Folder Monitor allows users to upload files from a computer or designated drop boxes of instruments in the lab to a notebook or folder within LabArchives.  

Quick links

Install Folder Monitor

Log into Folder Monitor

Create an Upload Rule

Folder Monitor Tools

Common Problems when uploading files

Install Folder Monitor
1. Download Folder Monitor by selecting Folder Monitor from the triple-dot menu. Be sure to download the correct version for your computer. If you have trouble downloading Folder Monitor, check the security settings for your device or contact your IT department for assistance.

      2. Run the Folder Monitor Installer file.
3. On the welcome message, click “Next.”
4. When the installer is ready to begin the installation. Click “Install”. You may need to enter your administrator account information.
5. The installation may take several minutes. When finished, click “Next.”
6. Once Installation is complete. Click “Finish.” 

Log into Folder Monitor

Once you open Folder Monitor, you will be prompted to log in. Use the same email and password you use to log into LabArchives. 

If you share a computer with another user, you will need to take turns logging into folder monitor. The Folders for the user that is logged in will be monitored.  

If you log in using your institutional credentials, see the Single Sign On Instructions. 

For more information on logging in as an Australian user Click Here, and as a UK user Click Here.

Create an Upload Rule

An upload rule allows you to identify the local folder that will be monitored, criteria for types of files to be uploaded, and a LabArchives destination for files.

1. To Create a New Rule, click “Add Rule” to open the “Upload Rule Editor”

2. Name your rule in the Description field
3. Select the Local Source Folder you wish to monitor. Click the Folder icon (), select a folder on your computer in the “Browse for Folder” Window and click “OK.” 

 

      4. File Filters allows you to set criteria for the type of files to upload.  By default, the filter will be set to All Files (*.*). 

To create a filter click the filter icon () to open the File Filter Selection.  You can select one or more options from this list or add your own filter.   

 

To create your own filter, select “Add Filter” to open the “File Filter Editor”. Provide a Filter Name, indicate the filename pattern, and click “OK” to add this filter.  

 

Example: The filename pattern “*.sk2, *JDoe” would upload all .sk2 files and any files that contains “JDoe” in the filename. 

5. Specify your preference for handling Subfolders of the local source folder.  

• Exclude: This will upload only the files in your source folder and ignore the subfolders completely.
• Combine: This will combine all files in your local source folder and subfolder(s) and upload these as a group. 
• Map: This will create folders and subfolders in the designated notebook that follow the same structure and naming convention used in your local source. Files found in the local source folder or its subfolders will be organized into the mapped folders in your notebook. 

       6. Specify your LabArchives Destination for the uploaded files. Click the select folder icon () to open the LabArchives Target Folder window. Click + to expand a folder or notebook and click the folder name to select it. To select a folder, you must               have edit rights to the folder. 

 

7. Create Daily Pages will create a new page each day files are uploaded to LabArchives. The pages will be named: yyyy-mm-dd.   
8. Max Entries per Page is the number of attachments that will be uploaded to each LabArchives Page. When the maximum number of files is met for a page, a new page is created for additional files. If you Create Daily Pages and exceed the maximum entries per page, the page name will include a number. 
9. Click on OK to save your Upload Rule.

 

10. If you are logged into Folder Monitor, it will run in the background of your computer and automatically upload files to LabArchives. If you create a new rule or log into Folder Monitor, any files that match the upload rule will be listed in the “New Files Found” window.  

 

Folder Monitor Tools

• Add Rule: Create a New Rule.
• Edit: Select a rule to edit it.  
• Duplicate: quickly make a copy of a rule. 
• Delete: Select a rule to delete it.  
• “Move Up” or “Move Down”: Used to change the rule order.
  NOTE: New files will be uploaded to one LabArchives destination. If a file meets the criteria for two rules, it will be uploaded according to the first rule.

• In Settings, you can select “Start Automatically” to run Folder Monitor when the computer starts up. You can also show Hidden or Student notebooks. 
  • If you are using your institutional credentials, we strongly recommend you turn on the “Start Automatically” option so that the Password Token only has to be used once. From then on, every time Folder Monitor is started, you will be logged on automatically until you manually log out in the program. 

 

Folder Monitor Folders Preview

To view the folder layout of your Source Folder in Folder Monitor as well as the status of your files, click the “Folders” tab. 

• Files that have been uploaded are indicated with a  next to its name.
  
• Files that are in the process of being uploaded are noted with a .
  

Status Bar

The indicators at the bottom of the Folder Monitor Window will show the user who is currently logged into Folder Monitor. If you are uploading files, it will also state the current file’s name that is being uploaded, and a progress bar to show the progress of the file being uploaded. 

Once Folder Monitor has finished uploading the contents of a rule, the status bar will state “Sync Completed”.

Duplicating or Disabling a Rule 

Right-clicking any existing rule allows you to choose to Duplicate that Rule or Disable that rule. You may want to Duplicate a Rule if you need to make another rule that is very similar to the first one. If you Disable a Rule, the Rule will stop syncing files from that particular Source Directory until you choose to Enable it again (also by right clicking). You may want to disable a rule if you have many rules in your Folder Monitor and want to keep them all, but don’t want all of them to run at once. 

These features are available in the Windows version of Folder Monitor only.  

Launch Folder Monitor from the System tray

If you would like to open Folder Monitor while it is already running on your computer, right click on the Folder Monitor icon in the system tray and select “Open LabArchives Folder Monitor.” 

 

Common Problems when Uploading Files

File path issues 

The cumulative File path name must be less than 260 Characters in the local source folder and the LabArchives Destination. Try moving the files to a location with a shorter file path name. 

File Size Issues 

Folder Monitor is unable to upload files larger than 250 MB and it may not work properly if your source folder Is larger than 1GB. 

Upload Rules:  

We recommend that you use folder monitor with as few rules as possible. If the rules conflict they can prevent files from uploading to LabArchives. New files will be uploaded to one LabArchives destination. If a file meets the criteria for two rules, it will be uploaded according to the first rule.  

Drive Issues: 

External drives or USB Flash drives may not work properly with Folder Monitor. Folder Monitor does not support monitoring folders that are located on a Network drive.