File and Folder Synchronization in Windows

Author: Michael J. Leaver, 2BrightSparks Pte. Ltd.

Using SyncBackPro, or SyncBackSE, it's easy to use the Intelligent Sync features to sync your files and folders between two locations. For example:

• Between two different internal drives
• Between two folders on the same drive
• Between an internal/external drive and an external drive, e.g. a USB drive
• Between an internal/external drive and a network share on another computer
• Between an internal/external drive and Network Attached Storage (NAS)
• Between an internal/external/network drive and a cloud storage service, e.g. Amazon S3
• Between an internal/external/network drive and an FTP, FTPS or SFTP server
• etc.

SyncBackSE is file sync software that lets you synchronize your files and folders with other drives, network shares and FTP/FTPS. SyncBackPro extends this to cloud storage services and SFTP, as well adding other features like scripting, File Integrity checking, etc.

How to Create a Sync Profile

Creating a profile in SyncBack to synchronize your files and data is very simple. First, click on the New button in SyncBack (or alternatively press Ctrl-N). You are then presented with the New Profile wizard:

Type in a unique name for your profile, e.g. Sync My Files, and then click the Next button. You then need to choose the Synchronize profile type:

Click Next. You now need to choose the two locations that contain the files and folders you are going to synchronize. In this example we're going to synchronize between an internal drive and an external drive, so we can keep the default. If you wanted to sync with an FTP server, cloud storage service (e.g. Dropbox), etc. then you'd choose that location type from the drop-down.

Click Next. SyncBack now opens the Profile Setup window where you can customize numerous settings in the profile. By default the Easy mode is shown so that only the most commonly used settings are shown. First, we need to select which two folders we are going to synchronize:

To choose the folders to synchronize, click the two folder icons at the top-right of the window (to the right of the Left and Right edit boxes). In our example we've selected to synchronize the files and folders in C:\Users\MyUsername\Documents\To Sync\ and E:\Work Files\Sync\

To make things obvious (in the settings, log files, prompts, etc.), we can optionally choose our own label for the files on the Left (those in C:\Users\MyUsername\Documents\To Sync\) and the Right (those in E:\Work Files\Sync\). To do that, simply click on the current default labels of Left and Right and type in the new names. In our example we're calling them Local Files and External Drive:

That's it! We can now save our profile by clicking the OK button. When we do that, SyncBack will prompt us to ask us if we'd like to switch off one of the settings in our new profile:

It is recommended you click the Yes button. Once we've done that we are asked if we'd like to make a simulated run:

A simulated run means SyncBack will run the file sync profile but no files will be changed or deleted. It's a good way to test to make sure your settings are correct before you run the profile for real. Click Yes to perform a simulated run. In our example, we have some test files and folders, so once the simulation has run we are presented with the Differences window. It shows which files and folders are going to be synchronized and how they will be synchronized:

In our example, we have a few files that need to be synchronized. The first file in that list (contents changed example.txt) has been changed both in Local Files and External Drive. Using the default Intelligent Sync settings, if the same file has been changed in both folders, then the user is prompted to choose which file to keep. For the other files, it is clear what to do, so there is no need to prompt. For example, with the file external example 1.txt, it only exists on External Drive, so it will be copied to Local Files. You are free to change what action will be taken with the files by clicking on the Action. Keep in mind that this is a simulated run, so no files are going to be changed. Click Continue Simulation to continue the profile run.

We are now prompted what we'd like to do with that file (contents changed example.txt) that was changed in both folders. The default action is the Skip it, meaning nothing will be done with that file. You can change that by clicking on the drop-down list and changing it as appropriate. In this example we'll just leave it as it is and click OK to continue and finish the profile run. If any errors occur, you'll be presented with a report that explains which files failed to synchronize and why.

For this example, that's all there is to it. You can now run the profile for real to synchronize your files, synchronize folders, schedule it to run automatically (without being prompted), modify it to change how the files should be synchronized, etc.

Advanced File Sync Settings

If the default options do not meet your requirements, you can customize them. To do this, modify your profile, switch to Expert mode, and go to the Decisions - Files settings page:

To better explain these settings, we'll use the example profile we created above: we are synchronizing Local Files with an External Drive. For ease of reading, we'll also sometimes refer to the Local Files as the computer (as Local Files means files on an internal drive in your computer).

...the same file has been changed in both the Local Files and External Drive: You have changed a local file and the same file on the external drive has also been changed, for example. In this situation, it's best to be prompted on what to do. You may need to manually merge the file contents. Tick the Move the file instead of copying it checkbox to move the file. Note that this decision is also used in the following situations: 1) The local file has changed but it has been newly created on the external drive and they are different, 2) The local file has not been changed but it has been newly created on the external drive and they are different, 3) The file has been newly created on the computer but the external drive file has been changed and they are different, 4) The file has been newly created on the computer and the external drive file has not been changed but they are different.

