I been trying out FFS now for about 3 weeks, and have run several custom jobs that involved either entire source folders and/or entire source drives. All of my jobs are simple one way Mirror syncs. Everything went smooth with no issues until today I configured a job for my main C drive with several specific source folder includes and excludes.
I've got something different and wrong because on the initial first run it's coming up zero files to sync? But there is nothing in the right destination folder of this Mirror, it's empty? Below are the details please tell me what I'm missing.
I have left source set to C:\
I have the right destination side of the Mirror is set to H:\FFS\ (which is external USB drive)
My Filters are the below
[INCLUDES]
C:\Users\MyProfile\AppData\Local\ChemTable Software\Reg Organizer\ChangeLogs\*
C:\Users\MyProfile\AppData\Local\CutePDF\*
C:\Users\MyProfile\Desktop\*
C:\Users\MyProfile\Downloads\*
C:\Users\MyProfile\Pictures\*
C:\Users\MyProfile\AppData\Roaming\FreeFileSync\*
C:\Users\MyProfile\AppData\Roaming\Jarte\Settings.ini
[EXCLUDES] These are my excludes
C:\Users\MyProfile\AppData\Local\ChemTable Software\Reg Organizer\AgeSystemData\*
C:\Users\MyProfile\AppData\Local\ChemTable Software\Reg Organizer\ChangeLogs\*
C:\Users\MyProfile\AppData\Local\ChemTable Software\Reg Organizer\DeletedApps\*
\System Volume Information\
\$Recycle.Bin\
\RECYCLE?\
*\desktop.ini
*\thumbs.db
*\EUMONBMP.SYS
*\*.CBM
Confused
- Posts: 8
- Joined: 3 Mar 2019
- Posts: 8
- Joined: 3 Mar 2019
I think I've found the culprit. The way FFS works I'm going to have to put the lowest common include folder in the left source path. I can't just put C:\ and then just fill in selected includes. I have to put the * at the lowest common folder or it finds nothing. So I will have to put this as the left source path,
C:\Users\MyProfile\*
Geez that's going make me have to fill in a whole bunch more exclude filters out the yang yang. That's probably going to make me have to go back to SyncBackFree. At least it has a folder file manager drop down window that allows you to just choose your includes by checking or excludes by not checking the boxes.
Darn I hate that cause I liked FFS better on all counts except this. If they ever do an feature addition I hope it's a file manager selection and de-selection window.
C:\Users\MyProfile\*
Geez that's going make me have to fill in a whole bunch more exclude filters out the yang yang. That's probably going to make me have to go back to SyncBackFree. At least it has a folder file manager drop down window that allows you to just choose your includes by checking or excludes by not checking the boxes.
Darn I hate that cause I liked FFS better on all counts except this. If they ever do an feature addition I hope it's a file manager selection and de-selection window.
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- Posts: 2451
- Joined: 22 Aug 2012
As you found out, but as is also mentioned in the Manual section on Including/Excluding items, each list item for Inclusion/Exclusion must be a file or directory path relative to synchronization base directories.
For your sync, a left base location of C:\Users\MyProfile\* seems a good choice.
If you first run a Compare with an Include filter of "*" (include everything), in the Compare results window you can select the folders to be included in your sync and via a right-click action add these folders to your Include filter.
Essentially just/almost as easy as placing a checkmark …
If that definition is OK, you can save it in its specific form.
You may also use multiple left-right base location pairs.
You may then consider to have as your left base locations
C:\Users\MyProfile\AppData\
C:\Users\MyProfile\Desktop\
C:\Users\MyProfile\Downloads*
C:\Users\MyProfile\Pictures\
And use local (per left-right pair) Include filters definitions, that then do not need to be that long.
For your sync, a left base location of C:\Users\MyProfile\* seems a good choice.
If you first run a Compare with an Include filter of "*" (include everything), in the Compare results window you can select the folders to be included in your sync and via a right-click action add these folders to your Include filter.
Essentially just/almost as easy as placing a checkmark …
If that definition is OK, you can save it in its specific form.
You may also use multiple left-right base location pairs.
You may then consider to have as your left base locations
C:\Users\MyProfile\AppData\
C:\Users\MyProfile\Desktop\
C:\Users\MyProfile\Downloads*
C:\Users\MyProfile\Pictures\
And use local (per left-right pair) Include filters definitions, that then do not need to be that long.
- Posts: 8
- Joined: 3 Mar 2019
Thanks for the reply, I tried both your methods with hopes they'd be sufficient. But found both readouts way more confusing to view and decipher what to include or exclude compared to selecting boxes in a file manager type readout. I will have to use SyncBackFree for this type of mirror.
FFS is great for less complex folder/file selections, and in most facets I like it much better than SyncBackFree. But I have a lot of complex includes/excludes on C drive, I did not paste all of them in my post or it would have too long and redundant. I don't backup all my C drive, only specific items. And within most of those specific included folders I have to exclude certain sub-folders and files because in a restore some would cause issues, and I simply don't want them included.
Other than this one facet I like FFS more than any other sync and I've tried most all of them. It out shines them all except for a file manager selection window. But thanks for the reply, you've helped me see what's possible and what isn't.
FFS is great for less complex folder/file selections, and in most facets I like it much better than SyncBackFree. But I have a lot of complex includes/excludes on C drive, I did not paste all of them in my post or it would have too long and redundant. I don't backup all my C drive, only specific items. And within most of those specific included folders I have to exclude certain sub-folders and files because in a restore some would cause issues, and I simply don't want them included.
Other than this one facet I like FFS more than any other sync and I've tried most all of them. It out shines them all except for a file manager selection window. But thanks for the reply, you've helped me see what's possible and what isn't.
