A program for synchronizing two folders. Synchronization of folders and files over a local network, SFTP, to the cloud. Automatic folder sync

Folder and file sync programs can help you keep updated copies of files and folders in various locations. These can be different computers, network drives, USB drives, or online storage. While synchronization utilities can be used as a simple means to create backups (called one-way synchronization), their real purpose is to maintain identical sets of files and folders in multiple locations.

An example is maintaining current versions of the same files on several of your computers that you use at different times (two-way sync). Folder sync utilities keep track of which files you've created, modified, or deleted. And, accordingly, they make these changes to other places.

Evaluation criteria for synchronization utilities:

A good sync utility should be able to do most of the following.

• Supports two-way file synchronization.
• Should be able to copy any folder or file, even if they are currently being used by other programs.
• Correct handling of conflicts. An example of a conflict would be changing the same file at two different sync locations.
• Keeping records of file deletion.
• Detection of the fact that the file has been renamed.
• Supports filters and rules for fine-tuning the synchronization scope. An example would be excluding certain file extensions from the synchronization process.
• Preview of all changes made with the ability for the user to override any actions.
• Task scheduler and the ability to automatically detect and start synchronization when the synchronization location becomes available (for example, you inserted a flash drive).
• Maintain synchronization both on the local machine and on the network (for example, network folders).

There are many applicants in this class of programs, but only a couple of them support most of the criteria.

Review of free programs for synchronizing files and folders

FreeFileSync file and folder sync program is the best choice

Allway sync

		Large set of filters and rules. FTP support.
		Monthly copying limit of 40,000 files. No copies locked files.

To synchronize files with other computers and devices in Windows 8.1, there is the Windows Mobility Center, which is linked to the Synchronization Center. It is in Windows Mobility Center that you can manage any devices and associate your account with another computer or Windows server. Devices include both smartphones and tablets. If you control your device via ActiveSync, then synchronization is usually set up via Microsoft Exchange.

Sync Center lets you manage your synced devices. A device for syncing with a computer may already be connected, but using the Synchronization Center, you can also save an offline version of files for working on the go.

On the sync settings page, you can view your current sync links and any conflicts that may arise.

In order to check if everything is in order, you can view the current status of synchronization with devices.

To sync files with another device on Windows 8.1, click " Setting up a new sync relationship". Please note that another device must be connected to your computer. When you select a sync in the Sync Center, buttons appear at the top of the list to set the sync schedule.

You can click on them and manage your sync options.

If you use Synchronization Center to save offline copies of files on a Windows server, to control the synchronization settings, click the " Offline file management».

In the Offline Files dialog box, you can control the current state of synchronization, including the ability to specify the amount of disk space available for synchronization on your computer. To do this, use the tab " Disk Usage". The more available disk space, the more files you can sync with your computer and store locally.

This dialog also allows you to ensure that offline files are automatically encrypted. This option is very useful if you keep offline versions of files on your laptop.

Setting up and using working folders.

If your company uses the Work Folders feature, managing the system for keeping offline versions of files for the user is much easier and easier. Working folders are located in the control panel. To get started, press the button " Configure working folders”, And you are asked to enter a work email address or work folder URL on the company server.

After the first synchronization of files and folders, the working folders pane displays the progress of the current synchronization of files from the server. This panel can be used for both general file sync control and specific uses, such as which files to sync over a mobile broadband connection. This is where working folders are turned off.

Synchronized work folders appear in the " My pc»File explorer, where it can be easily opened and viewed.

The life of a modern person is such that he needs a computer wherever he is: at home, at work or at school, on the road and on vacation. Some people carry a laptop with them everywhere, but this is not always possible and not very convenient. Therefore, another option is more often practiced: a desktop computer at home and at work, a laptop or netbook on the road. However, in this regard, another problem arises: you need to transfer the data used from one computer to another, then back (and with an increase in the number of devices, the task becomes even more complicated). Usually, users do it manually over a local network or using a flash drive, but data storage in "cloud" storages - Dropbox, SkyDrive and others - is becoming more and more popular. The latter option is convenient when it comes to small amounts of information, up to several gigabytes. In the event that tens and hundreds of gigabytes are used in everyday activities, it is more convenient to resort to using specialized utilities for data synchronization. They allow you not to think at all about which of the computers on which the files were last modified - thus, you can always work in a single information environment, wherever you are at the moment. In this review, we'll take a look at four of the most popular programs for syncing files between computers: SyncBackPro, SmartSync Pro, AllwaySync, and GoodSync.

⇡ SyncBackPro

• Developer: 2BrightSparks
• Distribution: shareware
• Russian interface: yes

This is a powerful program with a huge number of all kinds of settings. It costs $ 54.95 and can also be used in trial mode for thirty days. The application supports many interface languages, including Russian, but the machine translation is rather poor.

