GoodSync Manual

To be used with GoodSync ver 7.2.9 and higher.

This manual is available in PDF for printing.

Introduction

GoodSync synchronizes two or more folders with files, that is, GoodSync makes sure that folders and all files in them are the same by copying the new or updated files from the folder where they appeared to the folder where they are old or not present and by propagating deletions.

GoodSync can be used in these everyday scenarios:
* Synchronize notebook computer to desktop computer via local network.
* Keep user files in sync on work and home computer via USB key.
* Incrementally Backup all files from main hard drive to portable hard drive or another computer.

In this Section we discuss challenges that synchronization programs face and that GoodSync successfully addresses.

Backup vs Synchronization.
Synchronization ensures that two folders remain in sync while user may change files on both sides. This is achieved by copying changes that have been made on the left side to the right side and changes that have been made on the right side are copied to the left side.
Backup is one-way synchronization, that is, it changes have been made on the left side are propagated to the right side but changes that have been made on the right side are not propagated to the left side. GoodSync One-Way Forced jobs enforce the backup scenario. One-Way Verified jobs actually make sure that no changes were made on the right (backup) side, as one does not expect backup side to change.

Why Synchronization Is Not Trivial.
Synchronization task would appear to be trivial (compare file modification files and let the newer file win) if it was not for deletions that need to be propagated. If you delete file on one side, GoodSync will propagate this deletion to the other side of sync job by deleting this file on the other side. The sophistication of GoodSync algorithm allows us to propagate deletions correctly through multiple chained folders.
Another complication is that user may decide to replace newer version of the file with its older version. GoodSync can handle this situation correctly too, it will propagate the older file version, if it detects that user made such replacement.

Chained Syncing.
Chained syncing is when you sync several folders (say, A, B, C and D) by performing sync pairs in sequence that results in propagation of changes (say, sync A and B, then B and C, then C and D results in changes in A propagating to folder B, then C, then D). GoodSync can perform Chained Syncing correctly.

You can use GoodSync chains to sync files between Computers that are not connected to each other.
For instance, you can sync files between Work and Home computer using USB disk as intermediary:
- Insert USB Disk (or any portable disk) into Work Computer.
- Start GoodSync on Work Computer and Sync between Work folder and USB disk.
- Pull out USB disk from Work Computer and insert it into Home Computer.
- Start GoodSync on Home Computer and Sync between USB disk and Home folder.

Using GoodSync

Synchronization Step By Step.
Typical GoodSync user experience consists of these stages:

0. Select Folders To Synchronize.
User selects left and right folders to synchronize.
Done only once when Job is setup.

1. Analysis.
Happens when you click Analyze buttons.
GoodSync computes the changes that must be made to make folders the same.

2. Proposed Sync Actions Reviewed by User.
Results of Analysis are presented to you in a form of file/folder tree.
Left or Right Arrows point direction of file copy. Circle in the middle means No Copy.
Crossed Arrow means Propagate Deletion. For instance, Left to Right Crossed Arrow means that GoodSync detected deletion of file on the left side and it wants to propagate it to the right side.
Current effective direction is indicated by arrow or circle being green and thick.
Other possible directions are indicated by gray and disabled arrows or circle.
You can change direction of sync by clicking on the desired arrow.

3. Synchronization.
Happens when you click Sync button.
File actions proposed in Analysis and possibly changed by user are applied to actual files.
After synchronization folders and all files in them become the same.

Jobs.
Each synchronized pair of folders is memorized in a Job.
Job also has a set of options that control various aspects of synchronization process.
Each Job has a name that is requested when Job is created.
When you start GoodSync for the first time, initial nameless job is created for you automatically.
GoodSync memorizes list of Jobs and all their parameters per computer.
Jobs can be created, deleted, renamed, analyzed and synced. All job commands are in the Job menu.

- To create a new Job, select Job -> New.
- To switch between Jobs, click Job tab.
- Analyze, Sync, and Stop button are related to the current Job.
- To delete a Job, select Job -> Delete.

Sync Algorithm.
This is a general outline of the synchronization algorithm (the actual algorithm is rather complex, it contains several important inventions and trade secrets that cannot be disclosed here):
* Compute difference between current file state and stored file state for the left folder,
* Compute difference between current file state and stored file state for the right folder,
* Propagate changes that appeared on the left to the right side,
* Propagate changes that appeared on the right to the left.
* If change happened to same file on both sides, declare a Conflict.

Backup Files Incrementally: One Way Sync.
For GoodSync backup is a regular synchronization that happens to always be one-way, as long as user does not manually change backup files. Only changed files and file deletions are propagated to backup folder. This is how you setup a backup:
- Create an empty backup destination folder. Backup destination folder must not be located on the same disk as source folder. It can be on removable disk (USB disk or portable hard drive) or another computer.
- Let GoodSync do the first backup by synchronizing backup source folder to backup destination folder.
- After that, whenever you want to backup, just sync backup source folder to backup destination folder.
- When you need to restore, backup destination folder contains exact copy of the backup source folder, as of last backup.
- To make sure that backup always goes one way (from original folder to backup folder and never in the other direction), go into Jobs -> Options and select One Way Job Type.

