Hi,
I'm trying to user FreeFileSync to backup my files and I'm using the mirror synchronization with a comparison by "File content" instead of "File time and size".
Sadly, it gives me the error message I reported in the title, for hundreds of files, which are then not synchronized.
I don't know if it's important, but I'm on Windows 10, I'm using FreeFileSync 14.3 and I'm trying to backup files from the internal hard drive to an external one.
I tried to research this error but I can't find a solution. Do you have any idea how to make it work?
Thank you in advance!
"Cannot determine sync-direction: The database entry is not in sync, considering current settings."
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- Joined: 8 Sep 2025
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- Joined: 11 Jun 2019
In the folder you have selected on the left side, you should have a "sync.ffs_db" file.
Delete it, run a comparison, verify the proposed actions, and then run the sync if it's okay.
Switching comparison type is likely the cause. Someone would need to test to verify, and then the dev would need to fix it if considered a bug
Delete it, run a comparison, verify the proposed actions, and then run the sync if it's okay.
Switching comparison type is likely the cause. Someone would need to test to verify, and then the dev would need to fix it if considered a bug
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 8 Sep 2025
Nice, thank you!
Now, I'm having second thoughts about what's actually better between "File content" vs "File time and size", especially because I'm doing backups of a very old hard drive which is probably easily subject to file corruption. I guess if a file gets corrupted it's easier that has the same size and time, but the hash changes, which would then mirror it on my backup drive and corrupt it there too, while if it's on File time and size, there is more chance that it doesn't mirror the corrupted part to the external drive 🤔
[edit] well, anyway, it seems that it doesn't work 😢 I deleted the "sync.ffs_db" file and done another comparison, and still have those sync errors (but on less files, less than 100).
Now, I'm having second thoughts about what's actually better between "File content" vs "File time and size", especially because I'm doing backups of a very old hard drive which is probably easily subject to file corruption. I guess if a file gets corrupted it's easier that has the same size and time, but the hash changes, which would then mirror it on my backup drive and corrupt it there too, while if it's on File time and size, there is more chance that it doesn't mirror the corrupted part to the external drive 🤔
[edit] well, anyway, it seems that it doesn't work 😢 I deleted the "sync.ffs_db" file and done another comparison, and still have those sync errors (but on less files, less than 100).
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- Joined: 11 Jun 2019
Multiple and air-gapped backups are both strategies to combat those concerns. Nothing is perfect, of course, but important data only being backed up once is only marginally better than not at all.
You should be able to run a comparison to display the file differences, and then manually choose the actions to take on those items before syncing. This explicit choice should work, but I've never seen this particular error you are dealing with. Did you delete the ffs_db file in both locations? There might be one on the right side also.
You should be able to run a comparison to display the file differences, and then manually choose the actions to take on those items before syncing. This explicit choice should work, but I've never seen this particular error you are dealing with. Did you delete the ffs_db file in both locations? There might be one on the right side also.
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- Joined: 8 Sep 2025
When I try, I just get the message, but it doesn't tell me I can manually choose the actions to take for each item 😥
Also, I didn't know there were 2 db files 🤔 should I delete the batch job and restart from scratch?
Also, I didn't know there were 2 db files 🤔 should I delete the batch job and restart from scratch?
