GoodSync Frequently Asked Questions
Installation, Uninstallation and Licensing
Q: Do I need to uninstall the old version of GoodSync before installing a new one?
A: No, not unless you want to install into a different folder.
The new version will keep the options and settings of the previous one.
Note: After installing V6 it is recommended that you uninstall V4.
Q: What are free version limitations?
A: You can have 3 or less jobs in free version and 100 or less files and folders in each job.
Q: How many licenses do I need?
A: You need one license per computer on which GoodSync is installed.
When GoodSync syncs with a remote computer, you do not need license
for this remote computer (server), you only need GoodSync license for
client computer.
Example: you have 5 client computers (Windows desktops) that sync to 2 servers.
You need 5 licenses -- only for clients.
Q: Can I purchase an additional GoodSync license for a discounted price?
A: Yes, you can. To purchase additional licenses for a discounted price:
* Go to http://upgrade.goodsync.com/
* Enter the Name and OrderID from your previous order and click "Submit."
* Enter the number of additional licenses you wish to purchase.
* Click "Continue" to proceed with the order.
Q: How do i backup and restore my GoodSync settings?
A: GoodSync job list is stored in the jobs.tic file in your user profile Application Data.
In Windows XP its path is C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Application Data\GoodSync\jobs.tic
In Vista it will be C:\Users\Your User Name\App Data\Roaming\GoodSync\jobs.tic.
Global program settings are stored in file options.tic in the same folder.
Back up these two files and you can restore them later on this or another computer.
Q: How do I uninstall GoodSync?
A: Close all running instances of GoodSync.
If you use a multiuser configuration, you'll also have to exit any instances running on inactive user accounts.
Select Programs/GoodSync/Uninstall in the Start menu.
Follow the uninstaller instructions.
Synchronization
Q: How do I create a synchronization job?
A: This is easy:
1) Click on Job -> New, and enter a name for this job.
Select Synchronize (2-way) or Backup (1-way) job type.
2) On the left hand side of the window click the "Browse" button, then
select the left folder you want to synchronize.
(for Backup jobs: folder FROM which to backup).
3) On the right side click the Browse button and
select the right folder that you want to synchronize with.
(for Backup jobs: folder TO which to backup).
4) Click the "Analyze" button at the bottom of the screen,
this will show you a preview of how the files will be synchronized.
5) Click the Synchronize button to complete the process.
Q: How do I backup my Drive C?
A: The correct (but maybe unexpected) answer is: You don't.
Backing up the entire Disk C: is usually wrong and we will tell you why.
1. Disk C: has a lot of Windows system files, 10 Gb at least.
If Windows crashes and has to be reinstalled,
all these files will be redone and rewritten by Windows installer.
So you must not back them up.
2. Disc C: has a lot of temporary files, including all
that garbage and cookies you picked up on the Internet.
Maybe even some dormant viruses and malware.
You want all temporary files to disappear when you reinstall Windows,
so backing them up is not only useless, it is harmful.
3. Boot sector and certain boot-related files cannot be backed up.
Moreover, even if they are backed at some low disk sector level,
they may be not good the next time you reinstall Windows,
because your computer may be physically dead by then (say, due to electrical burnout).
Your new computer will require new drivers for its new hardware and
the old boot files will be of no use.
4. Folder C:\Program Files contains executable and graphics files of the programs you installed.
The folders in it are huge and totally not worth saving, because
if you have to reinstall Windows, you have to reinstall all programs
that you installed on Windows. This will redo all these program files.
5. Registry contains all your program settings and more.
Unfortunately you cannot back it up too, because registry is the first
thing that gets irreparably damaged by malware and other malfunctions.
So often you perform Windows reinstall with specific goal of getting
a new uncorrupted registry.
Conclusion:
The only files and folders that must be backed up are
your own personal files and folders that you created, edited or acquired.
Usually these files are located in My Documents folders.
