After using the Foxmarks Favorites synchronization tool for a while I decided I needed to write a post on this great product.
Very recently Foxmarks has been renamed to XMarks, I assume to better reflect the fact the product can work with other browsers than just FireFox.
I was first introduced to the utility when I become a heavier Firefox user and it solved a problem for me that I am sure many users have. I heavily use Internet Favorites and have a fairly well organized and categorized set of folders and bookmarks. I also have 3 PCs that I use regularly and for reasons I wont bore you with as to why they are not on a domain and I don’t use roaming profiles (which would at least mean IE favorites remained centrally managed) for these systems.
The first thing that is really cool about Xmarks is that you can synchronize your browser favorites and user name and password combinations with the Xmarks server – obviously after considering carefully what types of passwords I want out there! So after doing that you now have an off site central repository for all your bookmarks. If you should then add a second PC to your set up you simply install the Xmarks add on and enter your details and immediately all your internet shortcuts are now on your new PC too. You can repeat this with as many PCs as you would like. You can choose whether to copy over any existing shortcuts on the new PC, or merge the server entires with the local ones, etc.
I also happen to use Internet Explorer a lot and in days gone by I would use the SyncToy utility, free from Microsoft, to ensure my IE Favorites were replicated between PCs. That’s fine, but it doesn’t help me with FireFox. Xmarks also happens to have a version that syncs with IE too. I therefore can ensure my different browsers, even on the same PC and across multiple PCs have the same favorites and if I add, delete or edit one in one place it is changed everywhere else.
Should I ever rebuild or lose my PC (and cant get my hands on an up to date backup!) then I can simply install Xmarks and bam, I have all my favorites back again.
The tool is simple, works great, saves time and effort and is free. I recommend you check out www.xmarks.com – the latest version does a whole lot more than I have described including allowing you to set up profiles for home and work and how they are replicated.
Check it out – you want be disappointed.
