- Main Settings
- Schedule
- Comparison
- Files
- Folders
- Job
- Masks
- Filters
- Retries
- Safety
- Special
- Verification
- Versioning
- Compression
- Encryption
- Error Handling
- Information
The Main Settings define the basic behavior of your sync job. Please choose the copying directions carefully. The Sync Operation Mode will determine Syncovery's sync logic - for example, whether to copy files only or also synchronize file deletions.
- Schedule
- More
- Weekdays and Time window
- Monitoring / Realtime
Syncovery's Scheduler can run your profile automatically and repeatedly. Just specify the desired scheduling below. After saving the profile, please make sure that the Scheduler is running by opening the Scheduler tab sheet in Syncovery's main window. As an alternative to regular scheduling, you can use Real-Time Synchronization. And you can always run jobs manually.
Run Every Day (Or Specified Weekdays) At
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Days
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Hours
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Minutes
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Seconds
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Specify Next Run
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This tab sheet contains additional options for scheduling.
On Windows, note that jobs running on logout or shutdown should not take more than one minute because
Windows will otherwise abort the logout or shutdown and return to the Windows desktop.
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Additional Times Run Also At These Times Of Day: |
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The settings on this tab sheet allow you to limit when a profile can run.
You can specify weekdays as well as a time window for the profile.
Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Time Window | |||
Run Only Between
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and |
This tab sheet contains settings related to real-time synchronization and monitoring. On Linux, real-time sync is only
available for some cloud storages that can be polled for changes, not for local drives or network volumes. It is recommended
to combine real-time sync with a regular schedule to ensure that a full folder comparison is done.
Be sure to read our documentation about real-time synchronization.
Real Time Synchronization |
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Use a single never-ending profile run (to keep FTP connections) |
Run profile when drive is available |
Once |
Repeatedly |
Delay between access attempts
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minutes
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seconds
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Minimum pause between actions
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hours |
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minutes |
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seconds |
- Comparison
- More
Syncovery compares files by their names, sizes, and modification timestamps. There are several options to fine-tune the comparison. Certain time differences can be ignored, as they may be caused by different file systems - but only if the size is identical. In addition, you can choose what to do if the size is different, but the timestamps are identical.
When File Size Is Identical
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When File Size Is Different
What should be done with files that have the same timestamp but different sizes? Label as Conflict
Copy Left to Right
Copy Right to Left
Copy Larger Files
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Ignore Timestamp Altogether |
Never Copy Files With Identical Sizes On Source And Destination, Adjust Timestamp Only |
This tab sheet contains additional settings to fine-tune how Syncovery compares files and folder properties. The checkmark that is most frequently change is whether to compare and mirror Folder Timestamps. When it is chosen, you may see many folders shown in the Sync Preview, all with the proposed action "time->". This is because Syncovery tries to make the folder timestamps match. If you find this confusing, you can turn the checkmark off.
Always copy files, even if timestamp unchanged |
Strip Read-Only Attributes |
Compare / Mirror:
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Folder Timestamps |
File Attributes |
Folder Attributes |
Adjust Case Spelling At Destination |
Detect Hard Links |
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Enforce Hard Links for Existing files |
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For settings related to security and permissions, please see the Special tab sheet. |
- Files
- Block Level Copying
- Deletions
- More
- File Access
This tab sheet contains various settings related to files, such as detecting moved and renamed files. The option "Automatically Resume" can be important, as it uses temporary file names during transfer. That way, incompletely copied files can never be mistaken for valid files.
Block Level Copying copies only the changed blocks in a file. It can be a powerful way to save time and bandwidth,
but it works only with eligible file types, such as databases, Outlook PST files, and disk images. It is not always
beneficial since it incurs additional CPU usage and may result in a large sync database and additional processing time.
It works mainly with local destinations, network folders, and SSH/SFTP servers.
You will find all details on the documentation page on our web site.
Using
Coming soon: Block Level Inclusions/Exclusions
Syncovery offers various ways to treat deleted files. On many storages, they can be moved to the Recycle Bin. As an alternative, deleted files can be moved to a specified folder. This feature is compatible with all storages and Internet protocols, and Syncovery can remember the deletion date by encoding it into the file name.
