Point-in-time restore: How to exclude files created after the selected restore date?

[Twoyou]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently evaluating Syncovery 11.17.0 on an ASUSTOR NAS (Linux ARM64) for versioned backups and point-in-time restoration.

Most features work very well, including file versioning, preserving deleted files with their complete version history, and restoring older versions from both the regular backup and a separate deleted-files archive.

However, I'm having trouble reproducing an exact historical directory state.

### Backup configuration

- Exact Mirroring, left to right
- Timestamp-based versioning with an `Older` folder
- Separate archive for deleted files
- Up to 1,000 versions per file
- Remember deletion dates

### Restore configuration

- Standard synchronization, right to left
- `KeepMultipleVersions=Yes`
- `UseVersioningFolder=Yes`
- `VersionTimestampNaming=Yes`
- `RestoreDeletedItems=Yes`
- `UseTargetDate=Yes`
- Restore destination is a new, empty folder

### Reproducible test

I created a new file, `ZeitTest.txt`, and performed two backups:

| Event | Time (October 14, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Version A created | 18:12:48 |
| Version A backed up | 18:13–18:14 |
| Version B created | 18:15:13 |
| Version B backed up | 18:15–18:16 |

I then tested three restore target dates:

| Target date/time | Actual result | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| 18:10:00 | Version A selected | File should not exist |
| 18:14:30 | Version A selected | Correct |
| 18:17:00 | Version B selected | Correct |

**The issue is that Syncovery selects the oldest available version even when the requested restore time is earlier than the creation of that file.**

The behavior is reproducible with Syncovery 11.15.8 and 11.17.0, including a completely new restore profile.

I have also verified that file modification timestamps are preserved correctly. The detailed file-list-building log confirms that Syncovery correctly recognizes the `Older` folder and the separate deleted-files archive.

### Questions for the community

1. Has anyone successfully used *Target Date for Restore* to reconstruct an exact historical directory state, including excluding files that were created after the selected date?
2. Is there an additional setting or a recommended combination of filters that I might have overlooked?
3. Does Syncovery intentionally fall back to the oldest available file version when the selected restore date precedes all available versions?
4. If this is a known limitation, what approach do you use for reliable point-in-time restoration?

I would prefer to retain Syncovery's efficient file-based versioning rather than create multiple complete backup copies.

Any practical experience or configuration examples would be appreciated. I can provide the complete profile settings and detailed logs if helpful.

Thanks in advance!

[Shaipetit]

Dear Twoyou,

It seems that you want Exact mirror + Reverse Incremental Backup functionality.

I've been looking for a reliable Reverse Incremental Backup of files and folders solution since 2017.

Please see my 2 threads:
1. https://www.backupcreations.com/forum/p ... html#p5485
2. viewtopic.php?t=206

I agree with your observations that at the moment Syncovery has problems reproducing/restoring an exact historical point-in-time state of directories.

Syncovery certainly has the potential to become a solid Reverse Incremental Backup solution by combining one way exact mirror with a historic database of file versioning and file deletions.

Syncovery restore wizard should be improved to display all available historic point-in-time backups/snapshots.
Selecting one of those historic point-in-time backups/snapshots should then open Synchronization Preview window to show the whole contents (files, folders, directories) of that particular historic point-in-time backup.
Right clicking a particular file in Synchronization Preview window would show what other historic versions of that file exists.
This way a user could easily restore an exact historical point-in-time state of the whole directory (restoration of the full historic point-in-time backup) or just select specific files and folders that existed historically at specific point-in-time.

There is a market for Reverse Incremental Backup of files, folders and directories.
Especially, since Veeam deprecated Reverse Incremental Backup.

I really hope that Tobias would capitalize on Reverse Incremental Backup functionality.
It would significantly differentiate Syncovery from the competition and make Syncovery a robust backup solution for files, folders and directories.