Job Templates.
Job Template is an incomplete Job, usually with right folder not set. It is used to save your favorite set of Job options as a Template, so that other Jobs can be easily created from it.
To create a Template from a Job, go to this Jobs and select File -> Save as Template.

To create a new job from a saved template, select Job -> New.
In the New Job dialog select From Template option.
Then select template from which Job should be created.

Actions

Action is a file/folder operation that is:
- Recommended by GoodSync after Analysis is complete,
- Changed by User (that is, you), and finally
- Executed when you click the Sync button.

Each actions gets an icon in the center 3 columns of the tree.
See the next Chapter for the detailed list of actions' icons.

Copy File action.
This is the most fundamental action of GoodSync.
It copies file from Left to Right or from Right to Left.
Copy of file deleted on the Left from Left to Right means that this file will be deleted on the Right.
Copy of file deleted on the Right from Right to Left means that this file will be deleted on the Left.
That is, GoodSync "copy" of the deleted file simply propagates a deletion.

Copy Time action.
If file has the same length on the left and right side of the sync but modification time is not the same then you can turn Copy File action offered by GoodSync into a Copy Time action. Copy Time action copies file modification time from Left to Right or from Right to Left, but not file contents.
A recommended way of applying it is to select View -> Other -> SameLength DiffTime. This will show you all files that have the same length but different modification time. If you think that these files are really the same, right-click any of the files and select Copy Time L to R or R to L. You can also right-click the folder and change Copy File into Copy Time for all eligible files in the folder.

Copy State action.
If file is the same on the left and right side of the sync but the stored state of the file is not the same then GoodSync would recommend a special Copy State L to R or R to L action for such files.
Analyze results inform you that Copy State will be done, if this is necessary.
You can change direction of Copy State action if you know which side is preferred.
You can see specific Copy State action using View -> Other -> Copy State L to R or R to L.

This is how you can get CopyState situations:
- You synced two folders using programs other than GoodSync.
- You copied files manually.
- You did Reset State in GoodSync.

No Copy action.
This action GoodSync not to do anything for this pair of files. Analyze sets this action to a pair if files are the same on both sides.

Error action.
The file or folder cannot be read, see status area for details.

Conflict action.
If you changed the file on both sides of the synchronized folder pair then GoodSync cannot determine which version is preferred (because it does not know which set of changes should win and which should be dropped) and GoodSync then declares a conflict.
By default conflict is a no-copy action. But you can change conflict into LeftToRight or RightToLeft Copy, thus declaring one side a winner.

Types of Conflicts.
GoodSync may produce these types of conflicts:
Modified On Both Sides.
File was modified or deleted by user both on the left and right side.
Resolvable conflict: user may select sync direction.
Vertical Delete - Change Conflict.
User deleted folder on the left (right) and modified or deleted files in this folder on the right (left).
Resolvable conflict: user may select sync direction.
File vs Folder.
The same relative path leads to a file on one side and folder on another side.
Unresolvable conflict: user must rename or delete item on either side to fix this collision.
Expected Sync Direction Violated.
1-way Verified job produces this conflict if file or deletion will be propagated Left or Right while user setup 1-way job to be Right to Left, or vice versa. Happens if destination side of 1-way backup job is modified.
Resolvable conflict: user may select sync direction.

Processing Time Shifts.
FAT file system still used in Windows and some FTP servers have these problems:
- Local file modification time is stored, so moving between time zones makes your file modification shift.
- Modification time is stored with only 2 sec precision in FAT, so copying a file to FAT may give it a slightly different modification time. GoodSync ignores differences of +- 2 sec in modification time.

GoodSync recognizes two types of Time Shifts:
- Old-New Time Shift: Current file modification time differs from stored modification time by whole number of hours for a considerable number of files. Corrected by storing new modification time on the next Sync.
- Left-Right Time Shift: File on the Left and Right have a whole hour difference in modification time for a considerable number of files. This time shift is turned into Copy Time action.

Icon Descriptions

File Actions
	System action: file will be copied to the right side.
	User override: file will be copied to the right side.
	System action: file will be deleted on the right side.
	User override: file will be deleted from the right side.
	System action: file will be copied to the left side.
	User override: file will be copied to the left side.
	System action: file will be deleted from the left side.
	User override: file will be deleted from the left side.
Folder Actions
	A folder will be created on the right side.
	A folder will be deleted on the right side.
	A folder will be created on the left side.
	A folder will be deleted on the left side.
Special Actions
	Copy time stamp but not the file itself from the left to the right side.
	Copy time stamp but not the file itself from the right to the left side.
	Copy internal GoodSync "file state" from the left to the right side.
	Copy internal GoodSync "file state" from the right to the left side.
Central Column
	Item is in sync.
	User set this item action to No Copy.
	Item is excluded. See the status column for exclude reason.
	Conflict. GoodSync can not decide how to sync this item, likely because item was modified on both sides. See the status column for details.
	Error. GoodSync can not sync this item. See the status column for explanation.
	Item is currently synchronizing.
Job Icons
	Job is not analyzed.
	Job is waiting to start.
	Job has been paused during analysis or sync.
	Job is being analyzed.
	Job analysis has been completed, GoodSync is now ready to synchronize.
	Specified job is in the process of being synchronized.
	Specified job has been synchronized.
	User attention is required after analysis or synchronization has been completed.
	Error starting a job.
Job Direction
	Two-way job.
	One-way "Left" to "Right" Job.
	One-way "Right" to "Left" Job.