And this is what you should backup -- My Documents folder
and other folders that contain your personal files that
you modified or otherwise acquired.
Q: What type of data can be synchronized?
A: Any data stored in a file can be synchronized.
But GoodSync syncs only whole files and it does not look inside the file.
Q: Does GoodSync synchronize different versions of Outlook data file and others?
A: GoodSync synchronizes whole files.
It does not read the file to interpret what's inside the file.
So GoodSync can synchronize file Outlook.pst as a whole but
it cannot sync individual contacts or emails stored inside this file,
because it does not know what's inside the file.
GoodSync cannot synchronize different versions of Outlook PST file
for the same reason - it does not interpret contents of the file.
Q: So how GoodSync decides whether file has changed and it must be synced?
A: If either file modification time or its size has changed then
GoodSync assumes that file has changed.
GoodSync propagates the changes that it so found from the folder where
they were found to the folder on the other side of the job.
Q: How do I synchronize RoboForm, Outlook and other apps data files?
A: Please refer to the Syncing Specific Applications section of our manual.
Q: What do all of these different icons mean?
A: Each of the icons that GoodSync displays are used to communicate different information about the sync process to the user. Please look at this link to find a detailed list of all icons used in GoodSync.
Q: What does a "Conflict" mean in GoodSync?
A: If a file was altered on both sides since the last synchronization,
during the next synchronization a conflict will show for that file. The user
can resolve the conflict by selecting the direction for the file to sync.
Q: I am getting 'bad state file' errors. Why?
A: Most likely, you are trying to read a new state file by old GoodSync.
To fix this problem, upgrade GoodSync to the latest version on all computers.
If you use latest GoodSync version on all computers and you are still getting this error,
then that it likely happened because you did not stop portable drive properly and pulled it out.
Since GoodSync state file is one of the last to be written,
it was not fully written and is now corrupted.
Read this FAQ item on how to properly stop
portable drives.
Q: How to sync the same files that have different timestamps?
A: Normally GoodSync considers files to be the same if their lengths are
the same and their file modification times are the same.
But if you are sure that your files are the same even though their
file times are different, you can make file times the same too,
without copying the files:
- Perform Analyze
- Select Other -> SameLength DiffTime to view file with same length
and different file modification time,
- Right-click middle of the Top node in the tree and
select Copy Time L to R or R to L .
- Sync: only file modification time will be copied in the selected direction, not file bodies.
Q: How do i sync several folders in a single job?
A: You need to create a job for the top folder that contains all folders you wish to sync (not too high up though), ie:
To sync the following folders:
- C:\My Documents\Downloads\
- C:\My Documents\Pictures\
- C:\My Documents\Music\
- You would sync the top folder "C:\My Documents\" in the job, and then perform an Analyze
- Once the analyze has completed you will see all subfolders and items within the "C:\My Documents\" folder. You can scroll down to find the desired folders you would like to sync, and right click each folder and choose "Include Only 'FolderName' Folder"
- This will then tell GoodSync to sync ONLY the included folders in the job, excluding all other files and folders not in the "Include" list.
Note: You can add/edit/delete includes manually in "Job > Options > Filters"
Q: How does GoodSync display Changes when there is a lot of them? It seems to not show them all.
A: Goodsync shows only first 500 items (files/folders) in the tree of Changes shown after Analyze.
If you have more than 500 items that changed, then not all folders are open.
To open a folder, click it and then click Gray * to open all levels or Gray + to open one level.
To see all items in the tree, click Gray * in the root (top) node of the tree.
After Sync you can also do Job -> Open Left/Right Log, it will show all changes that GoodSync did.
_GSDATA_ folder
Q: My files were deleted/overwritten during a sync. How do I get them back?
A: Before deleting or overwriting a file, GoodSync moves it
to _gsdata_\_saved_ folder, if option Save Previous Versions of deleted/replaced files is enabled.
