FreeFileSync Forum

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?

Note that stop synching any file name that starts with a dot '.' via excluding
*/.*
will also exclude
*/.DS_Store
*/.wdmc/
*/.Thumbs.db
*/.Picasa.ini__
(or any other file or folder starting with a dot '.' ) without the need
to specify those four specifically.

Is that "Links"-folder not simply a hidden folder? You can check that by (temporary) activating the "Show hidden files, folders and drives" option in Windows Explorer for C:\users\username\Documents (or for all folders). Windows Explorer / Folder Options / tab:View / section:File...

If I remember correctly, ... FFS v6.x is not backward compatible with FFS v3.x stored sync setting. Try to recreate your "old" sync setting by defining a new sync in FFS v6.x (and store this new sync if succesful). You should still be able to consult your v3.x stored sync settings with any...

Using RealtimeSync for synchronizing a profile seems a bit overdone
(unless you are working on two machines simultaneously).
Why not run your FFS-batch file at exit (and possibly additionally at fixed times)
via the Task Scheduler.

After upgrading FreeFileSync to version 6.11 I deleted my old batch file and created a new one for backing up my Outlook folder. I created a new task in Windows Scheduler to run the new batch file on start up, however, when I restart my pc I now get an annoying error message which reads "FreeF...

If the directory tree is static and not very complex , you should be able to use multiple folder pairs. The A locations would be the different folders in the source folder tree (but obviously not C:\all_PDF_Files\ ) the B locations would all be identical same destination folder C:\all_PDF_Files\ The...

... multiple folder pairs ... The only disadvantage of using multiple folder pairs in this case would be that the two/multiple A/B folder pairs would be identical, although the pairs would differ in local Comparison Settings, in Include/Exclude filter and possibly in Sync Settings. This will always...

> When I run it in the foreground it finishes within an hour. But does it also close all FFS-Windows when finished? Did you select "Close progress dialog" under Synchronization Settings? If not, FFS might be waiting for you to click an OK (or the like). If errors have occurred, and you hav...

The default Exclude list (Windows version 6.10) reads: <Exclude> <Item>\System Volume Information\</Item> <Item>\$Recycle.Bin\</Item> <Item>\RECYCLER\</Item> <Item>\RECYCLED\</Item> <Item>*\desktop.ini</Item> <Item>*\thumbs.db</Item> </Exclude>

There might be different, mutually non-exclusive reasons: 1) File-size and disk-usage are two different things. If the two disks are not formatted exactly identical (e.g block-size), the disk-usage can be different, even if all files are identical. 2) The difference in number of files might be due t...