SyncBackPro is based on profiles that you can add in unlimited quantities. The creation of a new profile takes place in several stages. At the first, you need to enter the name of the profile, here you can also note whether it is a group one (that is, whether it will combine several other profiles). At the next step, you should select the type of profile, there are three of them: backup, synchronization and mirror. The second type is included in the scope of our review; the first one is for regular backup of your data, the last one is for creating and maintaining an exact copy of the specified folder with files unilaterally.

At the third stage, you need to select two folders that will be synchronized with each other - they are designated as left and right. In the drop-down lists, you can select the storage location: for the source folder, this is an internal / external drive or network path, FTP server, Amazon S3 or Windows Azure online services, and files on the mail service. For the destination folder, in addition to all of the above, there is also the possibility of CD / DVD burning and saving as an ISO image. It is worth saying that when choosing a source location outside the computer, you can only specify a local path as the destination, that is, for example, you will not be able to synchronize two FTP sources. However, the rest can be experimented with.

Creating a new profile in SyncBackPro

After that, you need to configure the profile: first of all, specify the directories of the left and right folders on the computer (if other storage locations are selected, the corresponding parameters are displayed there). You can select individual subdirectories and files within these folders that need to be synchronized, as well as apply a filter to certain types of data (by default, system files and folders are already included in this filter). The next option is to add a schedule. The task for which the profile is responsible can be performed daily, weekly and monthly, and the schedule is extremely flexible (for example, every third week of the month on Tuesdays); in addition, it is possible to add a repetition after a specified number of days, hours, minutes and seconds. Following the schedule, you can set up a decision policy for a variety of situations - what to do if a file was changed in the folder on the left, a new file was created in the folder on the right, etc. For each variant of events, there are several different behavior models: skip, ask the user, a larger file overwrites a smaller one, and others.

The options mentioned are only a part of the profile parameters, which are limited to the easy setup mode. If you switch to the "expert" mode, more than fifteen additional sections will become available to you: compression, encryption, auto-close programs, logging and others - it is not possible to consider all of them within the framework of this review. You can study the numerous buttons and checkboxes yourself in order to fine-tune the program to suit your needs (for example, in the arsenal of tools you can find such functions as starting synchronization using a combination of hot keys or ignoring files that have been changed during a specified time).

Setting up a profile in SyncBackPro

The created profiles are displayed in the main SyncBackPro window. You can edit them, import / export them, activate the execution or, conversely, pause the action, and also view the status: the time of the last launch, the result and other information. There are quite a few columns with information, you can turn off unnecessary ones.

SyncBackPro main window

The program maintains a detailed log with a log of actions. There is a large number of application settings - extensive options for work, dialogs, fonts, and so on. The functionality can be expanded even further by downloading additional scripts from the developers' site: they are installed in the "Scripts" section and allow you to add new capabilities when performing tasks.

⇡ SmartSync Pro

• Developer: SmartSync Software
• Distribution: shareware
• Russian interface: yes

This program has fewer functions than SyncBackPro, but is somewhat friendlier to use. It has a simpler and more pleasant interface, is qualitatively localized into Russian and costs 990 rubles (active support of Russian users is due to the fact that the head of SmartSync Software Dmitry Sitnikov is himself a programmer from Russia). The demo version of the application can be used for thirty days.

SmartSync Pro main window

As in SyncBackPro, the program is based on the added profiles. New profiles are created using a wizard. First of all, it is indicated what exactly you want to synchronize and the type of synchronization, and at the first step it is proposed to mark folders from the standard set: "Desktop", "My Documents", Microsoft Outlook and others. To specify the required directories yourself, you should check the "Select directories manually" checkbox (the selection will be available at the next step). There are three types of synchronization: synchronization with a local / network computer, with a remote computer via an FTP connection or in batch mode. For each of them, different types of operation are provided: if a local connection is selected, the program can perform copying, moving, synchronizing, compressing files into a ZIP archive or incremental backup (thus, the program can be used for data backup as well). When connected to a remote computer, both bi-directional synchronization and one-way file transfer are available - from local to remote and vice versa.

SmartSync Pro Profile Wizard

If you have chosen to specify the folders manually, then you will need to check the boxes for the necessary directories on the local disk. You can view a list of all files and folders included in them and, if necessary, customize the filter to exclude individual items or files with specific extensions. When you finish configuring the source directory, you need to specify the destination directory with which the data will be synchronized (depending on the type of connection, it can be located on a local disk or an FTP server). Next, you need to set up a schedule according to which the task associated with the profile will be executed. You can start it manually, as well as after a certain interval - every few minutes, days, and so on, and you can enter a start point and mark at what time you want to mute the profile. In addition, you can add a dependency on the execution of another profile (until it starts, this one will not work) and specify triggering in the following situations: logon, logoff, directory changes and disk insertion. At the end of the configuration, you need to add a profile name.

