Re-creating folder structure during restore
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 18 May 2025
I have large and growing photo collection on a single HDD. This drive is mirrored daily to a backup drive using FFS with a database file. I also have several smaller drives with manual copies as an additional backup. The filenames on these drives are identical to the originals but they are in a different folder structure. If I ever had to restore from these separate drives, is there a way that FFS could place the restored files in the same folder structure as the originals? When I try this all the files are restored to the root folder only, even if a replicate the original folder structure manually. Presumably the sync.ffs_db file does not contain the actual folder names or recognise the folder structure that I have re-created?
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- Posts: 4866
- Joined: 11 Jun 2019
Directory trees/structures must match, that's the entire basis that FFS works on.
When you use FFS, you select two folders as base locations and FFS makes them 100% equal in structure and data, using a mirror sync of course. Any backup that you have where the files aren't in identical relative locations are bad backups. If you can't restore from a backup without messing about with locations, it's bad. In my decade of helpdesk to system engineer, what you are doing is exactly what causes data chaos due to duplication and loss. Your first step before worrying about restoring is to fix your backups by making them restorable in the first place.
With that said, restoring from a backup that was maintained with a mirror sync in FFS should be trivial. Just reverse the sides in FFS, thus reversing the mirror direction, and sync. The backup is mirrored to the production location, exactly as backed up. In the case of multiple backup locations, you can mirror each backup to the production location, making sure to tune the FFS settings so it only copies the newest versions of files. This isn't 100% reliable in my opinion, though. Timestamps can get weird sometimes. Your backup strategy should include some kind of hierarchy as well. Start with the most recent backup, anything missing or corrupt from that, if any, then you go the the next backup, and on and on. Essentially, get a "primary" backup that you know always has the most recent backup
When you use FFS, you select two folders as base locations and FFS makes them 100% equal in structure and data, using a mirror sync of course. Any backup that you have where the files aren't in identical relative locations are bad backups. If you can't restore from a backup without messing about with locations, it's bad. In my decade of helpdesk to system engineer, what you are doing is exactly what causes data chaos due to duplication and loss. Your first step before worrying about restoring is to fix your backups by making them restorable in the first place.
With that said, restoring from a backup that was maintained with a mirror sync in FFS should be trivial. Just reverse the sides in FFS, thus reversing the mirror direction, and sync. The backup is mirrored to the production location, exactly as backed up. In the case of multiple backup locations, you can mirror each backup to the production location, making sure to tune the FFS settings so it only copies the newest versions of files. This isn't 100% reliable in my opinion, though. Timestamps can get weird sometimes. Your backup strategy should include some kind of hierarchy as well. Start with the most recent backup, anything missing or corrupt from that, if any, then you go the the next backup, and on and on. Essentially, get a "primary" backup that you know always has the most recent backup
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 18 May 2025
Many thanks xCSxXenon for your reply, you make some valid points. I think what I will do is replace the data on these separate drives using FFS with a database. Refreshing the the data may also help prevent bit rot on these older drives!
I have also been looking at an alternative approach using Voidtools Everything (another excellent piece of software) to generate a regular snapshot of my folder structure and a simple batch file to move the backup files to the appropriate folders. It seems to work ok although it is very slow.
I have also been looking at an alternative approach using Voidtools Everything (another excellent piece of software) to generate a regular snapshot of my folder structure and a simple batch file to move the backup files to the appropriate folders. It seems to work ok although it is very slow.