Filters: Exclusions and Inclusions

By default GoodSync synchronizes all files and folders that are not hidden and not system.
Hidden and system files can be synchronized too, if option to do so is turned off.

Excluded Filter

You may want to exclude some files and folders from synchronization by using Exclusions mechanism.
For instance, object files *.OBJ and editor backup files *.BAK are usually excluded.

The easiest way to exclude the file or group of files is to perform Analyze and then
right-click the file or folder and select one of the Exclusion commands:
* Exclude '\FolderName\FileName' file or folder.
   Exclude only this file or folder, as specified by its complete path '\FolderName\FileName'.
* Exclude All 'ItemName' files or folders.
   Exclude all files or folders (in any of subfolders) that are named 'ItemName'.
* Exclude All '*.ext' files.
   Exclude all files that have extension 'ext', in all sub-folders.

Exclusion command adds a line to the list of exclusions in Jobs -> Options -> Filters -> Excluded.
This tab is the only place where you can modify or delete exclusions.
For details see this tab description in Job -> Options -> Filters.
Global exclusions that apply to all jobs can be set in Tools -> Program Options -> Filters.

Every line in the list is MS DOS wild card match string in which:
* means any sequence of characters except \
? means an arbitrary single character
\ separates folders

Lines that start with "size" allow exclusion of files by file size:
size size>N
size=N
size!=N
size>=N
size<=N
where N is a number, possibly with K (Kilo) or M (Mega) suffix.
No spaces is allowed in the "size" match line.
Examples:
size>=100 -- files contain 100 bytes or more
size<2K -- files that contain less than 2,048 (1K = 1024) bytes
size=3M -- files that contain exactly 3,145,728 bytes (1M = 1024 * 1024) bytes

Lines that start with "time" allow exclusion of files by modification date:
time time>T
time=T
time!=T
time>=T
time<=T
where T is date in one of these formats:
YYYY/MM/DD -- year/month/day
-Nd -- N days ago
+Nd -- N days in the future
No spaces is allowed in the "size" match line.
Examples:
time>=2008/7/4 -- files modified at 00:00 on July 4, 2008 or later
time<-5d -- files modified 5 days ago or before that
time>=+7d -- files modified 7 days in the future or later

Special lines allow exclusion of all subfolders:
<subfolder>

By default GoodSync excludes hidden and system files and folders, because these files are not user files and usually they are not worth backing up or syncing. If you want GoodSync to see these files, uncheck "Exclude Hidden Files" and "Exclude System Files" in Job -> Options -> Filters.

Included Filter

Included Filter includes only files and folders specified in it and it excludes everything else.
Included Filter is applied before the Excluded Filter.

Include Filter is set in Jobs -> Options -> Filters -> Included.
These are the popular Include filters and context menu items that add them:

* Include Only '\FolderName\FileName' file or folder.
Include only this file or folder, as specified by its complete path '\FolderName\FileName'.
You can select several files and folders (multi-select is done by clicking items while holding CTRL key) and then they all will be added to the Included list.

* Include Only '*.ext' files.
Include only files that have extension 'ext', in all sub-folders.
Note that if an *.ext line is present in the Include filter then all folders are included too,
because GoodSync needs to look inside every folder to find files with the specified extension.
You can exclude folders included in this way by specifying the "Exclude Empty Folders" option.

Special "size" and "time" matches work in the Included filters too.

Commands and Keyboard Shortcuts

This describes GoodSync commands that can be started by clicking buttons and selecting menu items.

Job commands

Job -> New    Alt+N
Create New Job. First job named "New Job" is created automatically when you start GoodSync for the first time.

Job -> Delete    Alt+D
Delete this Job.

Job -> Rename...    Alt+R
Rename this Job.

Job -> Clone...
Clone this Job. That is, create a new job with a different name that is a copy of this job.

Job -> Swap Job Sides
Swap Left and Right folder in this Job.

Job -> Save as Template
Save this job as a template. Templates can be used when creating a New Job.

Analyze button or Job -> Analyze    Alt+A    F5
Analyze this Job. Show proposed changes.

Job -> Analyze All    F6
Analyze all Jobs.

Sync button or Job -> Synchronize    Alt+S    F7
Synchronize this Job. Execute (commit) changes that Analyze has proposed.

Job -> Synchronize All    F8
Synchronize all analyzed Jobs.

Job -> Analyze and Synchronize    F9
Analyze and then Sync this job.

Job -> Analyze and Sync All    F10
For all jobs: Analyze and then Sync each job.

Cancel button or Job -> Cancel    Alt+C    ESC
Stop analysis or synchronization of this Job. Also cancel ready-to-run status for other jobs.

Pause / Resume button
Pause / Resume analysis or synchronization of this Job.

Job -> Open Left Log File    Alt+L
Open log file for the Left folder of this job. Logs records all actions that all GoodSync jobs have done to this folder and its sub-folders.

Job -> Open Right Log File    Alt+R
Open log file for the Right folder of this job. Logs records all actions that all GoodSync jobs have done to this folder and its sub-folders.