Overwritten Files |
The Recycle Bin is not always available (e.g., not on network drives). Using the
Recycle Bin when overwriting files can be slow and cause it to fill up quickly. |
Deleted Files
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This tab sheet contains additional options for fulfilling less common requirements.
Syncovery can use Volume Shadowing for local drives to copy locked files, and also to create a consistent snapshot when the profile run starts. In some cases, it is better to turn Volume Shadowing off, especially if you want to avoid copying incompletely created files.
- Folders
- More
Choose whether Syncovery should create empty folders. Empty folders can occur if they are already empty on the source side, or if filename masks and filters cause files to be omitted.
Syncovery can remove folders that it has emptied because of file deletions. This is not frequently used because folder deletions are already mirrored by Exact Mirror and SmartTracking modes.
You can choose to create separate destination folders every time the job runs, if your backup space allows.
As an alternative, consider variables in the base paths to use
rotating folders or different date formats.
Some use cases require a flat destination side with no subfolders, or only 1 or 2 subfolder levels. If you need a flat right side, choose this checkmark and specify the number of subfolder levels (typically 0).
This tab sheet contains additional options for fulfilling less common requirements.
Coming soon: Split Jobs Based on Folder Mask
This tab sheet provides important settings, allowing you to make network connections, executing custom scripts and configuring additional job-related behaviors.
Execute Command or Script before/after... |
Check Free Space Before Copying |
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Override Email Settings... |
Ignore Internet Connectivity Check |
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Run Only If Neither Side Is Empty |
Access Local Files As User... |
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Network Connections... |
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PascalScript... |
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Shut computer down after this Job:
When Run Via Scheduler
When Run Manually(Unattended)
When Run Manually(Attended)
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- Inclusion Masks
- Exclusion Masks
Inclusion Masks are used to specify which file types and file names to copy. Here are some examples:
*.docx;*.xlsx (copy Word and Excel documents)
ABC* (copy only files with names starting with ABC)
Separate multiple masks with semicolon or Enter key. See the F1 help for additional examples,
including the ability to use a text file with masks and reference it here.
Specify Folder Masks...
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Restrictions...
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Include Backup Files(*.$?$.*)
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Exclusion Masks are an effective way to exclude certain file types or names. Here are some examples:
*.tmp;*.bak;*Private*
You can also type complete folder or file names, such as:
Archive;Private.pst
To exclude a folder on the top level of the hierarchy only, you can use a backslash:
\Archive (this is not an absolute path, it's relative to the profile's base folder)
"Don't Copy" means excluded files aren't copied, but might still be deleted according to the sync mode.
Exclusion Mode: | |
Don't Copy
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Ignore Totally
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Use Global Exclusions Also
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- General Filters
- File Age And Size
These filters enable you to include or exclude files with certain properties, such as hidden files, offline files, pinned files, or files without the archive attribute. Additional settings on this tab sheet are related to links, such as .lnk links and symbolic links.
Syncovery can Use Extended Attributes to Mark Files on the Source Side After Copying Them to the Destination (similar to clearing the Archive Flag on Windows): |
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Process Hidden Files |
Copy Only Files With Archive Flag |
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Search Hidden Folders |
Clear Archive Flags |
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Analyze Reparse Points |
Restore Deleted Items |
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Follow Symbolic Links to Files |
Skip Offline Files |
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Follow Symbolic Links to Folders |
Copy Pinned Files Only (Left Side) |
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Copy Other Reparse Points |
Copy Pinned Files Only (Right Side) |
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Use .$symlink files to save Symbolic Links: |
Follow .lnk Links |
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On the Left-Hand Side |
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On the Right-Hand Side |
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Symbolic Links to Files: |
Ignore |
Follow |
Copy As Links |
Symbolic Links to Folders: |
Ignore |
Follow |
Copy As Links |
On this tab sheet, you can filter files by size or dates. File sizes are specified like this: 100K, 12M, 2G or 1T. When filtering by date, not that you should usually apply the date filter to Files only, not folders.
