Synchronize It
Encyclopedia
Synchronize It! allows you to compare and synchronize folders that can be stored on the same computer, on different computers, in archives or on FTP sites. Various synchronization modes (actions) and comparison rules are available.

Folders comparison

The most common application of Synchronize It! is to compare two folders - a source folder and a target folder. You can choose whether subfolders should be included (allowing exclusion of specific subfolders), whether only matching folders should be compared and you can apply file filters. Various actions and comparison modes are available (see below). Custom sessions can be saved and organized into projects.

Compare folder with archive

Zip archives are supported internally and external archivers can be used to support other archive types. Archives support allows you to:
  • create backup archives from folders;
  • compare folders content with archived version and update it;
  • compare and synchronize 2 archives with each other.

Command line switches

Synchronize It! can also be started and configured from command line. This allows automation and implementation in other tools, such as Total Commander
Total Commander
Total Commander is an Orthodox File Manager software for Windows, Windows CE, and Windows Mobile. Some features include a built-in FTP client, file compare, archive file navigation, and a versatile multi-rename tool with regular expression support....

.

Synchronize non-connected PCs

The package feature can be used to synchronize distant, non-connected PCs. A list of the files contained in the source folder is stored in a small package file, that can be kept on an USB-stick. The package is then synchronized with the target folder on another computer. Files only present or modified on the target computer will be packed into the package. A package hence contains only the files that are different and not the entire folder, which makes it a perfect tool to keep non-connected computers synchronized (e.g. a PC at work and a PC at home).

Reporting and printing

Results form comparison can be printed or exported and published as html reports.

Portability

Synchronize It! even works without installation and is only 2.5 MB in size. It can be run directly from an USB-stick.

Actions

The following actions / synchronization modes are available:
Action source only target only source newer target newer
Synchronize copy >> copy << copy >> copy <<
Update target copy >>
copy >> ---
Backup copy copy >> delete copy >> ---
Duplicate copy >> delete copy >> copy >>

Comparison rules

Rule Description
Date1 + size Default rule, suitable for most cases: files are same, if they have same date and size.
Date1_or_content Modification of default rule, suitable if you think you have same files with different dates. Files with same date and size are still considered as same, but in addition files with same size and different dates are compared byte-by-byte to check if they are same.
Content Strict rule, which does binary comparison for all file pairs. Using this rule will make synchronization slower. This rule is ideally suited for CD verification after burning
Size only Files are considered to be same if they have same size. It is only good for some log files and similar.

1 Date comparison in all rules takes into account global time-related options, such as Ignore 2 secs difference etc.

See also

  • File synchronization
    File synchronization
    File synchronization in computing is the process of ensuring that computer files in two or more locations are updated via certain rules....

  • Comparison of file synchronization software
    Comparison of File synchronization software
    This is a list of file synchronization software. File synchronization is a process of ensuring that files in two or more locations are updated via certain rules.- Open source :This is a comparison of free and open source software.- Freeware :...

  • Windows Live FolderShare
    FolderShare
    Windows Live Mesh is a free-to-use Internet-based file synchronization application by Microsoft that is designed to allow files and folders between two or more computers be in sync with each other on Windows and Mac OS X Windows Live Mesh (formerly known as Live Mesh, Windows Live Sync and...

  • PowerFolder
  • SyncMate
  • SyncToy
    SyncToy
    SyncToy is a freeware tool in Microsoft's PowerToys series that provides an easy-to-use graphical user interface for synchronizing files and folders. It is written using Microsoft's .NET framework and uses the Microsoft Sync Framework.-Features:...

  • Beyond Compare
    Beyond Compare
    Beyond Compare is a file comparison utility. Aside from comparison of files, the program is capable of doing side-by-side comparison of directories, FTP directories, and archives. In an April 2009 review, Beyond Compare was awarded four out of five stars by CNET...

  • GoodSync
    GoodSync
    GoodSync is a backup and file synchronization program. It is used for synchronizing files between two directories, either on one computer, or between a computer and another storage device GoodSync is a backup and file synchronization program. It is used for synchronizing files between two...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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