Freeware January 18, 2005 posted by Red

SyncBack.

syncback small SyncBack.

SyncBack. Freeware backup program that offers a whole heap of features for a world beating price. I particularly like the idea of the FTP backup option.

Some of SyncBack’s many features include integration with the Windows Task Scheduler, detailed and easy to read log files in HTML format (that can be automatically emailed), simulated backups, file filters, sub-directory selection, copy verification, background backups, auto-close of programs, and more. Includes an extensive context-sensitive help file.

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Red – who has written 10163 posts on The Red Ferret Journal.

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Anonymous

I took a look at SyncBack and liked it until I realized that it’s synchronization features don’t work properly. For example, if you set two directories to be synchronized, then delete a file from one directory, it should be deleted from the other. In fact, it will reappear when SyncBack sees it as ‘missing’ and recopies it back. Similarly, if you rename a file, the file in the other directory should also be renamed. But instead, both the old and new filenames will be created in both folders. Yuk.

The reason this happens is that SyncBack and most other inexpensive synchronization programs just compare folders without any history.

I’ve been trying out ViceVersa and impressed that it handles these situations correctly. I don’t think it backs up to ftp, though.
Red

Hmm…I gave up trying to use synch programs a while back because of this type of problem. Too dangerous I reckon.
Mick

SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro (not SyncBack freeware) have a SmartSync option, which does keep a history and so can properly sync however you wish (it's completely configurable). SyncBackSE can backup or sync with FTP and SFTP, and SyncBackPro can also sync or backup with SFTP.