The added profiles can be grouped by folders, run one at a time, several or all at once. There is an opportunity to send a shortcut to the desktop to launch a profile, import and export are also carried out. You can edit profile settings, and in the properties additional settings are available that are not in the creation wizard: notifications at profile startup related to event triggering, file replacement policy, saving multiple versions of files, and others. From the Profile Control Panel, you can change the source directory and sync options. Please note that the connection to a remote computer in batch mode is configured here: you can select a folder to save data on a removable / local drive, e-mail or FTP server. There are also many interesting points in the settings of the program itself: for example, it can run in the background even when the computer is locked or no one is logged in.

Profile Properties in SmartSync Pro

One more detail related to the program: when installed on a computer, it adds the Backup with SmartSync Pro command to the context menu of files and folders, which opens the wizard for creating profiles with a selected directory. With it, you can quickly set up a backup.

⇡ Allway Sync

• Developer: Usov Lab
• Distribution: shareware
• Russian interface: yes

The Allway Sync program is provided by developers free of charge for personal use, the commercial version of the application costs $ 19.95. The utility is quite simple and convenient to use, although it has a somewhat unsightly interface (support for the Russian language is present). There is no list of profiles, but there are tasks, each of which is displayed on a separate tab: you can add, delete, clone and rename them. To set up a task, you need to specify two folders for synchronization and mark its direction. The program allows you to select folders not only on the local drive, but also on the Internet - it supports FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, online services Dropbox, SkyDrive, Google Docs, OffsiteBox and others, detects mobile devices connected via Microsoft ActiveSync, and can read zip archives. Moreover, unlike the SyncBack Pro program, where this functionality is present, in Allway Sync you can add a link between online folders - for example, synchronize a Dropbox account with an FTP service.

Choosing the direction of synchronization in Allway Sync

The selected folders need to be configured (the type of setting will depend on which folder you specified: if on a local drive, you need to specify the directory, if FTP - enter server parameters, if Google Docs - specify an e-mail and password for your account, and so on) ... The direction of synchronization is indicated between the folders: initially it is two-way, that is, the files will be identical in both places, but it can be changed to one-way by choosing the side that will become the data source. By the way, during general synchronization there can be more than two folders - you can configure mirroring of an unlimited number of data sources.

After setting up the task, you can click the Analyze and Synchronize buttons. The program recommends performing a preliminary analysis so that you can make sure everything is going the way it should. It will build a detailed report in which new / unchanged / all / excluded files will be grouped by tables, indicating the name, size, time and direction of synchronization. Separately, important messages related to file changes can be displayed.

Analyzed files report in Allway Sync

In the Allway Sync options there is a section "Profile settings", where a set of additional properties is displayed for each task: "Synchronization rules", "Automatic synchronization", "Including and excluding filters", "Version control policy", "Error handling". Let's consider them in more detail. Several important options can be activated in the synchronization rules - ignore the hourly difference in the modification time, copy security attributes, and so on. Automatic synchronization parameters allow you to select a starting condition: when a removable disk is connected, when file changes are detected or the computer is idle, and the like. Include and exclude filters are quite configurable: you can apply them both to the file name or extension, as well as to the status (new, changed, deleted), attributes (system, compressed, and others), modification time and size. Versioning policy allows you to choose what to do with old versions of changed files: delete them or move them to a specific folder, and also indicate how long these old versions should be kept. In the settings related to error handling, you can specify what the program should do in case of these errors, and define its behavior when a warning appears.

Allway Sync Options

Finally, it is worth adding that, like the previously reviewed utilities, Allway Sync keeps a log of actions in the log and allows you to import and export application settings.

⇡ GoodSync

• Developer: Siber Systems
• Distribution: shareware
• Russian interface: yes

This utility is notable for the fact that it was created by the developers of the popular program for saving RoboForm passwords. The application is qualitatively translated into Russian (amateur translations into other CIS languages ​​are available), has a version for Windows and Mac, as well as a separate portable version for launching from a flash drive. GoodSync is a shareware program and after thirty days of use imposes restrictions on the number of files in a task (no more than a hundred) and the number of tasks itself (no more than three). However, the price is quite affordable: 595 rubles for the version for Windows and 795 rubles for the version for Mac.