So this is where you can find your missing files -- in _gsdata_\_saved_ folder.
Q: Can I retrieve files that GoodSync deleted or changed?
A: If option Job -> Options -> Save Previous Versions of Files is
checked (it is by default) then GoodSync saves the last version
of every file it replaces or deleted to _gsdata_\_saved_ folder
on the job side where it happens (just like Recycle Bin).
This is where you can get it form using Windows Explorer.
Note that folder _gsdata_ is hidden, so you should enable showing hidden folders in
Windows Explorer -> Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Show Hidden Files and Folders.
Q: What is the hidden "_gsdata_" folder that appears in my synced folder?
A: This folder contains:
- Synchronization state file "_file_state._gs"
which is required for GoodSync to work properly.
- Job logs (*.log files) for all jobs that sync this folder.
- Previous versions of files deleted/overwritten by GoodSync are located in "_saved_" subfolder.
- Job Tags (*.gst files) that tag the folder per specific job.
Q: Why is hidden _gsdata_ folder in the left and right sync folders so big?
A: Because _gsdata_\_saved_ folder keeps the last version of all files that GoodSync deletes or replaces,
if option Job -> Options -> General Save Previous Versions of Files is checked.
If you believe that you do not need these previous versions of files then:
- Uncheck option Job -> Options -> General Save Previous Versions of Files.
- Delete folders _saved_ inside folder _gsdata__ in left and right sync folders.
- Do NOT delete folder _gsdata_ itself, GoodSync keeps state of synced files there.
Portable drives and FAT
Q: How do I synchronize with a unique device when multiple devices share the same drive letter?
A: Use the Portable Path that looks like so: =VolumeName:\folder1\folder2.
Here VolumeName is volume label that you can set in volume properties in the Windows Explorer.
If path is specified in the portable format, GoodSync will look for a volume named
VolumeName in all portable (removable) drives attached to this computer.
Q: I am getting bad state files error when syncing with USB key. Why?
A: Your USB key loses recently written files when you pull it out without stopping it first.
You must tell Windows to Stop the USB key before pulling it out,
so that Windows can flush its disk cache to USB.
Right-click Safely Remove Hardware icon in System Tray (icon with green arrow),
select Safely Remove Hardware and proceed to Stop your USB device.
You can also set USB drive into a mode where disk cache
will not be used, so you can pull out any time without stopping
(however this was reported to not always work):
* Click "Safely Remove Hardware" USB icon in Taskbar.
* Check "Display Device Components" in dialog that comes up.
* Click the "USB Flash Disk Device", the middle one in the 3-level tree.
* Click Properties.
* Select Policies tab.
* Select "Optimize for Quick Removal" and click OK.
Q: I am getting error 'Incorrect parameter (error 87)' or
'The directory or file cannot be created (error 82)' or
'Disk overflow' when copying files to my drive that is formatted as FAT. Why?
A: Your problem is caused by FAT file system limitations.
FAT16 is used on smaller removable flash storage (4GB max).
FAT32 is used bigger drives, both fixed and removable.
* Maximum file size allowed in FAT is 4GB. So your 8GB movie would not fit.
* Number of files/folders in the root folder cannot be more than 512 (FAT only).
* Number of files/folders in any other folder is limited to 60K or less.
Convert your drive to NTFS to get rid of these limitations.
Please read How to convert FAT32 drive to NTFS.
Windows File System
Q: Why are Hidden and System files and folders excluded from syncing?
A: Because Hidden and System Files and Folders are usually not your
personal files that you want to sync or back up.
They are system files that should be backed, as Windows reinstall will restore them.
To turn off this exclusion, go to Job -> Options -> Filters and
uncheck Exclude Hidden/System Files and Folders options.
Q: What does the error message "The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process" mean?
A: In order to maintain data integrity, some applications lock data files
and do not allow copying of these files when the application
is running. You can simply exit the application and then synchronize those files.
