FreeFileSync Instructions

MalwareT · Apr 19, 2025

I looked at a few FreeFileSync YouTube video instructions and I was wondering if anyone could briefly help me with these in order to make sure that I am understanding them correctly. Here are the two videos that I looked at:

Also, what I am attempting to do is copy my Music Folder to my external hard drive as a back up folder. Therefore, should I follow the instructions on the first video or the second video? Plus, should I create a folder named Backup Folder or can I use my external hard drive as the backup folder?

hsehestedt · Apr 19, 2025

I have not watched the videos yet (in a place where quite is mandatory), but your backup folder can be named anything you want and it can be anywhere you want - internal drive, external drive, network location.

I'll look at the videos later to give you more info, but in the meantime, if you have more questions, let me know. I use FreeFileSync extensively so I should hopefully be able to help

hsehestedt · Apr 19, 2025

I had a chance to watch the videos. They are doing the exact same thing in both videos, namely, a one-way mirror sync.

MalwareT · Apr 20, 2025

hsehestedt said:
I had a chance to watch the videos. They are doing the exact same thing in both videos, namely, a one-way mirror sync.

Done! Easy enough, however, in the second video, at 1:23, could you clarify those steps if you're planning to run the same backup tasks again? That went over my head a little bit. It makes it sound as if you don't need to have your external hard drive connected or run FreeFileSynic if you want to run the configuration file.

Also, it took a little while, therefore, since my Music Folder is essentially already the same as my external hard drive, I hope that FreeFileSync didn't duplicate files that were already in my external hard drive.

hsehestedt · Apr 20, 2025

I'll take a look at the video in a bit and respond back. Apologies for the slow response.

antspants · Apr 20, 2025

MalwareT said:
Also, it took a little while, therefore, since my Music Folder is essentially already the same as my external hard drive, I hope that FreeFileSync didn't duplicate files that were already in my external hard drive.

I’ve never had it duplicate files with a mirrored backup, it will read both the base folder contents and the destination contents. In a mirror backup, it will delete files in the destination folder that aren’t in the original folder, hence “Mirror”

You can also have this happen in real time. You save the job as a batch file and load it into RealTimeSync which will enable a real time mirror of the allocated folder and reflect it onto the mirrored drive. RealTimeSync came with FreeFileSync

antspants · Apr 20, 2025

The only problem with a RealTimeSync, is that if you permently delete a file on the base folder, it will instantly be deleted from the destination folder. (I am not sure if when a file is deleted from the destination folder, if it is permanent or if it goes into the recycle bin)
This is why most people just run a batch.
I use real time synchronisation.

antspants · Apr 20, 2025

If it’s of any use to you, I explained to a member how I use FreeFileSync and there is also mention of RealTimeSync.
This will link you to the FreeFileSync post:

EaseUS Todo Best Type of Backup for changing photo folder

I'm about to set up a backup for a friend who's completely non tech savvy and has just got a new computer using EaseUs Todo and was wondering the best way / type of backup to use. I'll probably do a one off drive image in case but he's only concerned about backing up their photos of which there...

www.elevenforum.com

hsehestedt · Apr 21, 2025

MalwareT said:
in the second video, at 1:23, could you clarify those steps if you're planning to run the same backup tasks again?

The idea is that you save that FreeFileSync definition so that you can use that configuration over and over without having to recreate. It's just like most other Windows programs. For example, if you put a bunch of text in notepad, you save that notepad file so that you can again access the contents on the future. Same with FreeFileSync. Once you create the job, you save it so that it can be used repeatedly.

MalwareT · Saturday at 7:23 PM

antspants said:
I’ve never had it duplicate files with a mirrored backup, it will read both the base folder contents and the destination contents. In a mirror backup, it will delete files in the destination folder that aren’t in the original folder, hence “Mirror”

So, it sounds like it was just going through all the files to see which ones were going to be deleted.

antspants said:
You can also have this happen in real time. You save the job as a batch file and load it into RealTimeSync which will enable a real time mirror of the allocated folder and reflect it onto the mirrored drive. RealTimeSync came with FreeFileSync

Even if you don't have your destination folder device (in my case it's an external hard drive for my Music folder) connected to your computer?

antspants · Saturday at 7:36 PM

MalwareT said:
Even if you don't have your destination folder device (in my case it's an external hard drive for my Music folder) connected to your computer?

The RealTimeSync will pause until the device is detected when you reconnect it.
The symbol for RealTimeSync in the system tray on the taskbar (red) will be dulled out when inactive.