(rarely used because most file systems do not update folder timestamps correctly!)
Sometimes, errors can occur: files could be locked and in use, servers might be temporarily unavailable, there could be Internet connection issues, or files no longer exist when they are about to be copied. Syncovery can wait until files become accessible, and it can re-run the entire job if there are errors.
Wait for File Access |
- Wait up to (Minutes):
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Wait and Retry if Transfer or Reading Problem
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Building file list
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Running the profile
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Re-Run Once
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Re-Run Until Success
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Maximum Re-Runs
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Retry After (Seconds): |
Avoid re-run due to locked files
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- Attended Mode
- Special Safety
- Unattended Mode
In Attended Mode, Syncovery may show various prompts to ask for your confirmation. You can turn the warnings off below.
The Special Safety prompts are shown in Attended Mode to ask for confirmation if certain thresholds are exceeded. You can change the thresholds or turn the warnings off below.
Special Safety Checks
(these can prevent deletions) |
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Warn If Deleting More Files Than |
% From Either Left or Right Side |
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Warn If Deleting All Files In Any (Sub-)Folder
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Warn If Deleting More Than |
% Of the Files From Any (Sub-)Folder |
When jobs run unattended in the background (whether started manually or by the scheduler), Syncovery cannot ask you to confirm actions like deleting files or replacing newer files with older ones. Therefore, it is important to confirm these actions here, and adjust the limits according to your use case. For example, if you allow deleting up to 10% of one side, and there are more files to delete, Syncovery will disable deletions for that profile run, and you should review the situation manually. In such cases, you can see the file names that weren't deleted in the log file, or run the job in Attended Mode and study the Sync Preview. When running the job attended, you can confirm deletions that exceed the limits specified on this tab sheet.
Read-Only Files May be Overwritten When the Job Runs Unattended or Scheduled |
Larger Files May be Replaced With Smaller Ones if the Smaller One is Newer |
Exact Mirror Mode May Replace Newer Files With Older Ones |
Unattended File Deletion Allowed, Maximum |
% Of The Files From One Side |
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Stop If the Job Would Delete More Than |
Files |
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Ransomware Protection: Replace Max.
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% Of The Files on One Side
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Enable Special Safety Checks From Special Safety Tab Sheet (can prevent deletions) |
- Special Features
- More
- Database
The destination cache feature is a great way to speed up your sync profiles, since it makes the file list building phase very quick.
However it can only be used for one-way sync jobs.
Please see our web site for additional ways to speed up your profiles.
Need to preserve folder and file permissions, or re-create folder shares on the destination?
Just use the checkmark below, which will open a dialog with the relevant settings.
For additional information, please refer to the
documentation on our web site.
Syncovery's standard copying order is alphanumeric. You can change it below.
Another great way to speed up the folder scanning phase is to install the Syncovery Remote Service on the machine that you sync with. Whether it's a server on the LAN or a more distant machine that you connect to via FTP or other protocols, the Remote Service will provide complete listings super fast.
This tab sheet contains various settings which are used for special requirements.
Syncovery uses an SQL database if the profile uses one of the following features:
SmartTracking, Delayed Deletions, Destination File List Cache, Block Level Copying, Synthetic Backup.
In most cases, you do not make any changes to the settings here.
Database Name to Use (Profile name): |
- Verification
- File Integrity
There are two main ways to verify files and ensure that their content is 100% identical on both sides: Verification of files directly after copying, and verification of all existing files. Verifying copied files is recommended and while it makes the copying slower, the impact is still reasonable. On the other hand, verifying all files which already exist on both sides should usually not be done every time the profile runs. The "Remember Results" feature helps avoiding the re-verification of files already verified previously. Checksums (or hashes) can be used to speed the comparison up. Syncovery will use them automatically if a cloud service provides them. In addition, you can install the Syncovery Remote Service on the other machine to generate checksums remotely, which greatly speeds the process up.
The Statistics Verification is a separate folder scan, giving you statistics about how many files match, how many files are skipped etc. It is rarely needed.