Some applications (ACT!, Outlook with ActiveSync) always lock their
data files, because they never terminate. Consult specific application
manual on how to fully shut it down.
New GoodSync versions can copy from locked files using Shadow Copy.
Be sure to turn on Copy Locked Files option in Job Options.
Q: Why am i getting errors about "Shadow Copy" ?
A: The "Copy Locked file" feature is implemented using Windows' Volume Shadow Copy and it has several limitations:
It works on Windows XP and Vista 32-bit if you use GoodSync 32-bit version,
It works on Windows XP and Vista 64-bit if you use GoodSync 64-bit version,
It does not work on Windows 2000,
It can only copy FROM a locked file but NOT TO a locked file.
It can only copy from a file on a LOCAL DRIVE, not from a file on the network.
Q: Copy Locked Files (Shadow Copy) does not work when I have Acronis True Image installed. Why?
A: Because Acronis True Image replaces (or some might say breaks) Windows Shadow Copy service as described
here at Acronis site.
Acronis goes on to suggest a registry change that fixes the problem.
Q: I am getting insufficient system resources exist to complete the requested service (error 1450). Why?
A: This is Windows error described here:
MS KB 304101.
Looks like Windows runs out of buffers or handles or something of this nature.
Also, free space on C: should be at least twice as big as the biggest file you will copy.
Q: I am getting 'The system cannot find the path specified' error when syncing. Why?
A: If you are getting this error and all involved files and folders
are actually present, then there is a known bug on Vista that causes this.
Windows XP and 2000 are not affected, only Vista.
It usually happens when moving or renaming file located on network share
mounted to Vista computer.
These are articles that discuss this problem and propose fixes:
- Microsoft Knowledge Base KB934160,
- Vista Forums Thread about the problem.
Summary of proposed fixes:
- Registry fix that restores Folder Descriptions.
- Disable Offline Folders.
- Set FormatDatabase data flag in CSC parameters (related to Offline Folders).
Quick and dirty workaround (it does not fix Vista problem, it just does not use file renames) is:
- Turn off Safe Copy Using Temporary Files in Job -> Options.
Windows Network Shares (SMB)
Q: How do I synchronize with the file system being on a remote computer?
A: You can mount the remote file system on the local computer using
any of the file system remoting
solutions.
Q: What is your recommended way to setup Folder Sharing?
A: Windows Folder sharing is somewhat confusing and Vista made things even more complicated.
We have found one setup that is easy to do, yet you get decent security:
- only users who have account on your server computer will be able to see any shared resources.
- everybody else will be denied access.
This is how to proceed:
* Step 1 for Windows XP:
Ban users who do not have account on server computer:
- Right click 'My Computer' icon on desktop, select 'Manage'.
- Select 'Local Users and Groups' -> 'Users' -> 'Guest'.
- Right click 'Guest' and in 'Properties' check 'Account is disabled'.
* Step 1 for Vista:
Ban users who do not have account on server computer:
- In Start menu right-click 'Computer', select 'Manage'.
- Select 'Local Users and Groups' -> 'Users' -> 'Guest'.
- Right click 'Guest', select 'Properties', in there check 'Account is disabled'.
- Vista Home: Use Control Panel -> User Accounts to disable Guest account, because Manage may be disabled.
* Step 2 for Windows XP:
Allow authenticated users to make any changes to the share:
- In Windows Explorer right click folder or disk you want to share and
select 'Sharing and Security'.
- Click 'Share This Folder' and enter Share Name.
- Click 'Permissions' and in the 'Allow' column click 'Full Control'.
* Step 2 for Vista:
Allow authenticated users to make any changes to the share:
- In Windows Explorer right-click folder or disk that you want to share and select 'Share...'.
- Click 'Advanced Sharing' button and agree to proceed.
- Check 'Share this folder' checkbox.
- Click 'Permissions' and in the 'Allow' column click 'Full Control'.