GoodSync main window

Work in the program begins by adding tasks. They are of two types: sync and backup. Each task is displayed on a separate tab with its inherent settings. Regardless of what type of task you have chosen, you need to specify the left and right data folders. For both the source and the destination path, a large number of places are available where files can be stored: your computer, other computers on the local network, FTP protocols, WebDAV, Amazon S3 cloud storage, Google Drive, Windows Azure, SkyDrive, connected devices on Windows Mobile as well as its own GoodSync Connect service. The program has no restrictions on data exchange and allows you to compare all supported sources. GoodSync Connect is worth a separate talk: it is a P2P network that allows you to synchronize data on multiple computers over the Internet. Thus, you do not need to connect computers to a local network or bypass a USB device for transfer, and the files will not be stored in the "cloud". To use GoodSync Connect, you need to configure your computers by creating an account on the system.

Selecting a folder in GoodSync

By selecting the left and right folders, you can run a preliminary analysis or immediately start synchronization. The main window will display a tree-like list of files to be synchronized, indicating the size, date and direction of copying (from left to right, right to left). You can view individual categories of files (modified, new and others) and exclude or, conversely, enable their copying, as well as change the direction. In the settings of the task, you can specify the parameters of its automatic execution: when changing a file, when starting the program, periodically, when connecting folders, before exiting the system. There is an opportunity to schedule a task using the standard Windows scheduler with or without logon mode. An interesting option - you can specify the percentage of changes, above which synchronization will not be performed. Another feature that can be configured is a way to automatically resolve conflicts: skip, replace with later files, and so on. In addition to the automatic task execution options, the settings include other options where you can put a lot of checkmarks next to items such as "Back up deleted files" or "Copy file creation time", apply a filter to certain files and folders, and more.

Job Options in GoodSync

The program can work in mini-mode - it will be displayed as a small panel, where there is a list of active tasks, which allows you to do other things and at the same time monitor the progress of synchronization. Finally, it is worth mentioning the GoodSync Explorer application, which is additionally installed on your computer - with its help you can view the directories where your data is stored and add bookmarks to the desired places. These bookmarks can then be used when selecting a source for folders when setting up a job in GoodSync.

⇡ Conclusion

We have reviewed the most popular programs for synchronizing data between computers. All of them, in one way or another, cope with their purpose, and the question of choice rests on the details: what is more important for you - a powerful arsenal of functions or a simple and intuitive interface, and how much are you willing to pay for the program. As a reminder, the only utility that can be used for free is Allway Sync. In any case, we recommend that you make your life easier by installing one of the programs on your computers.

About two years ago, I gave birth to a project - a small client program that can be installed on any device and simply syncs files.
For example, you could set that documents will be synchronized between your home and work computers. Music and books between your home computer and your phone. Backup between home computer, work computer and server. Also, this program could control the subsequent distribution of any file in the system. That is, you, as the owner, could always find out the history of the file: copying to a USB flash drive, to another computer, by "email", etc.

Then I almost received funding, but the investment fund with which I worked at the last moment demanded a serious share in the business. And I decided that the game was not worth the candle. And then somehow it was not up to it.

Yes, you say, there are cloud storage and why is it needed when there is Yandex.Disk, Dropbox and a bunch of cloud file storage services. Well, it's just not always acceptable and convenient. Minuses:
1. You trust your files to a third party without any guarantees. (I'm not paranoid, but you won't leave your private data in such storage)
2. You need the Internet to access them. And this in Russia is still not always possible with the required speed.

A holy place is never empty, and BitTorrent has released something similar, but in a stripped down form. Their program simply syncs files between different platforms and systems as soon as they go online or are inside the same subnet. Unfortunately, you cannot flexibly configure the synchronization rules, but there is an excellent client that is administered through either the native interface (WIndows, MAC OS X, Android, iOS), or through the web interface (* NIX).

I no longer go to my mobile for photos, documents and music, and I don’t go to the server to pick up a rarely updated backup.
There are several folders on your home computer:
Telephone
Server
General
Auto

To put something on my phone, I just copy the file I want to the Phone folder. It will appear on my phone in a few seconds
To exchange documents with the guys at work, I throw it into a shared folder. And after a few seconds, this file appears for all the people I need - locally and not in the cloud.

In the car, there is a Google Nexus as a media center, it looks at the Internet via 3G. On my home computer, I throw navigation maps and music into the Auto folder. Everything is automatically folded into the car. From the Auto / Registrar folder I take interesting moments captured by the video recorder (the device in the car is always online).
Saves tons of time.

We wish BotTorrent every success in developing their wonderful project.
Downloading.
Available on Google Play Market and Apple AppStor. I think it will soon appear for a mobile version of Windows.

PS
Thanks to Murin Sasha for the tip)