Syncovery 11 is aware of a large number of file formats, and can analyze most of your files to verify the integrity of the internal file structure. The verification depth varies depending on the file types. The results of the integrity checks are shown in the log file, as well as the result summary. Unknown file types will be skipped. Sometimes, an integrity check may fail even though the file is still usable. This new feature does not use AI and does local processing only (no cloud service).
File Content Analysis can be used enforce exclusions and inclusions even when files have the wrong filename extension. For example, Syncovery can detect if a PDF file is actually an EXE file.
- Versioning
- Synthetic Backup
- More
Versioning allows you to keep multiple versions of each file on the destination side, or even on both
sides. Older versions are usually renamed so that multiple versions of a file can reside in the same
versioning folder.
A related special feature is "Filename Encoding", which will add the modification timestamp
to all files on the right-hand side, not just the older versions.
Keep Older Versions When Replacing:
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Per File | Renaming Of Older Versions | |
Only on Right-Hand Side |
Add .$1$., .$2$. etc.
Add Timestamp
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Move into folder: |
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FileName Encoding: On the Right Side, Put Timestamps Into All File Names
(Also Preserves Timestamps on Servers That Normally Lose Them)
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Delete old file versions after |
Days |
Synthetic Backup combines versioning, compression, and block level copying. It allows you to back up larger files with incremental backups containing only the changed blocks. You can always restore the latest or previous versions of the file. As opposed to pure block level copying, Synthetic Backup works with all types of backup storage. Please see our web site for more details.
Use Synthetic Backup (Combines Block Level Copying, Zipping and Versioning)
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Use Checkpoints To Reduce The Number Of Incremental Versions Needed For Restore
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Create Checkpoint Every |
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Checkpoints are relative to: |
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Build all incremental images against the preceeding checkpoint(uses more space)
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Remove unneeded incrementals older than |
days and |
This tab sheet contains various additional settings related to versioning.
The first two checkmarks are the most important ones. During normal operation, Syncovery
decodes certain filenames on the right-hand side. For example, it deduces the original file name
from a compressed archive, if the archive name has been created and encoded by Syncovery.
However, if you want to make another 1:1 mirror of such encoded files, then that mirror job should
not decode any file names, and you need the first two checkmarks to be ticked.
Syncovery's recommended mode for compression is to "Compress Each File Individually". This will create
one zip, sz or 7z archive for each file from the source side. Syncovery can then compare each file every
time the profile runs and update files independently.
There are three different container formats to choose from for your compressed archives: zip, sz, and 7z.
Syncovery compresses files when copying from left to right, and it unzips when copying from right to left.
You can also use compressed packages with many files per archive, but subsequential sync runs cannot
look inside the zip packages and individual, updated files can't be replaced.
Compress Each File Individually (when copying left to right - use right to left copying direction to decompress) | |||
Compression Format: |
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Compression Level: |
Use Compressed Packages (many files per archive)... Compress directly to destination |
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Unzip all copied Zip/Sz/7z files |
Keep unpacked archive files destination |
Limit Zip File Size To |
Bytes (such as 10M or 1G) |
Syncovery offers two different encryption methods: AES (256 bit) and PGP. AES is used with the zip, sz, and 7z compression formats, while PGP is a separate format.
Encrypted files are always on the right-hand side of a profile, while the unencrypted files are on the left.
You can also use filename encryption for highly confidential data. Encrypted filenames are harder to handle and can only be decyphered by Syncovery. It is recommended to use filename encryption only if absolutely necessary.
To use PGP, please see the guide on our web site.
Encrypt Files Copied Left to Right: |
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Decrypt Files Copied Right to Left |
Password Phrase: |
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Confirm: |
Encrypt PGP |
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Decrypt PGP |
Keep Decrypted PGP Files at Destination |
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Encrypt File Names |
Encrypt Names of Existing Files On the Right-Hand Side |
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Encrypt Folder Names (including existing folders on the right hand side)
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Some errors can occur repeatedly, and may legitimately occur depending on the use case. To avoid seeing them in the result summary, and to prevent unnecessary email notifications, you can choose to ignore them by choosing the corresponding checkmarks on this tab sheet.
This tab sheet provides access to information about the profile, and allows you to add notes or comments.