* Step 3:
Add share to GoodSync job:
- Open GoodSync, go to the job that syncs with the server computer.
- Click Browse button on the server (remote) side of the job.
- Drill down to your server and then share on it.
- If server does not appear, Enter your server name into Browse dialog like so: \\ServerName
- If ServerName does not take, try local IP address (may be dynamic): example: \\192.168.1.22
- Enter share's UserID and Password (same as your UserID, Password on the server) into the Browse dialog.
- Click Go to verify visibility of the share and OK to confirm.
Q: I am getting 'Access Denied (error 5)' error. What to do?
A: The error message "Access Denied (5)" comes from Windows, GoodSync just relays it.
It means that GoodSync cannot write file (or create/delete/read file/folder).
It is caused by lack of permissions:
your client computer is not allowed to perform certain file operations on your server computer.
You should set permissions so that GoodSync can change
files and folders on the server computer.
See detailed instructions on how to do this in the above FAQ item.
An easy way to verify that you set permissions correctly
is to use Windows Explorer running on the client to modify/rename/delete files served by the server.
Once you can modify/delete files using Windows Explorer, GoodSync will be able to do the same.
Q: I am getting Error 1130 'Not enough server storage is available to process this command'. What to do?
A: It can indicate the IRPStackSize or PagedPoolSize is either set too small or large on the server or the client.
To resolve this problem, you have to set or increase the IRPStackSize
parameter in the registry on the server where the share is and maybe on the client too.
Note that installation of programs such as Norton Antivirus or Acronis True Image
is likely to require increase of IRPStackSize.
Here is the offending registry value:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\ CurrentControlSet\ Services\ LanmanServer\ Parameters\ IRPStackSize
Check for the presence of the value named IRPStackSize.
If it doesn't exist, create it as type DWORD.
With base set to decimal, enter the value 16 or higher. 15 is the default. Reboot the computer.
If it does not work, then try to change the PagedPoolSize key value to 0:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management
Double-click the PagedPoolSize key and change the value to 0.
Reboot the computer.
Q: I am getting Error 64 'The specified network name is no longer available'. What to do?
A: This is a Windows networking error that has been noted and discussed in numerous forums, not a GoodSync problem.
You would see Error 64 and you lose your connection to Windows share.
Often reboot of server and client is required.
If you use Windows Explorer to perform the operation GoodSync performs, you get the same result.
It is known to happen when you try to read/write files on Windows share
that has files locked by an application on this server.
Examples of this happening reported by users:
(i) The network connection is lost with files over around 90Mb which are currently in use by another program (almost always MSSQL server).
If MSSQL server is switched off, the large files get copied without the connection dropping.
(ii) Tried to copy from/to folder with Windows Media Player files while Windows Media player was playing some files on the server computer.
Got Error 64.
Does not happen if Media Player is turned off.
(iii) Google for this error to find abundance of users having the same problem without GoodSync.
Syncing with Servers
Q: How do I synchronize with my FTP or WebDAV server on the Internet?
A: Starting with version 7, GoodSync can sync with FTP, WebDAV, and Secure FTP servers.
For more information on ftp synchronization or WebDAV synchronization, please visit our Synchronize Applications page.
Q: Can GoodSync synchronize my data with Amazon S3?
A: Yes, GoodSync has this capability.
Please visit our page on Amazon S3 synchronization.
Q: Will I lose my files if the network connection is dropped during syncing?
A: Your files will not be lost. When GoodSync replaces a file, it first
copies it to a temporary file on the destination folder. It replaces
the target file with the temporary one when copying is complete. So,
if the connection fails, only the temporary file will be affected, but
the destination file will remain. Simply synchronize again when the
connection is restored.
Q: Will GoodSync sync correctly if I upload files manually to remote DAV/FTP servers?
A: No. You must upload all files only using GoodSync and never use other clients.
