Backup Files in 1 Folder to 3 Folders at once

[sfdude99]

Hi - Great program.

I need to Backup new/changed Files
in:
C:\TESTC (Source)

to 3 Folders at the same time
- clicking the [Synchronize] button only ONCE:

D:\TESTD
E:\TESTE
F: \TESTF

so that the Files in C:\TESTC end up having 3 "backup" locations
in drives D, E and F.
All this, clicking the [Synchronize] button only ONCE.

Right now, the pgm copies the same set of Files from TESTC,
into *each Backup Folder* 3 times!.

Help pls!! How do you do this?
A clear example image/instructions would be nice...
SFdude

[Zenju]

Hi, I'm not sure if I understood correctly:

You have one source folder in C: and three target folders in D:, E: and F:. So I'd suggest you simply use three folder pairs
C:\TESTC -> D:\TESTD
C:\TESTC -> E:\TESTE
C:\TESTC -> F:\TESTF

Then start the one way sync to the left. Is this what you have been doing? Or is there some problem?

Regards, Zenju

[sfdude99]

Hi, I'm not sure if I understood correctly:

You have one source folder in C: and three target folders in D:, E: and F:. So I'd suggest you simply use three folder pairs
C:\TESTC -> D:\TESTD
C:\TESTC -> E:\TESTE
C:\TESTC -> F:\TESTF

Then start the one way sync to the left. Is this what you have been doing? Or is there some problem?

Regards, Zenju

Hi Zen Ju,

Your instructions worked fine. Thanks!
BUT PROBLEM:
Although I have "Ignore time difference of less than 1 hour" in GLOBAL SETTINGS"

I still get the orange lightning bolt in the middle column,
and also this message, below:

"Ignore Conflict detected:
Files "aaa.txt" have a file time difference of less than 1 hour! It's not safe to decide which one is newer due to Daylight Saving Time issues.

Left: Date: 2009-08-12 18:09:59
Right: Date: 2009-08-12 18:06:00"

As you can see above,
I have changed file: "aaa.txt" (it has a more recent Date & Time!),
and wish to replace (Left to Right), this file to backup Folders in D, E & F drives.

Yet,...FFS gives me a warning you see above,
Note: the right hand date time of "aaa.txt" is OLDER than the Left side.

Why is this happening?
Thanks!

[Zenju]

Hi,

you have enabled the setting "ignore DST +-1h". And this is exactly what is done, time deviations of EXACTLY +-1h are ignored and the corresponding files are treated as equal.

In your case time deviation is LESS than 1 hour => it's just like the warning says: "It's not safe to decide which one is newer".
I.e. there is one half of the year where the file on the left is "seen" as newer, the other half of the year the file on right is seen as newer.

Unfortunately this is all that can be done for FAT/FAT32 drives. If on the other hand you are not affected by the DST issue because you're not using FAT/FAT32, simply disable the option. The purpose of this settings is just to protect you from accidental data loss.

Regards, Zenju

[sfdude99]

Hi - Great program.

I need to Backup new/changed Files
in:
C:\TESTC (Source)

to 3 Folders at the same time
- clicking the [Synchronize] button only ONCE:

D:\TESTD
E:\TESTE
F: \TESTF

so that the Files in C:\TESTC end up having 3 "backup" locations
in drives D, E and F.
All this, clicking the [Synchronize] button only ONCE.

Right now, the pgm copies the same set of Files from TESTC,
into *each Backup Folder* 3 times!.

Help pls!! How do you do this?
A clear example image/instructions would be nice...
SFdude

Possible solution to BACKUP problem (Left to Right),
in UPDATE mode:

I believe you need a 3rd (new) category
in the COMPARE BY.... :
---> File DATE AND TIME <---

Without this new, 3rd option in COMPARE BY...,
it will be impossible to make a Backup copy (Left to Right),
if the left files are updated in the SAME DATE, *several times* during the day!
(- ie: at 9AM and later at 10 AM).

So, in summary - for any file...
IF
- the DATE is the same (Left = Right),
- the FILE SIZE is the same (Left = Right),
but...
- IF the Left TIME is NEWER (+recent) than the Right TIME ,
do the Update Backup L -- >R !!!.

Does this make sense?
thanks!

