FFSync Lost

Posts: 16 · mitrajoon 29 Oct 2023, 20:14

Today when I tried to sync/update my D Drive with my external backup (update D to H) I got a an error message saying FFS doesn't know which disc to update! Somehow FFS says it's confused because some files in both drives are different. Of course they are, that's why I'm updating my external drive so that it reflects my latest version of files on my D Drive. I've used FFS for many years and never had a problem. The left hand side is the source Drive, the right hand side is the drive being updated.

What the heck is going on?

Posts: 4202 · xCSxXenon 29 Oct 2023, 20:18

Sounds like you may be using "two-way" and not "mirror" for sync method. Just a guess based on your very vague description

Posts: 16 · mitrajoon 29 Oct 2023, 20:22

Thxs for the reply, I am using Synchronize Update. The error message is that files (specifically named) are different between my D Drive and H Drive and FFS cannot determine which Drive to update. Of course they need to be modified/added to H.

Many of these files are simple word documents that have been added or edited in D.

Posts: 4202 · xCSxXenon 29 Oct 2023, 20:49

Run a compare and post a screen shot of the results

Posts: 16 · mitrajoon 29 Oct 2023, 22:29

Screen shot

Posts: 4202 · xCSxXenon 30 Oct 2023, 14:10

Post a screenshot of all three settings pages for this sync

Posts: 1067 · therube 30 Oct 2023, 15:38

I am using Synchronize Update

Do you also have, "Update database file to detect changes", enabled?

If so, & if you modified said files outside the purview of FFS, that could lead to your issue.

Posts: 16 · mitrajoon 31 Oct 2023, 20:05

"Update database file to detect changes"

Don't see that as an option.

The attached screen shot shows the errors I get. There are 2550 of them.

Posts: 4202 · xCSxXenon 31 Oct 2023, 20:15

Post a screenshot of all three settings pages for this sync xCSxXenon, 30 Oct 2023, 14:10

Use the "Editor and Preview" below to actually add pictures instead of a document

Posts: 16 · mitrajoon 31 Oct 2023, 20:39

I don't know what you mean by all 3 pages and when I try to copy and paste a screen shot nothing is pasted, that's why I used a document.

Posts: 4202 · xCSxXenon 31 Oct 2023, 21:40

: 2023-10-31 17_39_01-Synchronization Settings.jpg (100.75 KiB) Viewed 6371 times

: 2023-10-31 17_38_59-Synchronization Settings.jpg (131.42 KiB) Viewed 6371 times

: 2023-10-31 17_38_57-Synchronization Settings.jpg (148.24 KiB) Viewed 6371 times

These pages
You don't paste pictures in the text box. You have to save them and then upload them

Posts: 16 · mitrajoon 2 Nov 2023, 19:56

Sorry this took so long, life got complicated.

Posts: 4202 · xCSxXenon 2 Nov 2023, 20:55

Somehow both files, one on the D drive and one on the H drive, were modified since the last sync. Since FFS has no idea which one you actually want to keep, it reports it as a conflict. If you always want H to mirror D, you should use "mirror" sync method. If you want to keep using "update", so files deleted from D or added to H stay in H, you have to resolve these conflicts manually. You can run a compare and then choose which direction to transfer from the middle section of the results.

Posts: 16 · mitrajoon 2 Nov 2023, 21:17

I don't understand. I keep my current files and the previous 2 years on my D Drive. I send these files to my H drive (and a matching G drive) once a month. H & G contain many years of data. All that I want to send to them are any changes that have been made to files on D. So I mirror H & G, but D has a small fraction of data on it compared to H & G.

Again, I don't understand. How can the program get "confused "since in the very description of the Update function, data from the drive on the Left goes to the drive on the RIGHT. There is no reason for the program to "wonder" which files I want to keep.

What is particularly frustrating is that I have been doing exactly that with no problem for over 5 years. I've never had a problem until this recent back up.

I don't mean to be rude, I truly appreciate your help. I just don't get it and will now apparently need to find another program to regularly back up my files.

Posts: 1067 · therube 3 Nov 2023, 16:14

Do you also have, "Update database file to detect changes", enabled?

Best I can tell (& I really can't from your shots), but it looks like you do have that setting enabled (to use the database [& that change/feature only happened, very recently - which could account for your "no problem for over 5 years]).

That said (& I'm not sure I really understanding it, but) if you are using the database & if you happened to make changes to both sets of files, outside the auspices of FFS, then FFS will notify you of that fact. (And again, I'm not really clear on this aspect.)

Posts: 1067 · therube 3 Nov 2023, 16:23

Oh, so if you extract the .docx, you can find an actual .png. That helps.

So tell us about "Trust.pdf".
On one end, it is dated 10/16/2017. I take it that it dated the very same on the other?
(Or is it?)
And the sizes are the same (which we can see).

(So what I've alluded to above in in fact not playing into what you are seeing.)

So in that respect, there should be no issue with "Trust.pdf" (nor I suspect with the majority or even all of the files FFS is taking issue with).

That said, I wonder if File "modified" date/time changed is not the actual issue.

You are using FFS 13.1 ?
Your H: drive is an external drive of some sort?
If you revert to FFS 12.x or to 13.2 Beta does the issue subside?

Posts: 16 · mitrajoon 3 Nov 2023, 17:35

Trust.pdf you referred to was saved in 2017 and has not changed at all. Not sure what you mean by PNG. It is a pdf in all my drives as saved.

Doesn't matter though because, as you suggested, I installed an earlier version (arbitrarily selected 12.3) and it worked perfectly!! I am so relieved. A later version may work as well but unless someone tells me differently I will stick with 12.3 from now on. I am open to other suggestions if something strikes you as useful to know, but right now it ain't broke.

Most importantly, I want to thank you and xCSxXenon for taking the time to work on this.

Posts: 1067 · therube 3 Nov 2023, 19:16

You are using FFS 13.1 ?

Yes (he was). (That too is, looking again, now, obvious from his .png screenshot.)

Not sure what you mean by PNG

Only that the .docx file you posted, contained a .png screenshot.
(Ordinarily, I can't do anything with .docx, so I did not see what was in there - before, until I manually extracted it's content, & then I was like - oh, there's a .png screenshot in there.)

Posts: 4202 · xCSxXenon 5 Nov 2023, 15:27

If you always want H to mirror D, you should use "mirror" sync method. xCSxXenon, 02 Nov 2023, 20:55

Posts: 16 · mitrajoon 5 Nov 2023, 20:54

Perhaps I misunderstand mirroring, but my D Drive (internal) has current year and last 2 years of photos on it while my H Drive (external) has 30 years of photos, don't want that mirrored on D. What I do is sync new and updated files from D to H and also to G (external) so I have two complete backups of my files off-line.

FWIW, I also back up changes in D daily on my E Drive (external) using Macrium, plus a full backup of D once a month, keeping last month and current full backups. Same with image of C Drive. Create new image every month, keeping last month and current month on E Drive.