Job -> Options    Alt+O
Show Options dialog for this Job.

Job -> Delete Previous Versions
Delete previous versions of files that GoodSync saves in _gsdata_\_saved_ folder per "Save Previous Version of Deleted/Replaced File" option.

Job -> Reset State
Delete GoodSync state files on both sides of this Job. Causes GoodSync to forget state info. Do not use this command unless directed by Support.

Job -> Exit    Alt+X    F4
Exit GoodSync.

Job Selection

Click Tab    Alt+1 to Alt+9
Select another job, make it current (referred to as This Job). Most commands in Job and Tree menu apply to the current job.

View/Hide Panels commands

View -> Job List
Show/Hide Job List pane. This pane shows time when the job last ran and current status of the job. Not shown by default.

View -> Filters
Show/Hide Filters pane. It shows all Exclude and Include filters for this Job. Not shown by default.

View -> Log
Show/Hide Log pane. It shows automatically scrolled log for this Job. Shown by default.

View -> Status Bar
Show/Hide Status Bar. Shown by default.

Tree View commands

All button or View -> All
Show All live files and folders, that is, items not deleted on both sides.

Changes button or View -> Changes    Alt+G
Show Changes, that is, only files and folders that are different and to which Copy File command will be applied.

Conflicts button or View -> Conflicts    Alt+F
Show Conflicts, that is, files that were changed on both sides of the Job.

Errors button or View -> Errors    Alt+E
Show Errors that occurred during Analyze or Sync. Errors are not conflicts, they are usually originated by file system. Example: file is locked, cannot drill into folder.

Other -> Included or View -> Other -> Included
Show files and folders that are include in the Analyze. That is, not excluded by Exclude/Include filters.

Other -> Excluded or View -> Other -> Excluded
Show files and folders that are excluded by Exclude/Include filter.

Other -> New or View -> Other -> New
Show New files and folders. That is, files and folders that exist on one side and do not exist on the other side and copy action will copy them to this other side.

Other -> Overwrite or View -> Other -> Overwrite
Show files that will be Overwritten. That is, files that exist on both sides and copy action will copy file from one side to another.

Other -> Delete or View -> Other -> Delete
Show files and folder that will be Deleted. That is, files and folders that exist on one side and do not exist on the other side and copy action will delete them on this other side.

Other -> Left to Right or View -> Other -> Left to Right
Show files that will be copied from Left to Right by Copy File action.

Other -> Right to Left or View -> Other -> Right to Left
Show files that will be copied from Right to Left by Copy File action.

Other -> Copy Time L to R or View -> Other -> Copy Time L to R
Show files that whose modification time will be copied from Left to Right by Copy Time action.

Other -> Copy Time R to L or View -> Other -> Copy Time R to L
Show files that whose modification time will be copied from Right to Left by Copy Time action.

Other -> Copy State L to R or View -> Other -> Copy State L to R
Show files that whose state will be copied from Left to Right by Copy State action.

Other -> Copy State R to L or View -> Other -> Copy State R to L
Show files that whose state will be copied from Right to Left by Copy State action.

Other -> SameLength DiffTime or View -> Other -> SameLength DiffTime
Show files that exist on both sides, have the same length but different modification time.
These are candidates for Copy Time action, if you believe that files are actually the same.

Action commands

All Action commands are also available from file or folder context menu.

Action -> Open Left File
Open file on the Left.

Action -> Open Right File
Open file on the Right.

Action -> Delete Left File
Delete file on the Left.

Action -> Delete Right File
Delete file on the Right.

Action -> Delete Both Files
Delete file on the Left and on the Right.

Action -> Compare Left to Right
Compare file on the Left to file on the Right using compare diff-like program
defined in Tools -> Program Options -> File Compare program.

Action -> Exclude '\...' File
Exclude this file from Analyze.

Action -> Exclude All '...' Files
Exclude all files that have the same name as this file, but maybe sit in other folders.

Action -> Exclude All '*.ext' Files
Exclude all files that have extension .ext, in all folders.

Action -> Include All '*.ext' Files
Include only files that have extension .ext, in all folders.

Action -> As Recommended
Set action to what was recommended by Analyze. Enabled only after you modified action proposed by Analyze.

Action -> Left to Right
Set action to Copy File Left to Right.

Action -> Right to Left
Set action to Copy File Right to Left.

Action -> Do Not Copy
Set action to No Copy.

Action -> Copy Time Left to Right
Set action to Copy Time Left to Right.

Action -> Copy Time Right to Left
Set action to Copy Time Right to Left.

Tools commands

Tools -> Program Options
Show Global Program Options dialog.

Tools -> Import from V4
Import jobs from GoodSync V4.

Tools -> Export Job List
Export job list (all jobs, or only jobs selected in Job List pane) to *.gsl file.

Tools -> Import Job List
Import jobs from *.gsl file. Imported jobs are added to the existing jobs.

Help commands

Help -> Manual
Show this Online Manual from www.goodsync.com.

Help -> FAQ
Show Online Frequently Asked Questions from www.goodsync.com.

Help -> Buy Pro
Buy GoodSync Pro version from www.goodsync.com.