[Zenju]

Possible solution to BACKUP problem (Left to Right),
in UPDATE mode:

I believe you need a 3rd (new) category
in the COMPARE BY.... :
---> File DATE AND TIME <---

Without this new, 3rd option in COMPARE BY...,
it will be impossible to make a Backup copy (Left to Right),
if the left files are updated in the SAME DATE, *several times* during the day!
(- ie: at 9AM and later at 10 AM).

So, in summary - for any file...
IF
- the DATE is the same (Left = Right),
- the FILE SIZE is the same (Left = Right),
but...
- IF the Left TIME is NEWER (+recent) than the Right TIME ,
do the Update Backup L -- >R !!!.

Does this make sense?
thanks!

To be honest, I don't really understand the problem:

Could you give a simple and concrete example what you want to do?

-Zenju

[sfdude99]

Hi - Great program.

I need to Backup new/changed Files
in:
C:\TESTC (Source)

to 3 Folders at the same time
- clicking the [Synchronize] button only ONCE:

D:\TESTD
E:\TESTE
F: \TESTF

so that the Files in C:\TESTC end up having 3 "backup" locations
in drives D, E and F.
All this, clicking the [Synchronize] button only ONCE.

Right now, the pgm copies the same set of Files from TESTC,
into *each Backup Folder* 3 times!.

Help pls!! How do you do this?
A clear example image/instructions would be nice...
SFdude

Hi Zenju,

All working OK now,
after you suggested UNchecking the "Ignore 1 hr difference" checkbox.
Problem solved! Thank you!

1 Suggestion (if I may), for the next version of FFS :

If FFS detects that all the SOURCE Folder/Files on the Left side
are the =same= (which is my case),
can you FFS not repeat the same file names in the left pane?

ex:
---
In FolderC I have 3 files:
aaa.txt,
bbb.txt and
ccc.txt.

I now want to make a Backup of all these files
in:
FolderC (source field - left side),
to:
FolderD, FolderE and FolderF (3 target fields - right side)

When I press the [Compare] button, FFS will show my 3 files repeated 3 times,
(=9 entries on the left pane), like this:

aaa.txt,
bbb.txt
ccc.txt
aaa.txt,
bbb.txt
ccc.txt.
aaa.txt,
bbb.txt
ccc.txt.

It would be less confusing to only show the files/subfolders to copy L --> R,
only once:
aaa.txt,
bbb.txt
ccc.txt.

Again, FFS would do this ONLY IF
- there are several SOURCE Folders on the left, and
- they are all exactly the same SOURCE....ie: c:\testC.

Hope you can include this suggestion.
Thanks! SFdude

[Zenju]

Hi Zenju,

All working OK now,
after you suggested UNchecking the "Ignore 1 hr difference" checkbox.
Problem solved! Thank you!

1 Suggestion (if I may), for the next version of FFS :

If FFS detects that all the SOURCE Folder/Files on the Left side
are the =same= (which is my case),
can you FFS not repeat the same file names in the left pane?

ex:
---
In FolderC I have 3 files:
aaa.txt,
bbb.txt and
ccc.txt.

I now want to make a Backup of all these files
in:
FolderC (source field - left side),
to:
FolderD, FolderE and FolderF (3 target fields - right side)

When I press the [Compare] button, FFS will show my 3 files repeated 3 times,
(=9 entries on the left pane), like this:

aaa.txt,
bbb.txt
ccc.txt
aaa.txt,
bbb.txt
ccc.txt.
aaa.txt,
bbb.txt
ccc.txt.

It would be less confusing to only show the files/subfolders to copy L --> R,
only once:
aaa.txt,
bbb.txt
ccc.txt.

Again, FFS would do this ONLY IF
- there are several SOURCE Folders on the left, and
- they are all exactly the same SOURCE....ie: c:\testC.

Hope you can include this suggestion.
Thanks! SFdude

> can you FFS not repeat the same file names in the left pane?

Well, that's going to be difficult, because each on the left corresponds to another file on the right. Would look strange if there is a file on the right corresponding to an empty row on the left.
On the other hand that's only a visual thing, as far as functionality is concerned, everything works correctly.

-Zenju

[sfdude99]

Thanks Zenju!
I can live with that... :-)