Why? Remote FTP/DAV servers cannot store correct file modification time,
so GoodSync has to translate file modification time on server to the actual time.
So if you upload to this server using non-GoodSync client, then
the time translation table is not updated and
GoodSync will not be able to detect changes correctly.
Q: My long FTP sync was interrupted. How do I not resync all files that already got synced?
A: Since FTP servers do not store file modification properly (it is time of upload, not time when file was modified),
GoodSync has to store actual file modification time in the state file.
This file is uploaded at the end of the sync.
So if sync gets interrupted, state file is not uploaded and
on the next Analyze GoodSync will see that file modification times are different.
This is how to tell GoodSync not to resync files that are already in sync, except for their file mod time:
- Perform Analyze
- Select Other -> SameLength DiffTime to view file with same length
and different file modification time,
- Right-click middle of the Top node in the tree and
select Copy Time L to R or R to L .
- Sync: only file modification time will be copied in the selected direction, not file bodies.
Q: I am getting timeouts (error 12002) when uploading FTP files. How can I fix it?
A: FTP protocol uploads files on a separate data connection
whereas main control connection sits idle waiting for the data connection to finish.
Some servers perceive this as inactivity and they drop control connection after approx. 5 mins.
The only way to fix it is on server: disable such inactivity timeout, as they are plain wrong.
Another more rare possibility is that you use proxy or firewall that is not fully compatible with FTP protocol.
Some users reported that it is fixed by enabling Microsoft Firewall Client or by otherwise fixing your proxy.
Q: IIS 7 web server changes my Office documents after GoodSync uploads them via WebDAV. Why?
A: SharePoint DAV server (part of IIS 7) adds additional XML data to files which are Office documents such as .PPT, .DOC, .XLS.
This is not something that GoodSync is doing and not something that GoodSync can change.
You should find a setting in IIS 7 to turn off this feature or ask Microsoft support how to turn this off in IIS 7.
Q: I am getting Security Revocation List Check Failed (error 12057) in WebDAV HTTPS jobs. Why?
A: This errors means that WinInet (Microsoft Internet layer)
cannot check Certificate Revocation List (CRL)
because it cannot connect to a server that hosts that list.
Checking CRL online is not strictly necessary, so you can turn it off.
Go into IE -> Tools -> Internet Options -> Advanced -> Security
and uncheck 'Check for Server Certificate Revocation'.
Q: I am getting Proxy Authentication Required (code 407) in WebDAV HTTPS jobs. Why?
A: This means that your computer is connecting to Internet via proxy and
that this proxy requires authentication.
Enter UserID and Password of your proxy into GoodSync Tools -> Program Options -> Proxy UserID and Password.
Q: GoodSync cannot sync files with non-latin characters in their names. What to do?
A: Starting with ver 7.7.0, GoodSync uses UTF-8 to encode file and folder names that are synced to FTP and SFTP servers.
Before ver 7.7.0 we used ANSI encoding in the server's local code page which did not allow to support all characters.
WebDAV and S3 used UTF-8 encoding of file names for long time already.
So the current encoding scheme is clearly better, because:
* It is supported by all modern FTP and SFTP servers,
* It encodes all UNICODE characters (all European, Russian, Chinese, Japaneses characters and more).
* It is a standard byte encoding for file and folder names, used in UNIX too.
However, users who synced such files with GS ver before 7.7.0 must do this to transition to the new scheme:
* Delete all files and folder that contain non-latin characters in their names.
* Delete _gsdata_ folder and all its contents on the FTP / SFTP side.
* Sync using GoodSync ver 7.7.0 or later.
* Now all non-latin file names will be in sync.
In ver 7.7.1 you can select whether to use UTF-8 or ANSI encoding for file names.
This option appears when you click Browse button.
Automation
Q: How do I setup Task Scheduler to start GoodSync?
A: It is easy:
- In Job -> Options -> Auto check Using Task Scheduler in Analyze or Sync column.