MalwareT said:
So, it sounds like it was just going through all the files to see which ones were going to be deleted.

When you use RealTimeSync, the file comparison check and synchronise is done in the background. (From memory that is a setting you can check when creating the RealTimeSync job. e.x tell it to not show the process — image below — and close when the task is completed)

However, if you are syncing manually, after double clicking on the job/batch job you created in FreeFileSync, you will see something like this:

It is comparing, updating, adding, changing or removing any files from the destination location to reflect the source folder/s. This is a “mirror sync”
As mentioned, there are other types of sync jobs. I am not sure that a Mirror sync is right for you, as you’re sharing the folders across different devices.

antspants · Saturday at 7:45 PM

— Question: Are you installing and using FreeFileSync on ALL devices?

Here would be my concern if you use a Mirror Sync and you are sharing a drive/folder.

If someone uploads a file to that shared folder from another device, and it isn’t in your source folder — a mirror Sync would then delete that file because according to “your” source folder, it shouldn’t be there.

antspants · Saturday at 7:52 PM

This would be my suggestion: Use a “Two Way Synchronization” job.

Watch this video:

A “Two Way Synchronization” job, again, can be added to create a real time process using RealTimeSync.

If installing FreeFileSync on all devices, a job or batch job you create can be copied over to and loaded into each Devices FreeFileSync app.
But each devices folder structure would have to be mimicked across devices. You could always just create another sync job on the other device/s

For instance, your source folder might be \Documents\Source Folder\
On another device, the source folder might be \Documents\Another Folder\Source Folder\

In that instance, a new job/batch job would have to be created (or modified if you copy the batch file between devices) in FreeFileSync on the other device/s to reflect the source folder location. This is an easy task if sharing a job/batch job. You would just load the job/batch job into FreeFileSync and change the source folder location for that device. If sharing a drive, the source would likely remain the same. (But I have never had a NAS so I don’t know how it works)

MalwareT · Sunday at 6:11 PM

antspants said:
— Question: Are you installing and using FreeFileSync on ALL devices?

Here would be my concern if you use a Mirror Sync and you are sharing a drive/folder.

If someone uploads a file to that shared folder from another device, and it isn’t in your source folder — a mirror Sync would then delete that file because according to “your” source folder, it shouldn’t be there.

I'm only using FreeFileSync on my personal computer for my Music folder, and for my external hard drive as a backup to my Music folder. I just want my external hard drive updated when I add or delete music files from my Music folder.

antspants · Sunday at 6:12 PM

And if you delete a music file locally, do you want FreeFileSync to delete it remotely? From the destination, Sync Folder?

MalwareT · Sunday at 6:15 PM

antspants said:
And if you delete a music file locally, do you want FreeFileSync to delete it remotely? From the destination, Sync Folder?

Sorry, but I don't understand your question. Also, what are you doing up so early?

antspants · Sunday at 6:18 PM

MalwareT said:
Also, what are you doing up so early?

lol, I’ve been up since 6am, went to sleep at 4am.

If you delete a music file in your Music Folder, do you want FreeFileSync to recognise that during a sync and also remove it from the backup Music Folder?

MalwareT · Sunday at 6:20 PM

antspants said:
lol, I’ve been up since 6am, went to sleep at 4am.

If you delete a music file in your Music Folder, do you want FreeFileSync to recognise that during a sync and also remove it from the backup Music Folder?

Yes!

antspants · Sunday at 6:28 PM

OK you want to setup a Mirror Sync

Don’t worry about RealTimeSync unless you want to.

Create the FreeFileSync job as instructed in this video.
Save the job as directed in the video, save it to a place that it will always remain.
After you have saved the job, go to the folder you saved the job to.
Right click on the job and select “Create Shortcut”
Copy the shortcut to your desktop, you should then be able to add it to your Taskbar
Run the job when needed, let it do it’s stuff.

MalwareT · Sunday at 6:45 PM

antspants said:
OK you want to setup a Mirror Sync

Don’t worry about RealTimeSync unless you want to.

Create the FreeFileSync job as instructed in this video.
Save the job as directed in the video, save it to a place that it will always remain.
After you have saved the job, go to the folder you saved the job to.
Right click on the job and select “Create Shortcut”
Copy the shortcut to your desktop, you should then be able to add it to your Taskbar
Run the job when needed, let it do it’s stuff.

So, is that what I was asking about in my post #4 concerning the second video at 1:23?

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