2BrightSparks

[ocanada_techguy]

I've used SyncBack and am pretty happy with it.

I am considering getting SyncBack Pro for it's ability to backup to CD/DVD without compression. However, someone I recommended it to did not like it for a couple reasons, and unfortunately searching here is a cornucopia of answers from old versions.

Basically, when someone wants files copied to multiple CD/DVDs without compression, the generally want the content organized pretty much the same way and the same order as it is in the source folder(s). If say it's photographs from January to December, they don't want the software deciding to take January through Feburary on disc 1, and then to fill up the little space left let's take a few small ones from August, or let's put some of the March files on disc 4 with the December stuff in some misguided effort to cram as much as possible on each disc, or similarly if it was organized A-Z or what have you. I take it SyncBack Pro does not suffer from that.

However, seems it does insist on splitting the last/first file across each disc? Ouch.

I have three rather specific questions, I'm hoping someone can authoritatively answer.

First, consider this post of awhile back: http://2brightsparks.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=6156 Like the author and many others I imagine, I too do NOT want the first and last files of every subsequent disk to be split/munged, so I am really hoping you've implemented an option to turn not only compressing but also splitting off? I suppose ideally it would be some size threshold, unless the file is X large to not bother splitting?

Second, I have to wonder how you handle the situation where you're in the middle of a 10 or 20 or 50, or who knows how many disc backup (do you estimate how many required?) and a disc fails or there is an interruption. Regular ol' SyncBack has pause/resume, and has intelligence to figure out what files already exist on a target drive but... when the target is removable multiple discs, I have to wonder... so,
a) is there pause/resume? does pause/resume carry-over past rebooting? b) can it read through the first N discs to ascertain what files need to be added to discs N through N+x?
most importantly of all c) how does it handle a bad disc or such failure partway through the discs (if it's easier than providing all the details please do feel free to direct me to online help/manuals and the relevant page(s)/section(s)/faq(s) that answer this)

Third, concerns appending to discs. Do you? Do you append via multi-session? I read a post here something about floow setup a group of profiles and something about the second job overwrites the first job's contents on the disc (media is -RW I assume)?

If these issues are addressed can you please let me know as of what version they are addressed in? (was it extremely recent?)

Apologies for my failings to track down these answers myself, I have tried, and appreciate your assistance.

J

[Dave Wilkins]

We're going to look into adding a 'do not span' switch, as it seems quite a few people want this, but we do not plan to go down the slippery slope of trying to optimize disk packing with it switched off (define 'optimum'? Some people want to maintain strict matches to the Source layout, others want to maximize disk usage...). Having copied 2GB, if the next file is 3GB, it will go on a new disk (2GB+ wasted...). Obviously, if you feed it with a scope which includes a file that's bigger than a single disk with spanning disabled, it will simply fail.

Note there are no promises on ETA (if we go ahead) and spanning is currently mandatory.

Yes, you can copy files uncompressed, compressed (individually) or in a single-Zip. A single-Zip can be pre-split prior to burning or you can let the burning engine split it into 'disk-fuls' itself (or both). You can create ISO files for burning later.

If you resume after a program or PC restart (or even after you tell the profile to Stop, as opposed to Pause) there is no resume facility. You would need to start again from scratch. Nor is there any facility to cope with a faulty disk (that throws an error). If you want to be sure the full backup does not need to be performed again, you can set the profile to create ISO files and burn them later using a third party utility, thus ensuring the actual backup does not need to be re-run in its entirety, and only the single burn to that disk would need to be repeated.

Multi-session is not supported. The Help makes it very clear that non-blank media will be automatically erased before burning commences.

The above is the state of affairs with the current release 5.8.7.23. Examples assume a standard 4.x GB DVD.

Remember that a free 30-day trial is available. The Help will be up to date with the version delivered (at least, we try)

http://www.2brightsparks.com/assets/software/SyncBackSE_Setup.exe
http://www.2brightsparks.com/assets/software/SyncBackPro_Setup.exe

The differences are here

http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/compare.html

Do not uninstall the freeware or you will defeat the auto-profile import feature (SE imports from the freeware, Pro from SE, so if you want to try both - see below - install in the obvious order. You can uninstall SE afterwards. There is no automated process of importing profiles into Pro from the freeware, though you can manually export them from the freeware and manually import into Pro)

The SE & Pro versions can be installed in parallel with the freeware and/or each other. Do not install any 'model' to the same folder as another (just accept the default folders for an easy life). The SE & Pro versions will uninstall cleanly if you decide not to purchase. If you do decide to purchase, the serial number will unlock whichever version you decide to license. There is no need to uninstall the 'trial' and download a 'registered version. Entering the serial number converts the former to the latter

(Note: any auto-profile import will not include the schedules (to avoid double-triggering). If you want to switch your scheduled profiles over, you need to delete them from the version where they were created and re-create them from the version where you want them. A manual export/import, on the other hand will include schedules (the export routine doesn't know you're exporting for the purposes of re-importing: could be as a backup, so it includes a copy of the schedule in the export package), so you'd need to manually delete duplicate schedules if you keep both copies of the profiles 'active', otherwise they'll clash / run twice)
_________________
Regards,

Dave Wilkins

2BrightSparks Pte Ltd
www.2brightsparks.com
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