...the file has only been changed in the Local Files (unchanged in External Drive): You have changed a file on your computer but the same file on the external drive is unchanged. In this situation the default is to copy your changed file to the external drive (Local Files overwrites External Drive always). Tick the Move the file instead of copying it checkbox to move the file.

...the file has only been changed in the External Drive (unchanged in Local Files): A file was changed on the external drive and you didn't change your local copy of the file. In this situation the default is to replace your local copy with the changed one (External Drive overwrites Local Files always). Tick the Move the file instead of copying it checkbox to move the file.

...a file is deleted from the Local Files (but was changed or created in the External Drive): You have deleted a file on your computer but that same file has been changed, or newly created, on the external drive. In this situation the default is to be prompted as you may either want to delete the external file, or copy the file to your computer.

...a file is deleted from the Local Files (but is unchanged in the External Drive): You have deleted a file on your computer and the file on the external drive was not changed. In this situation the default is to also delete the file from the external drive (Delete file from External Drive).

...a file is deleted from the External Drive (but was changed or created in the Local Files): Someone has deleted a file from the external drive but you've changed your local copy of that file (or created a new file with the same name). In this situation the default is to be prompted as you may either want to delete your local copy of the file, or copy the local file to the external drive.

...a file is deleted from the External Drive (but is unchanged in the Local Files): Someone deleted a file on the external drive and the file on  your computer was not changed. In this situation the default is to also delete the file from your computer (Delete file from Local Files).

...a new file has been created in both the Local Files & External Drive and are different: The same file has been created on the external drive and your computer. This happens when you first run an Intelligent Synchronization profile. The default is to be prompted, and usually you would choose to copy the newer file over the older file (Newer file overwrites older file). Tick the Move the file instead of copying it checkbox to move the file.

...a new file has been created in the Local Files only, or is only in the Local Files: You have created a new file on your computer and it doesn't exist on the external drive. This happens when you first run an Intelligent Synchronization profile. The default is to copy the file to the external drive (Copy file to External Drive).

...a new file has been created in the External Drive only, or is only in the External Drive: Someone has created a new file on the external drive and it doesn't exist on your computer. This happens when you first run an Intelligent Synchronization profile. The default is to copy the file to your computer (Copy file to Local Files).

...the properties or the filename case of a file on Local Files have been changed (unchanged on External Drive): The file on the Local Files and External Drive are identical except for the case of its filename or its properties. The case of the Local Files filename, or its properties, have been changed so that they are no longer the same as the External Drive. For example, the Local Files file was previously called abc.txt but has been renamed to ABC.TXT

...the properties or the filename case of a file on External Drive have been changed (unchanged on Local Files): The file on the Local Files and External Drive are identical except for the case of its filename or its properties. The case of the External Drive filename, or its properties, have been changed so that they are no longer the same as the Local Files.

...the properties or the filename case of a file on both Local Files and External Drive are different: The file on the Local Files and External Drive are identical except for the case of its filename or its properties. The case of both the Local Files and External Drive filename, or its properties, have been changed and they are not the same.

Detect file renames on Local Files (note this may reduce performance): If this option is ticked then SyncBack will try to detect files that have been renamed/moved in the Local Files. If a file has been renamed on the Local Files then it will rename the External Drive file to match it. Note that this option requires that file contents be compared, which means this option could be very slow when there are many files or very large files. It will only compare files when it needs to. This option may not be available, depending on the profiles settings.

Detect file renames on External Drive (note this may reduce performance): If this option is ticked then SyncBack will try to detect files that have been renamed/moved in the External Drive. This option may not be available, depending on the profiles settings.

When prompting, and the run is unattended, ignore the changes: For some of the decisions you may have chosen to be prompted. However, if the profile is being run unattended then you cannot be prompted. In this case the file is ignored and a warning is recorded in the log file. With an Intelligent Synchronization profile you may want SyncBack to ignore the changes.

Clear History: If clicked, then the Intelligent Synchronization history (database) will be cleared. If it is cleared then when the profile is next run SyncBack will not have any history to base its decisions on, so it cannot know if a file was only changed in the Local Files but not the External Drive. Clearing the history is equivalent to not having yet run the profile. This button is disabled if there is no history to clear.

Advanced Folder Sync Settings

As well as deciding what to do with individual files to be synchronized, you can also make decisions on folder changes:

The folder sync settings have the same meaning as with the file decisions, except they refer to folders.

Conclusion

Creating a profile in SyncBack to sync your files and folders, wherever they are (internal drive, external drive, USB key, NAS drive, cloud storage, FTP server, etc.) is simple. With the extensive set of sync options, you are also free to make it as detailed and specific as you wish.