Help -> Activate Pro
Activate GoodSync Pro after you purchased it. You will need Order ID and your name as it appears in the Order.

Help -> Create Support Ticket
Create ZIP file that contains job logs and other technical info. Attach this ZIP file to Support Ticket that you open in GoodSync Online Support System (GSSS) at support.goodsync.com.

Help -> Check for Updates
Check for new GoodSync version at www.goodsync.com. GoodSync also automatically checks for its new version upon start.

Help -> About...
Show About dialog with credits and version info.

File Systems: Local and Remote

GoodSync can synchronize not only disk and net shares mounted on your computer. It can also synchronize with Remote File Systems (FS) accessible through these protocols: FTP, Secure FTP (SSH), WebDAV.

To select or change your sync folder, click Browse button on the left or right side of Sync.
The Browse File System dialog appears.

File System Type appears in the left navigation pane of the Browse dialog.
To change File System Type, click on different file systems on the left.

Then enter or edit your Remote Server Address in Address field (Remote FS only).

Then enter UserID, Password and maybe other connection data (Remote FS only).

Then click Go button to connect to the server and test whether the data you entered is correct.

If connection is successful, the Home Folder of UserID you used is shown and all folders above it.

Navigate to the folder to sync with in the folder tree.

If folder you want to sync with does not exist, create it:
navigate to its parent folder and click Make New Folder button.

Below we provide detailed description of Local and Remote File Systems that GoodSync supports.

My Computer

Disks mounted directly on this computer.
Naming convention used: Windows "disk letter + path", example: C:\folder1\folder2\file.ext

Since no authentication is required and disks are always connected, the folder tree is shown right away (clicking Go button is not needed).

My Network

Net Shares (remotely mounted disk volumes) available through Microsoft networking.
Naming convention used: Windows UNC, example: \\share\disk\folder1\folder2\file.ext

List of available network shares is shown, then you can drill down to the sync folder.

Enter UserID and Password if your share is password-protected by UserID and Password that is different from UserID and Password of the Windows account you are logged in to.

You can mount shares both from Local Network (LAN) and from remote computers (WAN), see Synchronizing Via Network section below.

Note that once you logged in to Share, Windows will cache authentication data. So if authentication data changes on server, you must Logout and then Login to you account on the client to make Windows use new authentication data.

FTP

Remote FTP server.
Naming convention used: URL with ftp:// prefix, example: ftp://server.domain.com/folder1/folder2/file.ext
Extended naming convention adds port, auth data: ftp://userid:password@server.domain.com:port/folder/file

UserID and Password are usually required.
If you are connecting to public FTP archive, use UserID "anonymous" and Password "email@somewhere.com".

Passive vs Active mode. By default GoodSync uses Passive FTP mode when connecting, because in this mode no data connections from server to client are required and these connections are not allowed by most firewalls. Check Active Mode box only if Passive mode connection times out and if you firewalls allow servers to initiate FTP data connection to the client.

Secure FTP (FTP over SSH)

Remote SSH server with SFTP capability.
Naming convention used: URL with sftp:// prefix, example: sftp://server.domain.com/folder1/folder2/file.ext
Extended naming convention adds port, auth data: sftp://userid:password@server.domain.com:port/folder/file

Authentication data is always required, and it comes in two different varieties:

* UserID + Password.
Just like in FTP, UserID and Password are required to log in.

* UserID + Private Key File.
Private Key File is a small (1-2 Kb) file that contains the "private key" part of the Public - Private Key Pair.
The Public Key is located on the server and only server administrator can put it there.
Private Key may additionally be protected by a password. Enter this password into the Browse dialog or use private key caching program such as Pageant.

Private Key format: we use PuTTY private key format that looks something like this:

We recommend to use SFTP over FTP whenever possible because:
* SFTP encrypts UserID and Password it sends to server, so listener-in-between stealing of authentication data is not possible. FTP sends UserID and Password unencrypted.
* SFTP encrypts all files that it transfers. FTP sends files as is, unencrypted.

WebDAV

Remote DAV server.
Naming convention used: URL with http:// prefix, example: http://server.domain.com/folder1/folder2/file.ext
Extended naming convention adds port, auth data: http://userid:password@server.domain.com:port/folder/file

UserID and Password and it is always required.

DAV is an upload-enabled extension of HTTP protocol. It means that some folders on the server may be HTTP only and some may allow DAV uploads. You cannot connect to HTTP-only folder using our DAV file system.

Windows Mobile Phone and Pocket PC

Windows Mobile phones and Pocket PC devices.
Naming convention used: URL with wm: prefix, example: wm:MyPhone\My RoboForm Data

Device should be physically connected to the computer, usually it is plugged into USB port.
ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) must be installed on the desktop.

Device is not required to have a partnership with desktop on which GoodSync runs.
So you can sync phone files with more than two desktops.
To sync with the phone that has no "relationship" with your desktop: when ActiveSync tells you to create a new relationship upon connecting your phone to the desktop, select Guest Relationship or just press Cancel.

Job Options

Each Job has a set of options that modify the behavior of synchronization algorithm for this job.

General tab

Sync Direction
Synchronization direction can be one of the three choices below.

2-Way

(default value)

Propagate changes from Left to Right and propagate changes from Right to Left.

