"Some files will be synchronized as part of multiple base folders."

[billdehaan]

Hi;

I'm trying to automate copying a number of backups to an external drive.

The backups are in multiple directories, of the form

P:\Images\Machines\MachineName\MachineName_Drive

So, four machines John, Paul, George and Ringo, each with drives C, D, and E would be

P:\Images\Machines\John\John_C
P:\Images\Machines\John\John_D
P:\Images\Machines\John\John_E
P:\Images\Machines\Paul\Paul_C
etc.

I want to copy them all to an external backup directory N:\Backup.

The problem is that when I try when I do this, I get the error message

Some files will be synchronized as part of multiple base folders.
To avoid conflicts, set up exclude filters so that each updated file is considered by only one base folder.

This is pretty much unintelligible to me, I have no idea what it means. The files are all mutually exclusive file names, so there will be no conflicts. I've tried all sorts of (F7) include and exclude filters, and I've tried setting the (F8) syncronization to both update and custom, both in the main config and individually, and nothing works.

I don't want to use either mirror or two-way, because would delete the source backup of the P: drive. But absolutely nothing seems to work. The directory structures are set by the backup programs, so they cannot be changed. But does anyone have any idea how to make this work?

[Plerry]

You don't write what left-right base folder combination(s) you are using.
But the cause of the problem is almost certainly there.
You also do not clearly describe what you aim to achieve.

If you aim to get a folder
N:\Backup\John\John_C ,
N:\Backup\John\John_D ,
N:\Backup\John\John_E and
N:\Backup\Paul\Paul_C
you can define
your left base location as P:\Images\Machines\
your right base location as N:\Backup\
If P:\Images\Machines\ only contains the mentioned folders and their content,
you can use a standard Include filter of * (everything).
If P:\Images\Machines\ also contains may other folders, you can use an Include filter of
\John\John_C ,
\John\John_D ,
\John\John_E and
\Paul\Paul_C

If you aim to get a folder
N:\Backup\John_C ,
N:\Backup\John_D ,
N:\Backup\John_E and
N:\Backup\Paul_C
you can define two base location pairs (use the green + icon in front of the folder pair).
define your first left base location as P:\Images\Machines\John\
and your first right base location as N:\Backup\
and use a local Exclude filter \Paul\ (if you don't, you will get the overlap warning again)
define your second left base location as P:\Images\Machines\Paul\
and your first right base location as N:\Backup\
and use a local Exclude filter \John\ (if you don't, you will get the overlap warning again)
Local filters are defined using the funnel-icon in between each left-right base folder pair.