SyncToy

SyncToy is a free PowerToy program that provides an easy to use graphical user interface for automatic synchronization of files and folders. It is written with Microsoft's. NET Framework and uses the Microsoft Sync Framework.

Properties

The user must first create a " folder pair ", which represents the two folders ( "left " and " right " folder) that you want to compare and synchronize. These folders can be on a local drive, on an external medium such as USB mass storage or are on a network drive on another computer. SyncToy supports UNC paths. SyncToy has two security systems, which ensure that the user does not lose any files marked as unnecessary in the synchronization permanently. First, the user can see in the preview of what will happen in the next step of synchronization, without the actual operation takes place; Secondly, all the deleted files are optionally moved to the Trash.

SyncToy defines three different types of operations to synchronize two folders: Synchronize, Echo, and Contribute.

  • Synchronize compares two directories and ensures that they have exactly the same file content. To accomplish this, SyncToy can copy, delete and rename files in both folders.
  • Echo looks for file changes ( new files, renaming, deletion ) in the left folder and executes them in the right folder by ( one-way synchronization).
  • Contribute is like echo, but it does not delete any files in the right folders that have been deleted in the left folder.

SyncToy supports 32 -bit and 64- bit versions of Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

History

SyncToy was originally developed as a PowerToy for Windows XP. The first versions had version numbers 1.x, which ended with version 1.4. These versions were written in Microsoft. NET Framework, but used their own code for folder synchronization. They included the same actions as the current version and two additional ( called Subscribe and Combine):

  • Subscribe will update every file in the left folder that exists in the right folder, but is older. It does not copy the new files, only existing updated when necessary.
  • Combine was similar to Synchronise, except that no file is deleted; neither in the left nor in the right folder. If a file on one side is out -of-date, it is renamed and then copied the new file so that both copies - the old and the updated - remain in the folder. In addition, files that have been deleted in one of the folders are not deleted in the other folder. It is only copy and Rename operations.

In November 2008, Version 2.0 was released. This was a rewritten version based on the Microsoft Sync Framework. Compared to version 1.4, it includes better support for unattended synchronizations, 64 -bit compatibility, support for synchronization of files on EFS drives, file and directory exclusion based on name and file types, renaming folder pairs and recognition drive letter reassignment. SyncToy 2.1 was released on 24 November 2009 and contains some minor enhancements and several bug fixes, including a serious problem, in which data on network drives (NAS) could be destroyed, and another problem that assessed deletions in Echo mode is not synchronized.

Freeware Path (computing)#Uniform Naming Convention Encrypting File System
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