- Click Configure button and you get into Windows Task Scheduler.
- Click New and setup schedule for your Job.
- Click the Task tab, un-check 'Run only if logged on'.
- Click OK to close the Task.
- Task Scheduler will ask you for your Windows account UserID and
Password. Both MUST be entered.
- If your Windows account has no password, you must create one
by going into Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Change Account -> Create Password.
Q: I click Configure in Options -> Auto and get error 'Cannot activate task (80070057)'?
A: Most likely, you or GoodSync already created a task with this name from another Windows account and
Windows does not allow you to create a new task that has the same name as existing task that belongs
to another Windows user.
So you should rename this job to avoid the collision.
Q: E-Mail Sync results option does not work. How do I setup automatic emailing of sync results?
A: Option "Job -> Options -> Scripts -> Post Sync E-mail or Program" uses Simple MAPI protocol
to ask your Default Mail Client to send e-mail with sync results.
So:
1. Your E-Mail client must be Simple MAPI capable.
Most clients are: Outlook Express (OE), Outlook.
You must set of your Mail clients to be a Default Mail Client.
- Usually when you start E-mail client for the first time,
it will ask you to make it a Default Mail Client.
- If not, then in Outlook Express go to Tools -> Options and
click Make Default button in "This Application is the default Mail handler".
If this button is disabled, OE is already the Default mail client.
- To make Outlook or any other program a Default Mail Client:
open Internet Explorer, select Tools -> Internet Options -> Programs.
In E-Mail select the program that you want to be Default Mail Client.
2. When GoodSync calls your E-Mail client to send e-mail about sync completion,
most clients will show security warning.
Outlook and Outlook Express certainly do.
Since you may not be around to acknowledge every such warning,
you should tell your mail client not to warn you if automated e-mail is sent by GoodSync.
- In Outlook Express go to Tools -> Options -> Security and uncheck
"Warn me when other applications try to send mail as me".
Note that OE cannot allow this per application, it is all or nothing.
- In Outlook there seems to be no well known way
to disallow these warnings, so feel free to ask Microsoft support how to do it.
Q: If I execute an existing job from a command line, but specify
different parameters (e.g., email address to send the log file),
which settings will be used by GoodSync?
A: Command line parameters will overwrite the settings of the job.
Depending on which command is used, these settings will or will not be
saved to the job.
For more details, please read the
Command Line
section of the manual.
Encryption
Q: Can GoodSync encrypt backups?
A: Yes. GoodSync uses Windows Encrypting File System (EFS)
to encrypt files and folders.
GoodSync will encrypt files on the side where the Encrypt Using EFS option is specified under Browse button.
GoodSync will decrypt files on the side where the Decrypt Using EFS option is specified under Browse button.
EFS encryption works only on NTFS volumes and not on FAT volumes.
EFS is not supported on Windows Vista Starter, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows XP Home.
You must have at least Windows XP Pro or Windows Vista Pro.
Q: I used EFS to encrypt files on my portable drive. How do I read it on another computer?
A: By exporting and importing Encryption Certificate (Public/Private Key Pair used by EFS as a key to encryption),
based on Microsoft's How To Migrate EFS Files and Certificates.
This Encryption Certificate is created by Windows on the computer where you originally encrypted your files.
If you do not export (backup) this EFS Certificate and your Windows is later reinstalled or your Windows account is lost, then
you will never be able to decrypt files encrypted in this Windows account,
because loss of Windows account means loss of Encryption Certificate
This is how to Export Encryption Certificate:
* In Internet Explorer select Tools -> Internet Options -> Content -> Certificates.
* In Personal tab you will see certificate named after your user, with Encrypting File System in Purposes.
* This is your Encryption Certificate. Select it and click Export.
* Important! At 2nd screen of the Export Wizard select 'Yes, Export the Private Key'.
* Then select password that will protect your Encryption Certificate. You must memorize this password.
