FreeFileSync is erroneously changing folder names

[graveller39]

So its happened twice now - I've synched the 'Documents' folder to a backup folder named 'Documents (2024.12.29)' on another drive. When the synchronization (mirror) is finished, the backup folder's name has been changed to 'Documents' - i.e. the date (2024.12.29) has been removed.

An even stranger thing is another backup folder named 'Downloads (2024.12.29)' is displayed as 'Downloads (2024.05.31)' in the 'Drag & drop' box.

Any ideas what's causing this? Perhaps a bug in the program?

Thanks for any help you may have.

[xCSxXenon]

Post a screenshot of your 'exclusion' filters. It's likely that 'Desktop.ini' was removed. The default user folders each contain one of these files and it controls the icon, name, and some other stuff. The file was probably mirrored to the destination, Windows now reads the 'desktop.ini' file in the destination folder and changes the display name accordingly. These files are hidden. Unhide them, delete them from the destination, and review filters to prevent future issues.

[graveller39]

thanks, looks like that's fixed it. 'desktop.ini' was not in the exclusion filters - not sure how or why, I'm pretty sure I hadn't even looked at the filters. So I added '\desktop.ini' as shown in the screenshot and all looks fine now (I'm guessing the backslash at the front is needed?).

FreeFileSync.png (189.21 KiB) Viewed 1315 times

Another question then, the dropdown list for the Drag & drop boxes shows two or three folders above a solid line - the rest are all below the line. What is the significance of those folders above the line? For example, one of them is "%csidl_Documents%", another is "\\?\Volume{a series of letters & numbers}\My Documents". I don't recall noticing them when I first started using the program.

[xCSxXenon]

To add to my earlier response: "Desktop.ini" is not part of the default exclusion filter, so it is not your fault it wasn't present. It seems like a good idea for it to be there in my personal opinion, as exemplified by this post, but alas here we are lol
To answer your second question, FFS has a few different ways to specify locations. You can use volume names or GUIDs for example, and the options above the dropdown are these alternative ways to specify the location that is currently entered. Options below the line are just recent locations.

[graveller39]

Thanks again - much appreciated. Happy New Year!