I would like to purchase some software that will allow me easily to
synchronize folders between machines on a network, in particular
between a desktop machine and a laptop which is intermittently coupled
to the desktop via a LAN.  Both machines are running XP professional.

I already own Laplink version 12.0, but its 'synchronization' feature
does not - to my mind - perform true synchronization because of the
way it handles deleted files.  If folder A on the desktop is
sychronized with folder B on the laptop and, since the last sync, a
file has been deleted from B but left untouched in A, Laplink will
automatically add the file back into B on the next sync.  The same
thing happens in reverse if a file is deleted from A but left
untouched in B.

Since files can never be deleted from either folder during the sync
operation, the only way to remove a file one really wants to get rid
of is to delete it separately on both the desktop and the laptop. 
Which is really a bit of a pain.

I am also aware of the built in Offline Files feature in XP
professional.  That deals with deletions properly, but is able
to sync on the laptop only with a virtual version of a path pointing to the
desktop.  It does not allow me to select any two folders, A and B, and
to tell the system that I want those specific folders to be sychronized.

Can you find me some other third party software that will do what I want? 

Michael

There is a utility called rsync which came from Unix but can be run in Windows:
http://optics.ph.unimelb.edu.au/help/rsync/rsync_pc1.html

Here is more information on rsync:
http://optics.ph.unimelb.edu.au/help/rsync/rsync.html

The --delete option works as you suggest: it will delete files that
don't exist on the sending side. However, in my opinion the Laplink
behaviour is correct, since presumably you are doing this as a backup
procedure. If you accidentally delete a file then run the backup
procedure, this would erase the backup copy.

This is going to be a difficult task.  I use SyncBack, great freeware
software which will delete files in, say, the destination, if not in
the source (or vice versa), but it won't do both.

The way it normally determines which file is newer is by using the
modification date on it.  How would the program know whether a deleted
file was actually deleted or just not yet created?  Given that, it
wouldn't know whether to delete it in one or copy it into the other.

If you sync one-way (i.e. you know that the laptop is the master and
whatever you do on the laptop you wan't matched on the desktop), you
can usually set up these programs to handle deletions as you desire (I
know SyncBank does).  But for a two-way sync, it wouldn't be possible
UNLESS the program keeps track of files differently, like if it keeps
a running database of files in existence with each sync and uses that
for comparison as opposed to just the file modification dates.

--Joey

SyncUp is a shareware product which allows to sync the folders in a
network and has various options(delete option is also available) that
can be set to before the start of sync.

http://www.cellarstone.com/syncup.htm