1-Way Left to Right

Propagate changes only from Left to Right.

1-Way Right to Left

Propagate changes only from Right to Left.

There is also two modifiers that apply only to 1-way syncs:

Verified

(default)

If selected then GoodSync checks that files on destination side did not change and that changes occurred only on the source side of 1-way job. If a change on the destination side is found, it is declared to be a conflict.

Forced

If selected then GoodSync will always observe the preferred sync direction, even if it results in older files from the source side overwriting the newer files on the destination side. We recommend not to use this option (use Verified instead), as it may result in a loss of newer files that you accidentally modify on the backup side.

Read-Only Source Side

1-way Sync which GoodSync does not write anything on the source side. All GoodSync files (_gsdata_ folder, logs, state files) are written to _gsdata_ Mirror folder created in C:\Documents And Settings\UserName\Application Data\GoodSync\Mirrors.

Propagate Deletions (checked by default)
If checked, then deletion made by user on one side of the job is propagated to the other side of the job.
If not checked, then deletions are not propagated, only newer files are propagated.
This option is assumed to be unchecked if Read-Only Source Side is checked.

Move deleted/replaced files to _gsdata_\_saved_ (checked by default)
If checked, then GoodSync saves a file just before Sync replaces or deletes this file. The file is saved to _gsdata_\_saved_ folder on the side where the replacement/deletion is about to occur. Only the most recent version of the file ( the one just before the current version) is retained.

Safe Copy using Temp files (checked by default)
If checked, then Sync does not copy source file directly to the destination file, as it would result in corruption of destination file is copy operation is aborted mid-copy. Instead Sync copies source file to temporary file in destination folder and once copy operation is finished, temporary file is renamed to the destination file.
You may uncheck this option if you are doing 1-way backups and destination volume has small free space, so that keeping two copies of one big file may overflow it.

Check Analyze-Sync File Stability on Remote File Systems (un-checked by default)
If checked then verify that files did not change between Analyze and Sync both for Remote file systems and Local Windows file system.
If un-checked then perform this verification only for Local Windows file system.
Turning this option On slows down remote Syncs but guarantees better file integrity.

Estimate disk space required for Sync (checked by default)
If checked then Compute how much free disk space is needed to complete the Sync.
Keep it On for jobs that write to drives with limited free space.
Turn it Off for jobs that are unlikely to overflow disks, because free space is plentiful on both sides.

Copy Locked Files
If On then copy from locked files using Volume Shadow service.
Available on Vista and XP but not on Windows 2000 and not yet on Windows 64-bit.
If Off then return Cannot Copy Locked File error.

Display Balloon messages
This option controls whether and when balloon (system tray) messages are displayed.

Never

Do not display balloon messages.

On Conflicts and Errors

(default)

Display balloon messages only when Conflicts or Errors are detected during Analyze or Sync.

On Changes and Sync

Display balloon messages when Analyze detects Changes, Conflicts or Errors.

Filters tab

Excluded (empty by default)
Files and folders that match any line on this list, will be excluded from synchronization.
Wildcards '*' and '?' can be used here, just like in Windows command line.
Matching is done with the relative file/folder path, that is, path that starts at the sync folder.
Lines that start with '\' match complete folder paths relative to sync folder.
Lines not starting with '\' will match any file name, but only relative path will be matched.

Examples:
*.obj matched all files with .obj extension.
CVS matches all files and folder named CVS, anywhere in sync folders.
\\Folder\\*.obj matches all *.obj files located in folder Folder that appears only in root sync folders.
Folder\\*.obj matches all *.obj files located in folder Folder that appears in sync folders or their subfolders.

Included (empty by default)
If not empty then only files and folders whose names match one of the lines of this Included list and do not match any lines of the Excluded list, are included in synchronization.

It is recommended for the set of inclusions and exclusions to be the same for all jobs that sync with one particular folder. Keeping them different is possible but it is likely to cause confusion as some jobs will not sync files that other jobs would sync.

Exclude Empty Folders (un-checked by default)
If checked then Exclude folders that are empty or that contain only empty folders. Folder are considered empty if they contain no files or if they contain only files that were Excluded by Filters.

Exclude Hidden Files and Folders (checked by default)
Exclude files and folders that have HIDDEN attribute.

Exclude System Files and Folders (checked by default)
Exclude files and folders that have SYSTEM attribute.

Auto tab

Analyze and Sync can be made to run automatically by using this tab.

Check Analyze box for Analyze only to run on a specified event.
Check Sync box for Sync to run on a specified event.
If you check Sync box then Analyze box is checked too, because Analyze must be run before Sync.

One or more events may be selected to cause automatic Analyze and/or Sync:

Event: GoodSync start
Analyze (and maybe Sync) this job when GoodSync starts.

Event: Folder Connect
Analyze (and maybe Sync) this job when both folders of the job become connected, after they were disconnected previously (that is, one of the folders must come from disconnected to connected state).
GoodSync checks every 5 minutes for status of left and right folders for a job with this option.
The following events speed up checking of status, as they are likely to cause folder connect or disconnect:
* Insertion or Ejection of Portable Volume: detachable folders may connect or disconnect.
* Network Connect or Disconnect: FTP, SFTP, DAV folders may connect or disconnect
* Windows Mobile device (phone) Connect or Disconnect: Windows Mobile device connected or disconnected.

