Hello,
I need your help understanding what happened during a synchronization because I lost very important files.
I accidentally ran a FreeFileSync batch job, and after it completed, almost all files on my internal SSD drive E: were deleted.
My configuration
Source (Left): I:\backup_E
Target (Right): E:\
Internal SSD: Kingston SA400 (117 GB, NTFS)
The batch configuration contains:
<DeletionPolicy>RecycleBin</DeletionPolicy>
<FolderPairs>
<Pair>
<Left>I:\backup_E</Left>
<Right>E:\</Right>
</Pair>
</FolderPairs>
<Differences LeftOnly="right"
LeftNewer="right"
RightNewer="right"
RightOnly="right"/>
What happened
The folders on drive E: are still there.
Most of the files inside those folders disappeared.
The missing data is approximately 9 GB.
I did not intentionally delete these files.
I have not written any new data to the SSD after the incident.
I have not restarted the computer since it happened.
What I found
Windows Recycle Bin contains only a small portion of the deleted files.
Most of the missing files are not in the Recycle Bin.
R-Studio detects almost the complete original folder structure.
R-Studio also detects folders named:
RecycleBin~28e0.ffs_tmp
RecycleBin~b48b.ffs_tmp
However, I cannot find these folders anywhere in Windows Explorer or by searching the drives.
My questions
Are RecycleBin~*.ffs_tmp folders created by FreeFileSync?
Could these folders still contain the deleted files?
Are they temporary folders that are automatically removed?
Does FreeFileSync keep any log or metadata that can help locate the deleted files?
Is there any recovery method specific to FreeFileSync for this situation?
These files are extremely important to me.
Thank you very much for your time and any advice you can provide.
Best regards
Accidentally deleted all files after running a batch synchronization – Need help locating RecycleBin~*.ffs_tmp folders
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viewtopic.php?t=12783&hilit=data+recovery#p49602
TLDR: Restore from a backup, that data is likely gone for good.
FFS uses those tmp folders temporarily before finalizing the action. It's to make sure the intended operation completes successfully before completely deleting them. The files that aren't in the recycle Bin probably weren't eligible to be recycled by the OS, thus leading to permanent deletion.
Recovering deleted data from an SSD is extremely unlikely.
TLDR: Restore from a backup, that data is likely gone for good.
FFS uses those tmp folders temporarily before finalizing the action. It's to make sure the intended operation completes successfully before completely deleting them. The files that aren't in the recycle Bin probably weren't eligible to be recycled by the OS, thus leading to permanent deletion.
Recovering deleted data from an SSD is extremely unlikely.
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- Joined: 31 Aug 2026
I am sorry this happened to you. EaseUS has a program that invariably RESTORES deleted files. Run Agent Ransack on the affected original drive to see if Free File Sync moved the folder to another place. Yesterday, August 30, 2026 Free File Sync did that to me: it tried to delete a folder from the originating drive, it failed to do so, and then moved the folder into a new folder that Free File Sync created without my direction. I ran Agent Ransack, which found the newly created folder. It was a frightening experience.
- Posts: 5
- Joined: 6 Sep 2021
Hi all
I have recently had a similar experience, though without the happy ending reported by losduarte
I have had my large CD collection stored as FLAC files on my Brennan B2, mapped to my PC as Z: (\\192.168.1.101\music).
I have been using FFS for several years without problem to sync the B2 to my NAS (\\MYNAS\B2music\)
Recently, after an upgrade of FFS to the most recent version, I soon noticed that running the sync appeared to be deleting files: it turned out that it was using the "Mirror" function, so I stopped the program, and changed to my usual "2 way" sync. Yes, I saw the warning, but thought I had caught things before too much damage was done. However, the remaining B2 files were all "moved" and then deleted! 😢 A small number of recent transfers to the NAS, already in the B2music folder, were returned successfully to the B2.
I have used Agent Ransack as suggested, but cannot find any evidence of the deleted files, after searching my C: drive, as well as the B2 and the NAS, for .flac and .ffs.tmp files. I have found a small number of files elsewhere in my C: drive, which is a small consolation!
Should I be looking elsewere? using other file-types?
I suspect it is a lost cause, but some kind of explanation would be helpful. Zenju, I messaged you at your email address, but have not so far had a reply. It is ironic that I had just made a donation for what I had thought was a wonderful piece of software!
By the way, I am not sure that Agent Ransack RESTORES the missing files, although I am very open to be corrected. Advice welcome.
Muted cheers
Bill
I have recently had a similar experience, though without the happy ending reported by losduarte
I have had my large CD collection stored as FLAC files on my Brennan B2, mapped to my PC as Z: (\\192.168.1.101\music).
I have been using FFS for several years without problem to sync the B2 to my NAS (\\MYNAS\B2music\)
Recently, after an upgrade of FFS to the most recent version, I soon noticed that running the sync appeared to be deleting files: it turned out that it was using the "Mirror" function, so I stopped the program, and changed to my usual "2 way" sync. Yes, I saw the warning, but thought I had caught things before too much damage was done. However, the remaining B2 files were all "moved" and then deleted! 😢 A small number of recent transfers to the NAS, already in the B2music folder, were returned successfully to the B2.
I have used Agent Ransack as suggested, but cannot find any evidence of the deleted files, after searching my C: drive, as well as the B2 and the NAS, for .flac and .ffs.tmp files. I have found a small number of files elsewhere in my C: drive, which is a small consolation!
Should I be looking elsewere? using other file-types?
I suspect it is a lost cause, but some kind of explanation would be helpful. Zenju, I messaged you at your email address, but have not so far had a reply. It is ironic that I had just made a donation for what I had thought was a wonderful piece of software!
By the way, I am not sure that Agent Ransack RESTORES the missing files, although I am very open to be corrected. Advice welcome.
Muted cheers
Bill
- Posts: 4
- Joined: 31 Aug 2026
Hello Bill,
I am sorry for your experience. In my case, the flash drive that I was using died. Agent Ransack is not 100% reliable at searching. EaseUS file restore has located and restored files for me in a situation similar to yours. It has its own automatic search function and it's fast. The lifetime subscription is worth it. Let us know your progress.
I am sorry for your experience. In my case, the flash drive that I was using died. Agent Ransack is not 100% reliable at searching. EaseUS file restore has located and restored files for me in a situation similar to yours. It has its own automatic search function and it's fast. The lifetime subscription is worth it. Let us know your progress.