FreeFileSync Forum

Update on the Pixel4a (android) sync;

I ran some transfer times using USB compared to FTP via Wifi and the transfer speed differences were not that large.

When syncing, the comparison time difference for 21,000 files was that FTP was 30% faster, which means that when you take the time needed to ...

BINGO! It's been so long since I did this, the grey cells had to be repeatedly prodded.

The key to this is an android app named CX File Explorer https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cxinventor.file.explorer

This app has the ability to "Access from Network"

In fact, what it does is ...

Found out how to set a fixed ip

Wifi/Settings/Advanced settings/dhcpIP/+

However, android is a client only, so, it may not be possible to trigger anything from the phone... I used to do this with an android file manager app that is no longer available.

CX File Explorer has something similar ...

It twas a 3.0 (usb-C) cable connected to a usb 3 port on the PC

"Normal" large file transfers to and from the Pixel via USB cable are noticeably slow by comparison to wifi, but acceptable.

The FFS transfer rates approached the high megabyte range at the beginning of the transfer, but then dropped ...

Looks like my recovery is not over. I'm slowly making progress, but users might want to know that once you get behind the 8 ball, things are difficult. My donation expires in April of next year for 3 devices

As mentioned I lost a PC to lightning and finally have only two PC's

This afternoon ...

Thanks...

Know that serious medical issues hammered me during these difficulties complicated by a PC total failure when lightning hit, and it has taken me months to finally recover and rebuild a working and synced system which happened only yesterday.

I'll now be quiet and make my payments ...

I'm posting this since I have already transferred my sync files to the Pixel, but assume that others wanting to do the same might benefit from information and or suggestions.

I just made the phone transition from a very old android Moto G6 to a Pixel 4a.

I had been using a FFS sync via USB cable ...

I just donated $20, (14.40 pounds) looked at the details and the information page shows that the donation edition was only activated for the next 10 months.

Looks like I have been forced to extend from the date that I elected to not extend over a year ago even though I elected to forego the ...

So, there is no way to determine which install to remove without paying for it?

I have made at least two, possibly three payments for ffs in the past, and facing my first serious disaster recovery need, it is disappointing to find that while a helping hand is available, that hand is extended palm ...

Thanks for the response... I'm still in recovery mode from this year's weather (both inside and outside) so have not had time to respond.

Installation of the donation edition is limited to 3 computers.
However, either of those 3 computers may run unlimited syncs to/from unlimited arbitrary ...

Disaster and Recovery...

...while I was away from my home in Texas for almost two months a lightning strike during one of the unbelievable spring storms took out my network, destroying multiple devices and one of the two computers I sync with FFS. It has taken almost a week to repair and try to ...

One other Android SD Card anomaly that relates to files on an SD card installed in an Android Device.

I had problems with notification alerts that it took me a while to track down to the SD card.

Several (not all) notifications would stop working and I would find a 4 digit number in that the app's ...

Another question on this transfer.

I have successfully synced a number of times using the above address syntax. I may have already posted this, but, it is essential to give the android time to populate the USB file transfer connection. A long time... over 5 minutes in my case.

Now, another problem ...

Update...

FFS is working, but confusing... not sure what/how the android file system functions.

First, files modified or added on the phone show up in FFS's compare. Files modified or added on the PC are the same as PC to PC syncs.

Files synced to the phone work exactly as expected.

Files synced ...

Well, the news is all good with respect to FFS although there were some transfer speed limits that I expected.

Again, the FFS location syntax in my case was;
PC\moto g(6)\BHSYNC-1

Note that if you are using multiple sdcards, you will have to either use the same "name" (i.e. BHSYNC-1) or create a ...

YE-HA!

"mtp" didn't work, but your browse suggestion revealed the syntax.

In my case, " moto g(6) " is the phone name and " BHSYNC-1 " is the SD card name so the syntax;

PC\moto g(6)\BHSYNC-1

works to point FreeFileSync to the SDCard mounted in the phone connected to the pc via a USB cable and ...

I just took a look, and, as suspected, mtp is expecting "media" files.

For example, I have working folders full of "plain text" (.TXT) files, and the mtp connection shows all of the folders on the sdcard inserted in the phone, but browsing shows those folders as empty.

Will keep searching ...

Will give that a shot. If nothing else, it might expose the file id syntax.

However, not sure about mtp files... almost none of the files that I want to sync are "media" files and based on prior experience I found that things not associated with definitions of "media" were often not included ...

Thanks to the help here, I've been syncing to an sdcard since last year and it is invaluable... thanks.

I carry that sdcard in my Android phone and because of the sync option, I now have access to current files on the go.

On this phone (a MotoG6) taking out the sdcard to insert it into a memory ...

Will do.

fwiw, life circumstances have precluded running any syncs for several months, so, this will give me the incentive to take some precautions and do so... perhaps later today.

Will report back.

Thanks again,
Beverly

Thanks for the comprehensive and clear explanation... I can now comfortably sync again!

One final question... re the sync.ffs_db file.

When I proceed with the sync, will the above file be replaced/corrected or do I have to take some action such as deleting it to force it's recreation?

Again ...

I had not updated ffs for several years, and following the review on Steve Gibson's "Security Now" podcast, I decided to update so that I could address a couple of misunderstandings in that podcast.

However, when I ran the next sync, I received the following error message

Database file "...\sync ...

Thanks... I had tried that in windows to access the drive without success

It appears that the option is unique to ffs.

A note to anyone else looking for this option... the "[]" brackets are required (not clear in the faq)

Thanks again,
Beverly Howard

re-"donated" for the current version and that appears to have addressed the problem

I pay for all software that I use, but (fwiw) I not a fan of this schema. From the purchaser side of the equation I now feel twice mislead.

Time to look for alternatives. Steve Gibson (Security Now blog) started ...

Here's the "compare" error message when I use "browse" to try and create a new config file from an existing one;

-====================-
Database file is corrupt:
"G:\ATxt\sync.ffs_db"
"\\MEDIA2\Users\Public\ATxt\sync.ffs_db"
second part missing
Setting default synchronization directions: Old files ...

Until recently, I only used FFS to keep specific folders synced on different Win Boxes.

Rather than Drive Letters, I have been using fully qualified computer names (i.e. \\media\..) which allows the same ffs_gui file to be used on all computers and that file is included in all syncs and does not ...

Thanks!

That sounds like it is going to meet the need.

Appreciated,
Beverly Howard

Thanks for the confirmation.

>> When you exclude files (by adding those to the exclude filter) <<

fwiw, what I was referring to was the "Include All / Exclude All" option when <right clicking> then checkbox column.

Beverly Howard

Related question;

Is there a way to "uncheck all" and then check only the items that are currently wanted to execute?

When I select "Exclude All" I no longer have the option to check the individual items I want to execute.

Thanks in advance,
Beverly Howard

Similar need;

if the "View" is set to only one action (such as "Create File on Right Side") when sync is selected does FFS only take that action or does it execute an entire sync?

I am syncing a computer that has not been synced in a long time and I am hoping that there is a way to sync ...