FFS not able to monitor directory outside Virtualbox

[dwl100tr]

I have Windows 10 running inside a Virtualbox virtual machine on Kubuntu 22.04. I have the Windows VM to run an accounting program that doesn't run on Linux. The accounts data files are all held within the VM but I back them up to a Linux folder outside the VM. I use a Windows copy of FFS within the VM to make copies of the individual data files directory outside the VM in Linux. This works perfectly and I have been doing it for ages now.

I've only just discovered how to use Real Time Sync on my Linux version of FFS - and this works perfectly for syncing my Linux files within Kubuntu but, when I try to use it within the VM to automatically sync the accounts data files, I get an immediate error message saying: "Cannot monitor director Z:\******* ERROR_INVALID_FUNCTION: Incorrect function. [ReadDirectoryChanges]. This is the directory on my Linux drive that's shared by the VM.

I don't understand what's happening since I can use the same batch file to run the sync manually using the Windows version of FFS and it syncs with the correct files on the Linux drive.

Can anyone shed any light on this please? It would be great to have RTS doing this for me in real time as I need to have the file secure outside the VM in case of problems.

[Plerry]

See the limitations regarding RealTimeSync (RTS), specifically the third bullet.
Perhaps this is not or not correct implemented in Virtualbox.

[dwl100tr]

Thanks - that's probably it. Now you bring my attention to it I can see how it would be a problem since anything outside the VM wouldn't know what was happening inside it I guess. Works fine when I do it manually because I'm asking it to compare folders of course! It's a pity though - would be really useful

[dwl100tr]

Another question - I'm running FFS on my wife's W10 computer and want to set up RTS to backup files to an external drive. Problem is that FFS will only work if I run it as administrator - otherwise doesn't have permission to access the relevant directories. I don't know how to get the batch file to run with admin privilege so it fails and I can't set it up in the startup folder to run automatically. I appreciate this may be a Window query rather than a FFS query but any help would be appreciated!

[xCSxXenon]

Create a shortcut to the .ffs_real file/config, and then change the properties of the shortcut to run as admin, then put that shortcut into the startup folder. You will get a UAC prompt every boot though. You could disable UAC (NOT RECOMMENDED), or use Task Scheduler to run it as SYSTEM, but then it will not show up in the sys tray when logged in