Files Deleted
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 7 Aug 2015
Hello, I installed FFS yesterday and created a new backup job to backup files from a remote Buffalo Terrastation onto ta local USB attached hard drive. I did not use the delete file option and left it runnig overnight. To my horror today it has not done the job as no files or directories were added to the target drive but also nearly all the directories (not all of them) on the source remote drive have been deleted. Being a remote share there is no easy way of accessing the disks to undelete. There is nothing on the local target drive. Please tell me what could have happened? I have checked recycle bin and none of it is in there. I have lost so much precious data that I was trying to backup.....HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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- Posts: 2522
- Joined: 22 Aug 2012
I can probably not help in recovering your data,
but have some clous on what might have happened.
It seems you are running a Mirror-sync and have most likely swapped the source and target location (or a Custom sync effectively acting as a swapped Mirror sync).
When you do so in GUI-mode there is still no problem, as you first run a Compare, and then can review the compare results and proposed actions, and have the option to change any proposed action.
Only upon clicking the Synchronize-button, the proposed or modified actions will be executed.
And even then nothing is lost if for Delete Files you select the Versioning method (either using the Replace or Timestamp Naming Convention), or use the Recyle-bin method and have a recycle-bin.
So, if you were running in GUI-mode, it seems you have not carefully reviewed the compare results before clicking the Synchronize button and were not using Versioning.
When using any other sync-method than Mirror (i.e. Two-way or Update) the original data will only be lost if it is overwritten by a more recent verion of that file. And that only if the Delete Files method is selected as Permanent.
Alternatively, it might be you have run a Mirror-sync in batch mode and swapped the source and target location (and have not- selected Versioning).
When running in batch-mode, Synchronize starts automatically after completion of Compare.
But normally you develop a batch-mode sync by first using the GUI-mode until the sync works perfectly, and only then store it as a batch-file and run it as such.
And obviously: if you are not sure, first experiment on test data.
But all this wisdom might come too late in the day ..
but have some clous on what might have happened.
It seems you are running a Mirror-sync and have most likely swapped the source and target location (or a Custom sync effectively acting as a swapped Mirror sync).
When you do so in GUI-mode there is still no problem, as you first run a Compare, and then can review the compare results and proposed actions, and have the option to change any proposed action.
Only upon clicking the Synchronize-button, the proposed or modified actions will be executed.
And even then nothing is lost if for Delete Files you select the Versioning method (either using the Replace or Timestamp Naming Convention), or use the Recyle-bin method and have a recycle-bin.
So, if you were running in GUI-mode, it seems you have not carefully reviewed the compare results before clicking the Synchronize button and were not using Versioning.
When using any other sync-method than Mirror (i.e. Two-way or Update) the original data will only be lost if it is overwritten by a more recent verion of that file. And that only if the Delete Files method is selected as Permanent.
Alternatively, it might be you have run a Mirror-sync in batch mode and swapped the source and target location (and have not- selected Versioning).
When running in batch-mode, Synchronize starts automatically after completion of Compare.
But normally you develop a batch-mode sync by first using the GUI-mode until the sync works perfectly, and only then store it as a batch-file and run it as such.
And obviously: if you are not sure, first experiment on test data.
But all this wisdom might come too late in the day ..
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- Site Admin
- Posts: 7282
- Joined: 9 Dec 2007
Just to add: if sync directions are accidentally swapped or if the wrong folders are selected for synchronization, FFS will show a warning, if more than 50% of files will be modified or deleted:I can probably not help in recovering your data,
but have some clous on what might have happened.
It seems you are running a Mirror-sync and have most likely swapped the source and target location (or a Custom sync effectively acting as a swapped Mirror sync).
When you do so in GUI-mode there is still no problem, as you first run a Compare, and then can review the compare results and proposed actions, and have the option to change any proposed action.
Only upon clicking the Synchronize-button, the proposed or modified actions will be executed.
And even then nothing is lost if for Delete Files you select the Versioning method (either using the Replace or Timestamp Naming Convention), or use the Recyle-bin method and have a recycle-bin.
So, if you were running in GUI-mode, it seems you have not carefully reviewed the compare results before clicking the Synchronize button and were not using Versioning.
When using any other sync-method than Mirror (i.e. Two-way or Update) the original data will only be lost if it is overwritten by a more recent verion of that file. And that only if the Delete Files method is selected as Permanent.
Alternatively, it might be you have run a Mirror-sync in batch mode and swapped the source and target location (and have not- selected Versioning).
When running in batch-mode, Synchronize starts automatically after completion of Compare.
But normally you develop a batch-mode sync by first using the GUI-mode until the sync works perfectly, and only then store it as a batch-file and run it as such.
And obviously: if you are not sure, first experiment on test data.
But all this wisdom might come too late in the day ..plerry
"The following folders are significantly different. Make sure you have selected the correct folders for synchronization."
