How to create a two way sync with subfolders on different paths

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Joined: 28 May 2024

MrJack

Hi I'm new here and could need some help with something I cannot find in the forum when I search.

I have used Free FileSync a few years and am a donor.

I have a collection of files in one USB-drive, the files are stored in different folders and subfolders!
As an example D:/Folder1/Customer3/Container/subfolderA/file1.txt

I also have another USB-drive with a little different structure, this one I bring with me when I travel!
As an example D:/Totalfolder/Collection/Container/subfolderA/file1.txt

I would like FFS to two way mirror my files and folders (and subfolders) between the two drives from subfolder "Container" and below.

How do I preform this task step by step to use FFS
I tried with the paths in left and right sides and setting up a two way sync but I cannot make it work!
Anyone have a solution or if you need more information first, I'll be very greatful for help!

Thank you!
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Plerry

In your post, you use the drive letter D for both your USB drives.
I will assume the 2nd one is named E:\ instead of D:\.
Also note you use forward slashes (/) instead of backslashes (\), which is strange when using drive-letters.

It seems you should specify your left base location as
D:\Folder1\Customer3\Container
and your right base location as
E:\Totalfolder\Collection\Container

Instead of typing, you can also drag/drop the two "Container" folders to the location in the FFS GUI where you specify your left and right base-location.
Posts: 8
Joined: 28 May 2024

MrJack

In your post, you use the drive letter D for both your USB drives.
I will assume the 2nd one is named E:\ instead of D:\.
Also note you use forward slashes (/) instead of backslashes (\), which is strange when using drive-letters.

It seems you should specify your left base location as
D:\Folder1\Customer3\Container
and your right base location as
E:\Totalfolder\Collection\Container

Instead of typing, you can also drag/drop the two "Container" folders to the location in the FFS GUI where you specify your left and right base-location. Plerry, 28 May 2024, 14:06
Thank you for your answer,

Yes you are correct both about the drive letters and the forward/back-slashes, sorry about that, should have copied instead of typing it in!

I did not type them in the FFS program, I clicked on the link next to the link window, and got the link from there.
What I wanted to illustate is that the filepaths are not the same all the way on the different drives, only the last folder and downwards is the same. And that I wanted FFS to copy/create all new files and folders on both sides.

I am not at the right computer so I try to give more info and a screenshot from the error message that I get from FFS.

Thank you again!
Posts: 8
Joined: 28 May 2024

MrJack

Hello again!

Now I have a screenshot from my example.
When I test to do a 2WaySync you see that nothing have been syncronised, even thou I have 2 new folders, with 6 new files, on J: and 1 new folder, with 2 new files, on P:!
What is it that I make wrong?

Best regards and thank you (and others) for any help!
Attachments
Test FFS.jpg
Test FFS.jpg (98.51 KiB) Viewed 557 times
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xCSxXenon

That is going to make 'Subfolder A' on both sides have the same subdirectories and files in them. This sounds like what you are trying to achieve, so that is good.
When you say
"I have 2 new folders, with 6 new files, on J: and 1 new folder, with 2 new files, on P:"
These files/folders must exist inside the 'Subfolder A' directories on either side, not just anywhere in J or P
Posts: 8
Joined: 28 May 2024

MrJack

OK thank you,
The new files and folders are in SubfolderA on both sides but it still not works.
Correct me if I'm wrong but should not both the new folders and files in subfolderA on the J-drive be created in subfolderA on the P-drive and the new folder and files in subfolderA on the P-drive be created in subfolderA on the J-drive when I use the 2WaySync commandbutton?
Sorry for the long sentence :-)
Maybe FFS don't create new directories only new files in already manually created folders?
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Plerry

What your picture shows is that the sync "Completed succesfully".
After a sync has completed successfully, left and right are/should be in sync, and thus the FFS Compare result window is empty.
You can confirm this by performing a new Compare.
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xCSxXenon

OK thank you,
The new files and folders are in SubfolderA on both sides but it still not works.
Correct me if I'm wrong but should not both the new folders and files in subfolderA on the J-drive be created in subfolderA on the P-drive and the new folder and files in subfolderA on the P-drive be created in subfolderA on the J-drive when I use the 2WaySync commandbutton?
Sorry for the long sentence :-)
Maybe FFS don't create new directories only new files in already manually created folders? MrJack, 02 Jun 2024, 23:41
You are completely correct. Have you verified with File Explorer that the two locations aren't synced? Also, what are the filter settings for this configuration?
Posts: 8
Joined: 28 May 2024

MrJack

What your picture shows is that the sync "Completed succesfully".
After a sync has completed successfully, left and right are/should be in sync, and thus the FFS Compare result window is empty.
You can confirm this by performing a new Compare. Plerry, 03 Jun 2024, 05:36
Thank you for your answer,

I used file size and file size/date both several times both with and without use of the database setting, and got the same result.

Now I also made a custom sync setting (see picture) but no change in the result = nothing syncs.

I have confirmed by looking in the folders in file explorer.

What do I do wrong?
Attachments
Test 2 FFS.jpg
Test 2 FFS.jpg (54.1 KiB) Viewed 481 times
Posts: 8
Joined: 28 May 2024

MrJack

OK thank you,
The new files and folders are in SubfolderA on both sides but it still not works.
Correct me if I'm wrong but should not both the new folders and files in subfolderA on the J-drive be created in subfolderA on the P-drive and the new folder and files in subfolderA on the P-drive be created in subfolderA on the J-drive when I use the 2WaySync commandbutton?
Sorry for the long sentence :-)
Maybe FFS don't create new directories only new files in already manually created folders? MrJack, 02 Jun 2024, 23:41
You are completely correct. Have you verified with File Explorer that the two locations aren't synced? Also, what are the filter settings for this configuration? xCSxXenon, 03 Jun 2024, 16:38
Thanl you for your answer,

Yes I have verified with File Explorer that nothing have happened in the folders on both sides.

I have tried with both file size and file size/date with the same result, nothing!

Something I'm doing is wrong, but what?
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xCSxXenon

Post a screenshot of File Explorer showing the contents of 'Subfolder A' in both locations
Posts: 8
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MrJack

Post a screenshot of File Explorer showing the contents of 'Subfolder A' in both locations xCSxXenon, 04 Jun 2024, 15:11
Thank you but cannot do that the filenames contains customer info, company rules, and can't see how that should help in any way, just ordinary files.

But a big thank you all who tried to help me solve this issue.

I have to find another way to approach this.

Best regards!
Posts: 8
Joined: 28 May 2024

MrJack

Hello again!

Mystery solved, I am self to blame for this problem, I am sorry for taking up your time and expertise, but I am very grateful for the help you gave me to try to solve this problem.

What did I do? When I started this 2WaySync that I could not get to work, I totally forget to check The Filter settings. Before I had made a backup sync of my outlook files and used the filter setting to *.ost and *.pst, this setting was still there when I created the new 2WaySync, so when my folders in that sync did not contained any ost- or pst-files nothing did sync.
So I changed the filter settings to *.* and then everything worked as I wanted!

So once again thank you for your help and it is nice to know that this forum works well!
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xCSxXenon

Filters attack with a vengeance lol