Multiple folder pairs write to a common subfolder.
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 22 Dec 2015
I want to use the same target folder for many unique source folders. Since the source folders are unique, why do I get the error "Multiple folder pairs write to a common subfolder."? Why wouldn't FreeFileSync just create copies of the source folders in the target folder? Thank you.
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- Posts: 2522
- Joined: 22 Aug 2012
The cited message is not an error, but a warning; you can decide
to go ahead anyway if you are sure what you are doing is OK/safe.
However, in your case you should not proceed!
Also looking at the next question in your posting, it seems you do not fully
understand how FFS works.
When running a sync on a source/left - target/right folder pair,
FFS will sync the content of the left and right folder
(retaining the existing directory structure within the left and right location),
not the (deepest level) source/left folder itself
.
to go ahead anyway if you are sure what you are doing is OK/safe.
However, in your case you should not proceed!
Also looking at the next question in your posting, it seems you do not fully
understand how FFS works.
When running a sync on a source/left - target/right folder pair,
FFS will sync the content of the left and right folder
(retaining the existing directory structure within the left and right location),
not the (deepest level) source/left folder itself
.
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 22 Dec 2015
Thank you. I want to sync only in one direction, from source/left to target/right.The source/left contains thousands of folders and millions of files. Are you saying that FFS will not sync that way? I'm not sure what you mean when you say "not the (deepest level) source/left folder itself". Thanks again.
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- Posts: 2522
- Joined: 22 Aug 2012
If you (mirror or update) sync e.g. (left) C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAA\ to (right) D:\Folder1\,
after the sync D:\Folder1\ will contain the content of C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAA\,
but not the folder "FolderAAA" itself with its content.
From your reaction, I take it that all the "source" folders reside in one and the same parent folder.
In that case you can fairly easily achieve what you want to achieve.
As per the above example, you want to sync the folder C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAA\
(and not its content) to D:\Folder1\, and want to do the same to C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAB\, C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAC\ and C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAD\,
you can define as single FFS left-right pair, with :
* the left location defined as C:\FolderA\FolderAA\ (as being the root of the folders FolderAAA, FolderAAB, FolderAAC etc)
* the right location defined as D:\Folder1\
If you would run an FFS sync of this pair, all content of C:\FolderA\FolderAA\ would be synced to D:\Folder1\.
As the folders FolderAAA, FolderAAB, FolderAAC etc. are now content of C:\FolderA\FolderAA\, after the sync, D:\Folder1\ will then contain the folders FolderAAA, FolderAAB, FolderAAC etc. solving the first part of your “challenge”.
However, D:\Folder1\ will now also contain all other content (than the folders FolderAAA, FolderAAB, FolderAAC etc and their content) of C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAA\.
This is where the use of filters comes in.
Standard, the include filter is “*”, meaning that all content of C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAA\ is synced, as far as not explicitly excluded by the exclude-filter.
By changing the include-filter from “*” into “\FolderAAA\*,\FolderAAB\*, \FolderAAC\*” , only those folders (with their content) will be synced.
You can manually edit the include-filter as per above, removing the “*” and adding the folders to be included in the sync. You might then use wildcards in your folder definition, if that make sense in your case.
Alternatively, you can first run a compare (with the default “*” as include filter), and then right-mouse-click on a folder in the overview pane or in the compare results pane that is to be included in the sync,
and the select “Include via filter”. Make sure to select the \Foldername\* filter definition and not the *\Foldername\* version.
If C:\FolderA\FolderAA\ contains more folders to be included than to be excluded, and the list of folders to be excluded is static, you might take the reverse approach:
* leave the include filter at “*” and
* add folders to be excluded by manually editing the exclude-filter, or by first running a compare and via the right-click method add folders to the exclude filter
after the sync D:\Folder1\ will contain the content of C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAA\,
but not the folder "FolderAAA" itself with its content.
From your reaction, I take it that all the "source" folders reside in one and the same parent folder.
In that case you can fairly easily achieve what you want to achieve.
As per the above example, you want to sync the folder C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAA\
(and not its content) to D:\Folder1\, and want to do the same to C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAB\, C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAC\ and C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAD\,
you can define as single FFS left-right pair, with :
* the left location defined as C:\FolderA\FolderAA\ (as being the root of the folders FolderAAA, FolderAAB, FolderAAC etc)
* the right location defined as D:\Folder1\
If you would run an FFS sync of this pair, all content of C:\FolderA\FolderAA\ would be synced to D:\Folder1\.
As the folders FolderAAA, FolderAAB, FolderAAC etc. are now content of C:\FolderA\FolderAA\, after the sync, D:\Folder1\ will then contain the folders FolderAAA, FolderAAB, FolderAAC etc. solving the first part of your “challenge”.
However, D:\Folder1\ will now also contain all other content (than the folders FolderAAA, FolderAAB, FolderAAC etc and their content) of C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAA\.
This is where the use of filters comes in.
Standard, the include filter is “*”, meaning that all content of C:\FolderA\FolderAA\FolderAAA\ is synced, as far as not explicitly excluded by the exclude-filter.
By changing the include-filter from “*” into “\FolderAAA\*,\FolderAAB\*, \FolderAAC\*” , only those folders (with their content) will be synced.
You can manually edit the include-filter as per above, removing the “*” and adding the folders to be included in the sync. You might then use wildcards in your folder definition, if that make sense in your case.
Alternatively, you can first run a compare (with the default “*” as include filter), and then right-mouse-click on a folder in the overview pane or in the compare results pane that is to be included in the sync,
and the select “Include via filter”. Make sure to select the \Foldername\* filter definition and not the *\Foldername\* version.
If C:\FolderA\FolderAA\ contains more folders to be included than to be excluded, and the list of folders to be excluded is static, you might take the reverse approach:
* leave the include filter at “*” and
* add folders to be excluded by manually editing the exclude-filter, or by first running a compare and via the right-click method add folders to the exclude filter
