you had copies of some files in the briefcase and the files were updated at the original location, you could synchronize the Briefcase, updating the briefcase copies to match the originals.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_the_Briefcase_Worked\"><\/span>How the Briefcase Worked<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-396629\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ximg_5bfc4ba9167ef.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.IpghdvLEX0.png\" alt=\"\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how you would\u2019ve used the Briefcase:<\/p>\n<p>First, you\u2019d store the briefcase on a device that <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a>s with you. For example, if you had a laptop, you could keep the briefcase anywhere on your laptop. If you had a desktop PC, you could place the briefcase on a floppy disk and take that floppy disk home with you.<\/p>\n<p>You could either move the My Briefcase object from the desktop to your floppy disk or right-click in any folder and select New &gt; Briefcase to make a new one.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-396671\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ximg_5bfc89034f53d.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.KrArR_irYu.png\" alt=\"\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You\u2019d drag any important files you wanted to take with you into the Briefcase. For example, if you had important documents stored on your workplace\u2019s network file server, you could drag those onto the briefcase on your laptop. Or, if you had some files you were using on on your workplace\u2019s desktop PC, you could drag them into the briefcase on your floppy disk.<\/p>\n<p>You could also drag entire folders to the briefcase and Windows would synchronize those folders.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-396672\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ximg_5bfc896e0f6e7.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.FxDWwN2WGI.png\" alt=\"\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Now, you could disconnect your laptop from the network or remove the floppy disk and take it to another PC. The briefcase on the laptop or floppy disk contained copies of whatever files you put into the briefcase. You could view them offline and even make changes. You just opened the briefcase and then opened the files inside.<\/p>\n<p>Windows treated briefcases like practically any other folder. You could open a file directly from the briefcase and save it directly to the briefcase.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-396673\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ximg_5bfc89c2eeffb.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.-WWgN5qDXS.png\" alt=\"\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Later, you would go back to work and connect your laptop to the workplace\u2019s local area network or insert the floppy disk into the desktop computer. To synchronize changes, you\u2019d open the Briefcase and click the \u201cUpdate All\u201d button on the toolbar. Any changes would be synchronized. For example, if you\u2019d edited the files in the briefcase, your changes would be synchronized back to the file\u2019s original locations. If the files on your workplace\u2019s network had changed, the copies in your briefcase would be updated.<\/p>\n<p>You could also use the \u201cUpdate Selected\u201d button to update only a few files. And, whichever way you did it, you\u2019d be prompted to choose which files you wanted to update, so there were no mistakes.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike Dropbox, you couldn\u2019t synchronize files on several different PCs with the briefcase. The contents of a briefcase could only be synchronized with one location\u2014that\u2019s it. So, while you were away from your workplace, the idea was to only work with the files stored in the briefcase and not drag them out of the briefcase or try to sync them elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-396674\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ximg_5bfc8a05a5ddb.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.5mrZSALPnS.png\" alt=\"\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Happened_to_the_Briefcase\"><\/span>What Happened to the Briefcase?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Windows Briefcase was great when it was introduced in Windows 95, but it became less and less important as time went on. Despite this, the Briefcase was still part of Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. It was considered \u201cdeprecated\u201d in Windows 8. The Windows Briefcase was disabled in the original release of Windows 10, and could only be enabled with a hidden registry setting. It was removed completely with the release of the Creators Update.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the Briefcase became much less important thanks to the Internet. With access to high-speed Internet connectivity practically everywhere, there\u2019s usually no need to keep offline copies of files and synchronize them. Even if you need network file shares, you can connect to your workplace\u2019s network from anywhere via a VPN.<\/p>\n<p>The Briefcase has also been completely replaced by services like Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and Google Drive. Like the Windows Briefcase, these services synchronize copies of your files between your computers. So, even if you\u2019re offline, you can have offline access to your files, and they\u2019ll synchronize when you go back online.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike a briefcase, these services let you synchronize files to multiple different computers. All the synchronizing h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ens automatically, too. There\u2019s no need to click an \u201cUpdate All\u201d button to manually apply changes. The Windows Briefcase is now old-fashioned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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It\u2019s still part of Windows 7, but was deprecated in Windows 8 and is no longer part of Windows 10. The Briefcase Was All About Syncing Files If you\u2019re old enough, you\u2019ve&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":146603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/thumbcache\/2\/200\/7d0ddaac0592d3bbffeec69883b2f591\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/img_5bfc56f0f1c38.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-146602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146602\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}