Feature Request: A method to uniquely identify a removable drive when moved to a different computer

[hsehestedt]

If there is already a way to do what I describe below, I would appreciate any info on how to accomplish this.

For removable media such as a USB Flash Drive (UFD), etc. it is possible that the drive letter can change. To work around this, I love the ability of FreeFileSync to use the volume GUID since that will remain the same so long as the drive remains ON THE SAME COMPUTER. However, when moved to a different computer, it is assigned a different volume GUID. As a result, neither the drive letter nor the volume GUID can be used as a reliable way to always identify a specific drive that is moved from one computer to another.

As a real world example, I have a UFD that I move between multiple different systems that I always sync with my primary PC. I sync a folder as in this example:

Source: \\MyPC\Software Projects\Source Code
Destination: \\?\Volume{fa501dc1-ad61-42ba-85ee-a532994d44c2}\Software Projects\Source Code

Since the source is simply a network path, I can count on that always being the same, but the destination is subject to change.

I have a program of my own that requires absolute reliability in determining the volume used for certain operations. My solution was to write a hidden, system file to the root of volumes that I am working with. This file is just as a standard text file with a unique signature in that text file. The file name is always the same, but the signature in that file is unique for every volume. So, my program first looks to see if a file by the name I use exists. If it does, it reads the contents to get the signature.

Would it be possible to incorporate something like this in FreeFileSysnc so that syncing can be reliably performed on removable media that is moved from system to system?

[Zenju]

You can also use a volume name instead of the GUID. Just make sure it's unique: https://freefilesync.org/manual.php?topic=variable-drive-letters

[hsehestedt]

LOL. Of course there had to be a way to do that already!

Thank you both for the response and such a useful product!