FreeFileSync Forum

Off hand, I can imagine two potential causes: * The folder(s) and/or files that are missing are in your Exclude filter * The Desktop is a Windows system folders that might reside in a "physical" location that is different from the apparent location. See e.g. http://superuser.com/questions/...

Would be happy take a look if one could post a link to the page being referenced. However have numerous batch jobs running in Windows 7, 8, & 10. Usually don't like to jump to the program as the issue (problems are usually user error) but have have not been able to get the task scheduler workin...

Comparison based on file-content rather than on file time/size will not help. FFS compares on file-time/size or on file-content for identically named files, and will not work for renamed or moved files, unless FFS recognizes files as such. I don't know how FFS tries to recognize renamed or moved fil...

Instead of using "Mirror", you can use the "Update" synchronization variant. Assuming an A => B Update sync, * Any files existing on A and not existing on B will be copied from A to B * If files exist on both A and B, and have the same date/time and size, nothing happens. * If fi...

In this specific case you might still succeed in a single run by choosing 3 folder pairs: * folder pair 1: c:\data_source ---> d:\backup\data_source * folder pair 2: c:\data_source ---> network:\backup\data_source * folder pair 3: d:\backup ---> network:\backup The 2nd folder pair now adds to the si...

Don't know if you can force it according to your wish. But, what you can do is run two separate FFS syncs sequentially: first c:\data_source ---> d:\backup\data_source and then d:\backup ---> network:\backup Depending on your use, you might do this * manually * scheduled (providing sufficient time d...

It warns you that there is a (partial) overlap between your folder pairs:
F:\NAS\backup\My Data\Update_Docs\My Programs is part of F:\NAS

This does not need to cause problems, but might give unexpected results
(incl. potential loss of data) if you don't carefully analyze what you are doing.

This should be possible, but only * when using the "update" sync method, not the "two way" or "mirror" method your from->to descriptio suggests this might be the case * if there is no duplication of filenames in the different subfolders your fileA1, fileA2 and fileA3 su...

I suppose the folder for which you want to select the context item SyncWithFFS will be the source/left part of the FFS folder pair. As the destination/right location will be user dependent, a standard solution does not seem possible, and customization would be required anyway. You can add a context-...

You can find it here:
https://freefilesync.org/archive.php

Check your (exclude) filter settings.
You might have defined more than you desire to be excluded from the sync.

The obvious thing to do would be to use the Autorun feature that would launch FFS upon insertion of the USB-stick. However, Microsoft disabled Autorun for security reasons. However, there seem to be some ways around this, see e.g.: http://portableapps.com/node/29397 But, you should be able to use Re...

Try running FFS as Admin or with Admin privileges.

Most likely this is not a corruption of the file system,
but rather an incorrect use of links.
To the extent that it concerns an incorrect *symbolic* link, you could try
change the Synchronization Settings to Exclude Symbolic Links in the Comparison section.
(see the Help)

Check your filter setting.
*\desktop.ini and
*\thumbs.db
are by default in the exclude-filter.
(Temporary) deleting these filter items will learn you
if the file-count then matches.

Your "nice to have" way is exactly the way FFS works in my case.
That also seems to be the default when selecting versioning.
I would not even know if/how it could be set differently.

There are plenty topics on this very subject in this forum. Or see e.g. http://ask-leo.com/why_do_file_timestamps_compare_differently_every_time_change.html In short: * Use non-FAT formatted storage media (i.e. using UTC rather than, like in FAT, using local machine time) * Use the option to ignore ...

During comparison many small pieces of data (file-name and -date) are being exchanged. This requires a lot of handshaking (="overhead"), but does not involve the exchange of a high data volume. Hence the low data-rate. Once the real sync starts and would involve predominantly large files, ...

If you only want to keep the two most recent versions of files, the actual version and the previous version, this can already be done in FFS by using the Update sync-method, and for file deletion selecting Versioning with the Replace naming convention. (Versioning method 1 in the FFS help-file) Afte...

>You forgot to escape some of the backslashes in your updated code: ... No, i don't want a "\" beetwen "*" and ":" >By the way: Nice to see that even variable operators work in FFS. Nice it would be, but environment variables will not be expanded within filter-items . ...

@micha You forgot to escape some of the backslashes in your updated code: e.g. <Item>%WinDir:*:=%\</Item> should read <Item>%WinDir:*\:=%\</Item> Note the added backslash (\) behind the asteriks (*) By the way: It is not really clear from your last reply and updated first post if the use of (modifie...

> And (i wrote it above) in none of the 4 cases: - ... was the environment variable resolved. We keep running in circles ... As long as you keep using these variables in this form in the include/exclude definitions, it will never work as (again) includes/excludes are/must be relative to the applicab...

I think Update will do what you want. Go to Actions on the tool bar, select Synchronization Options, then select Update. The tool tip for Update says: "Copy new and updated files to the right folder" FFS does not seem to have something equivalent to SyncToy's Contribute. FFS's Update will...

1. I have tested it in BATCH-mode ( *.ffs_batch) and in GUI-mode ( *.ffs_gui), with <GlobalFilter> <Include> <Item>\Windows\</Item> </Include> <Exclude> <Item>%WinDir:*:=%\</Item> </Exclude> <TimeSpan Type="None">0</TimeSpan> <SizeMin Unit="None">0</SizeMin> <SizeMax Unit="...

If you klick on Zenju's name, his profile-page will open.
( https://sourceforge.net/u/zenju/profile/ )
There (top-right) you will find a button: Send Message.

Just noticed: It seems you are using %SystemRoot% and %WinDir% in the include or exclude list. However, if you check the value of theses variables you will notice they contain the absolute location (like C:\Windows). These absolute addresses are perfect for defining the folder pairs. However, includ...

No time to test right now; however ... I'm not sure if this works for *.ffs_gui-files. The Macro-section of the help-file refers to *.ffs_batch-files. That is obviously where the use of environment variables makes most sense. If a batch-approach works but is no option for you, perhaps you can use a ...

The help-file suggests this is presently already supported.
(under the indicated limitations).
Look at the page bottom of the topic Macros.

That's what the *.ffs_batch files are for ...

@Zenju:
Suppose the resource that was off-line during Compare
does become on-line between the Compare and Sync action,
would that now pose a risk of loss of data in FFS?