Writing files to Recycle Bin

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Posts: 10
Joined: 17 Jul 2017

wcshaff

I have used FreeFileSync for quite a while without issue. However, I notice that it is almost daily dumping tons of files to the recycle bin. All of my backups are "Mirror". Why is the tool writing files to the bin?
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Posts: 143
Joined: 8 Mar 2017

Radish

Have you checked your settings on what do with files to be deleted? Maybe you inadvertently altered the setting.
https://freefilesync.org/manual.php?topic=synchronization-settings
Posts: 10
Joined: 17 Jul 2017

wcshaff

Thx. That explains how files get to the recycle bin. However, I am still perplexed as to why the files are selected in the first place. They are files that have not been deleted on either the source or object drive so why is the app writing the file to the bin?
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Posts: 143
Joined: 8 Mar 2017

Radish

If you look at the synchronisation settings again you will see that if you have enabled files to be written to the Recycle Bin then note that the settings gui indicates the following "Retain deleted and overwritten files in the recycle bin."

I would suspect that the situation you see, where files already exist in both the source and the destination, is that at the source location there has been some modification made to one or more file(s). So when FFS sees that the source file(s) have been modified it will overwrite the identically named file(s) on the destination with the newly modified file(s) at the source. As part of the overwrite routine the old files on the destination (those that are to be overwritten by the newly modified file(s) at the source location) are sent to the Recycle Bin.

At least that is my best guess. I just tested this on my own system and it does seem to work as I have indicated here. Basically, if a file(s) is to be overwritten then the old file(s) are considered to be deletions and sent to the Recycle Bin. Should add that I too only ever use Mirror sync so what happens with other sync methods I do not know for sure, though I would suspect it would be pretty much the same when using the Recycle Bin is enabled.

Hope this helps.
Posts: 10
Joined: 17 Jul 2017

wcshaff

Makes sense. Thx.