Event: Logoff
Analyze and then Sync this job just before Logoff from Windows.
Note that Windows may try to kill GoodSync on Logoff. Normally Windows that GoodSync is performing file operations and responds to messages and it would let GoodSync finish. However this cannot be guaranteed.

Event: Timer (Start Periodically)
Analyze (and maybe Sync) this job periodically, every HH hours and MM minutes.

Event: Using Task Scheduler
Analyze (and maybe Sync) this job periodically, on a schedule set in Windows Task Scheduler.
Click Configure to call up Windows Task Scheduler and set schedule in it.

User Command: Analyze or Sync All Jobs
When user selects "Job -> Analyze All", "Job -> Sync All" or "Job -> Analyze and Sync All", all jobs are executed sequentially using AutoRun mechanism.

Command Line: Analyze or Sync command
When GoodSync is started with command line that contains job command with /analyze or /sync option or analyze or sync command then all selected jobs are run sequentially using AutoRun mechanism.

Option: Automatically Resolve Conflicts
When job is about to be Synced automatically, use this option to automatically resolve conflicts:

Do Not Copy

(default value)

Leave Conflicts in unresolved (Do Not Copy) state.

Left to Right

Resolve to Left to Right propagation.

Right to Left

Resolve to Right to Left propagation.

Newer File Wins

File with the most recent modification date wins.

Option: No Sync if too many files changed (100% by default)
Automated Sync is not performed if more than the specified (in percent) fraction of files in the Job has changed. Unusually high number of changed files indicates that something may be wrong and manual intervention is required. Set to 100% to Sync no matter how big the changes are.

Option: Use Job Tags to ensure that the same folder is synced (un-checked by default)
If checked, then a unique identifier called Job Tag is deposited into Left and Right folder and the Job itself to ensure that Sync is always performed on the same folders. The same folder path may lead to different folders, as in Windows the same drive letter may be assigned to different physical removable disks.
If not checked, do not create or verify Job Tags. We recommend to keep this option turned on, as syncing with the wrong folder accidentally mounted in the place of the right folder may lead to catastrophic data loss.

Continuous running of GoodSync
GoodSync must be running all the time for these Auto events to work:
- Removable Disk Insert
- Logoff
- Timer

Therefore you should turn on these global program options:
- Start GoodSync when Windows starts
- Hide to System Tray when Main Window is closed

Job Scheduling
Each event that has just occurred flags the job as ready-to-run.
Ready-to-run jobs are run from left to right, sequentially, until all ready-to-run jobs have been run.
If job is already in the ready-to-run state and another even occurs that wants to run the job then this 2nd event is ignored.

Global Program Options

General tab

These global options apply to all jobs, to the entire GoodSync program.
The are called by View -> Program Options command or ALT+P.

Language (default: English)
Select user interface language for GoodSync.
You must restart GoodSync for the language change to become effective.
Supported languages are listed on the Translations Page.

Hide to System Tray when Main Window is closed (off by default)
If checked then: When you Close GoodSync, it will run in the background.
To access GoodSync, double-click GoodSync icon in System Tray (desktop lower right corner).
If not checked, then: When you close GoodSync, it unloads from memory.

Start GoodSync when Windows starts (off by default)
If checked then Windows starts GoodSync automatically when you log in into your Windows account.
Started this way, GoodSync shows only taskbar icon and no main window.
You can double-click the icon to call up the main GoodSync window.
Turn this option on if you run jobs automatically, that is, if you checked any boxed in Job Options -> Auto tab.

Check for a new version daily (on by default)
If checked then GoodSync will contact www.goodsync.com daily to check whether the new version is available.

Create left/right Sync folders if they are not found (off by default)
If checked then GoodSync will create left/right sync folders if they are not present.
If not checked, then error message will be shown on Analyze if sync folders are not present.

Save log file (on by default)
If checked then GoodSync:
* writes job log file named <JobName>_<yyyy>_<mm>.log to _gsdata_ folder of the left and right sync folders.
* writes global log of its non job-specific actions to file named GoodSync_<Year>_<Month>.log and located in folder C:\Documents And Settings\<User Name>\Application Data\GoodSync.
If not checked, then no log files are written.

Clean up logs monthly (on by default)
If checked, then keep log files for this month and for previous month and delete older log files.
If not checked, keep all log files.

Logging Level

Critical

Important non-error messages that must be seen.

Error

Errors that terminates a job, shown in red.

Information

(default value)

Warnings or major action performed, includes sync actions.

Details

Details on actions performed, no need for most users to see.

Filters tab

In addition to job-specific Included and Excluded filter you can specify global (program-wide) filters in this tab.

The effective Excluded and Included filters used for the job are
the sum of job-specific Excluded and Included filters and program-wide filters from this tab.

About tab

This tab show version and use information.

It also contains Check for Updates button that checks www.goodsync.com for its most recent version.

Command Line

GoodSync can be started from command line and everything that you can do from GUI can be done using command line options described here.

Command line call has this general format:
goodsync [<global-option>] <command> <command-options>

Global Options

/help
Show help message that lists command line options.

