Just to be sure: x2 can't sync *folders* ?

[negg]

Hi! x2 is one of the tools I can't live without anymore, so I just want to make sure I understood everything right before looking to another tool to do what I need to do. I want to deep-sync two folders on different drives, see what's going to happen before I do it *and* use robust copy. Searching this forum and reading the manual it seems that this can't be done if there is one or more new folders in the structure:

Code: Select all

Drive #1 has this folder/file structure:
[a]
+ [aa]
  aa1.txt
  aa2.txt
+ [ab]
  ab1.txt
  ab2.txt

Drive #2 has folder [ab] missing:

[a]
+ [aa]
  aa1.txt
  aa2.txt

1. Sync-o-paste does not work, because the folder [ab] does not exist on drive #2, so it is marked as undetermined when I do a "Compare Subfolders", and sync-o-paste does not work with undetermined items.

2. Robust copy with "overwrite if newer" is not what I want, because I want to make sure nothing is overwritten by mistake. I could compare first and if everything is ok I could use "robust copy" after the check, but if some files should not be copied for some reason, this again is not a solution.

3. Using "Compare Subfolders" with "select undetermined" checked and then use "copy" and "paste structured scrap clips" to bring the new files *and* their folder into drive #2 is not what I want, because it doesn't use robust copy, and if something goes wrong I have to start all over again.

4. Then I thought I'd do it the hard way: first select all folders in Drive #1, copy, paste folder structure to drive #2, and then do the sync-o-paste. But surprise: this doesn't work also, because s-o-p only works if there is at least one file in each folder on drive #1 and drive #2 !

So many ways, but none to do it right...so just let me know: is this (still) impossible, or is there something I missed or a good workaround?

Everything would be so easy if sync-o-paste could only create the missing folders before copying the files, and if it would not care if there are any files in the folders. I guess there is a good reason why this is not done, but its a pity.

It also took me a long time what "undetermined" means, because for my understanding the status of a file existing in one drive an not in the other is not "undetermined" but "new", independent of the fact that it happens to also sit in a new folder...

Please help! There MUST be a better solution (than 2., which is my current favorite

Martin

[nikos]

you seem to have a phd in deep sync with x2 so i can't help you much
i've lost faith in deep sync for some time, since it is a headache at best. I do your option #2 ie i leave it to robust copy to synchronize without checking what goes where. For backups that's always ok

[negg]

you seem to have a phd in deep sync with x2 so i can't help you much

Hehe, yeah in fact I invented deep syncing

i've lost faith in deep sync for some time, since it is a headache at best. I do your option #2 ie i leave it to robust copy to synchronize without checking what goes where. For backups that's always ok

Well, not quite what I wanted to hear, but what I expected. But I use this in so many places that I can't imagine I'm the only one who needs that feature:
- backing up my private family harddrive
- making office files available offline (where window's offline feature is too slow)
- backing up our office project servers

Especially with the latter its a pain with tools that do not use something like robust copying, because more often than not someone has a file locked on the server that I can't copy then...

So please take this as a wish for some future release or whenever your time permits: teach sync-o-paste to create folders.

Or another idea: as robust copying with overwrite if newer works so good why not implement a "simulation" mode that writes a log what would happen? Maybe that's easier to implement?

Thanks anyway for answering!
Martin

[Mr.Pleasant]

So please take this as a wish for some future release

Please add a vote from this deep-sync'er too.
I'd love the sync-o-paste, if it would only just work a bit better...

[snakebyte]

For your advance folder sync needs you should give MS SyncToy a try. Its free!

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

To use it you basically have to specify a left and right folder and use any of the following profiles.

Synchronize: New and updated files are copied both ways. Renames and deletes on either side are repeated on the other.

Echo: New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames and deletes on the left are repeated on the right.

Subscribe: Updated files on the right are copied to the left if the file name already exists on the left.

Contribute: New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames on the left are repeated on the right. No deletions.

Combine: New and updated files are copied both ways. Nothing happens to renamed and deleted files.

[ckit]

And if you hate Microsoft like I do, you can try Karen's Replicator -> http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

[snakebyte]

And if you hate Microsoft like I do, you can try Karen's Replicator -> http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

Not that I'm taking any side, but from the looks of replicator it looks more of a backup tool than a file synchronizer. Can it do two way file merges? Can it work as a service when machine is locked?

Try out SyncToy its pretty good. The sync profiles it has is a  very well though of concept and is implemented in a simple interface. Don't dismiss it just because it is from MS. After all I'm guessing you are not running x2 on Linux using WINE

[ckit]

And if you hate Microsoft like I do, you can try Karen's Replicator -> http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

Not that I'm taking any sides, but from the looks of replicator it looks more of a backup tool than a file synchronizer. Can it do two way file merges? Can it work as a service when machine is locked?

Try out SyncToy its pretty good. The sync profiles it has is a  very well though of concept and is implemented in a simple interface. Don't dismiss it just because it is from MS. After all I'm guessing you are not running x2 on Linux using WINE

Yes, you're right I should give SyncToy another chance.
After all it's not big enough to contain the WGA virus

[ckit]

Nope, I'm more comfortable with Karen's Replicator, handles multiple wildcards instead of just the 1...

Just wish it would do multiple destination folders, I'll email her later

[BRX]

I just came across this nice little tool:

DSynchronize v2.30.1

http://dimio.altervista.org/stats/download.php?id=3

Free, small, standalone and looks promising.  Maybe you like to try it. The other tools of the author seem worth a look, too.

[Mr.Pleasant]

Allright! Thank you all for the great tips. I guess there's a lot of good tools that could do the job. It's just that... I would like to have it in my favourite file manager. The situation is that I'm usually already working in the folders that need synchronising, i.e. they are in X2's panes. A quick way of synchronising is a great help (i'm using (ctrl+)F9, and mirror-browsing a lot. In fact, this was the main motive for me to start working with 2xExplorer).
Deep-synchronising is within reach, as X2 has flat-browsing. The nice thing about this flat-browsing would be that you can apply some 'micro-management' by selecting/deselecting files that I would like to fall outside the general synchronisation scenario. For a little explanation: I'm working in translation/localisation, and I often have parallel data/folder-structures, each for every language, in which some files need to be synced in all languages, and others are one-language only. This is different every time, so I'm not too keen on inventing the proper synchronisation-filters just for a quick sync-job.
That's why I said, sync-o-paste is great, but if even Nikos get headaches...

[nikos]

flat browsing is still "browsing" whereas synchronization the way you want it would require special GUI elements (arrows and things and buttons) that may as well be in a different program