* Then select File Name to which Encryption Certificate is exported. This file will have .PFX extension.
Put the exported file on a portable disk, as you will need it on another computer.
It better be not the same portable disk that you use to keep your encrypted backup,
so that our do not keep Encryption Key next to the files it opens.
This is how to Import Encryption Certificate onto computer where you need to open encrypted files:
* Insert your portable disk with Encryption Certificate into another computer.
* Double click the *.PFX file that contains the Encryption Certificate, it starts the Import wizard.
* When you get to the Password tab, enter the password you created when Exporting.
* On the next screen select to place this certificate into Personal Certificates.
* Click thru to the end of the wizard and the import is complete.
* Now you can open encrypted files on your portable disk.
Important things to know about EFS:
* EFS does not work across the network, so you cannot read encrypted files that reside on a Windows network share
even if you imported the key from the computer that hosts this share.
You can read only files from folders that are physically mounted to this computer, that is, from a portable disk.
* You must export Encryption Certificate and put it away in a good physical storage (safe, maybe)
because all files encrypted by your Encryption Certificate will become unreadable if you lose this certificate.
Q: How can I protect my files en route while they
are being synchronized between two remote locations?
A: GoodSync supports two protocols that encrypt traffic:
SFTP (FTP over SSH) and
WebDAV over SSL (HTTPS).
GoodSync Enterprise
Q: What are the differences between a the Pro and Enterprise versions of GoodSync?
A: Please visit the Pro vs. Enterprise comparison page for details.
Q: Can I upgrade my license from Pro to Enterprise?
A: Yes, you can. Go to the Help menu item and select Upgrade to Enterprise
(if you have already purchased licenses) or Buy Enterprise if you have not done so yet.
Q: GSYNC, the command-line only version of GoodSync does not
provide the ability to send the log file via email. How can I
use GSYNC and still receive the log file via email?
A: GSYNC provides you with the ability to re-direct
log output to a specified location (standard output stream).
You can capture output of the job to a file and e-mail this file.
Q: What are the differences between GoodSync and GSYNC?
A: GSYNC does not present the graphical user interface (GUI),
it is a command-line version of GoodSync:
- GSYNC outputs log and error messages to STDOUT from where it can be saved to a file.
- You tell GSYNC what to do by specifying command line command and options.
- GSYNC can load user profile from a specified location
(the value of the /profile parameter).
- GSYNC takes the /progress parameter that tells it to show progress messages.
For more information, please see the
GSYNC section of the manual.
Q: How can I start batch file with GSYNC call in it from Windows Scheduler?
A: First prepare the batch file.
It should look something like this:
"c:\Program Files\Siber Systems\GoodSync\gsync.exe" sync "My Job Name" > c:\gs-test\_my_job.log
rem more processing of the log such as sending it by email or putting away goes here..
exit
Start Task Scheduler by selecting Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Schedule Tasks
and add new task.
Give your new task a name and enter this into the Run field:
c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /c C:\gs-test\gs-batch.bat
Scheduler cannot start batch files by itself,
so you start batch file processor which in turn
starts your batch files which in turn
starts GoodSync and then processes the log file.
Support
Q: What should I do if I haven't found the answer to my question?
A: Please visit our in-depth manual, or contact us.
Q: How to properly submit a support ticket?
A: Start GoodSync and select Help -> Create Ticket.
This will show a Dialog with a link to ZIP file that you should attach to your ticket.
Go to GoodSync Support System and create a ticket.
In the ticket click Attach Files -> Browse button and select ZIP file that GoodSync created.
This attaches technical info about your jobs to the ticket and our supporters see how your GoodSync is setup.
Q: Where can I get old versions of GoodSync?
A: These older versions are available:
* GoodSync-Setup-7.9.9.exe
* GoodSync-Setup-x64-7.9.9.exe
* GoodSync-Setup-7.8.2.exe
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