/min
Run minimized, only taskbar icon is visible.

/profile=<profile-folder>
Look for profile files jobs.tic (job list with options) and options.tic (global program options) in <profile-folder>.
Path should be an absolute path on local computer.

/lf=<log-folder>
Write global log to <log-folder>. If not specified, write global log to profile folder.
Path should be an absolute path on local computer.

/ll=N
Set log level to N (number from 1 to 3).

/create-folder-if-notfound=yes|no
Create job sync folders if not found.

/exit
GoodSync will exit upon completing the action requested in command line.

Commands

analyze /all
Analyze all jobs.

analyze <job-list>
Analyze listed jobs, job names are separated by space.
Job names containing spaces must be enclosed in quotes like this: "Job Name"

sync /all
Synchronize all jobs.

sync <job-list>
Sync listed jobs, job names are separated by space.
Job names containing spaces must be enclosed in quotes like this: "Job Name"

job <job-name> [<job-options>]
Create a new job or update an existing job with specified job options.

job-new <job-name> [<job-options>]
Create a job with specified job options.

job-update <job-name> [<job-options>]
Change specified options in the existing job.

job-delete <job-name>
Delete existing job.

Job Options

/analyze
Analyze Job after it has been created or updated.

/sync
Analyze and Sync Job after it has been created or updated.

/f1=<full-folder-path>
Left sync folder.

Full Folder Path should be in one of these formats:
  C:\folder1\folder2\file.ext
  \\share\disk\folder1\folder2\file.ext
  ftp://userid:password@server.domain.com:port/folder/file
  sftp://userid:password@server.domain.com:port/folder/file
  http://userid:password@server.domain.com:port/folder/file
Use quotes around paths with spaces.

/f2=<full-folder-path>
Right sync folder.
For Full Folder Path format see the above item.

/pk1=<folder-path>
SFTP private key file absolute path, for left sync folder.

/pk2=<folder-path>
SFTP private key file absolute path, for right sync folder.

*** General Options ***

/dir=2way | ltor,forced | ltor,verfied | rtol,forced | rtol,verfied
Job direction: 2-way, Left to Right (ltor), or Right to Left (rtol).
One Way Mode that appears after ltor or rtol can be: forced or verified.

/readonly-src=yes|no
Read-Only Source Side option. Can be turned on only for 1-way Forced job.

/deletions=yes|no
Propagate Deletions option.

/save-disposed-files=yes|no
Saved files overwritten or deleted by GoodSync to _saved_ folder in _gsdata_.

/temp-dest-file=yes|no
Use temporary files when copying from source to destination, so that sudden interruption of copy does not result in corrupted file.

/check-file-stability=yes|no
Check Analyze-Sync File Stability on Remote File Systems option.

/est-req-space=yes|no
Estimate Required Free Space option.

/balloon-msg=none|errors|changes
Show Balloon option.

*** Filter Options ***

/exclude=<file-mask>
Exclude filter.
File Mask is a comma-separated list of patterns such as *.obj or \folder\file.

/include=<file-mask>
Include filter.
File Mask is a comma-separated list of patterns such as *.obj or \folder\file.

/exclude-empty=yes|no
Exclude Empty Folder option.

/exclude-hidden=yes|no
Exclude Hidden Files and Folders option.

/exclude-system=yes|no
Exclude System Files and Folders option.

*** Auto Options ***

/autoresolve=no|left|right|newer
Auto-Resolve Conflicts option: No Copy, Left wins, Right wins, Newer wins.

/limit=<NN>
No Sync If Too Many Files Changed option.
NN is a number from 0 to 100.

/jobtags=yes|no
Use Job Tags option.

Activation of Pro Version

/orderid=1234567890
/username="John Smith"
If /orderid and /username options are specified then GoodSync Pro is automatically activated upon install using the specified OrderID and User Name. Note that this is online activation, so GoodSync.exe should be able to get to www.goodsync.com.

/proxy="Proxy User Name, Proxy Password"
If online connection on your computer requires password-protected proxy and you are using /orderid and /username options then specify Proxy User Name and Proxy Password using this option.

/S
Run installer silently, no input from user is requested.

Enterprise Activation
For those deploying GoodSync in an Enterprise environment, you can install and activate using the above mentioned parameters of OrderID and Company Name from the purchase. An example being:

GoodSync-Setup.exe /S /orderid=0123456789 /name="Company Name"

Syncing Specific Applications

This section tells you how to setup syncing for popular applications.

RoboForm.
Latest versions of RoboForm have command RoboForm -> Tools -> Sync Data that setup sync job and start GoodSync automatically. If setting up manually, you should synchronize folder My RoboForm Data between two computers that you are syncing, or between computer and USB drive with RoboForm2Go. These computer-specific files will be excluded from sync: license.rfo, cache.rfo, mru.rfo. You may include file options.rfo, it contains RF options.

Outlook.
Synchronize file Outlook.pst that contains Outlook data.

Open Outlook application locks file Outlook.pst, not allowing GoodSync to sync it.
Outlook must be closed for this file to be unlocked.
If you sync your Windows Mobile phone or Pocket PC with desktop, then Outlook.pst file is locked while your phone is plugged in. Pull out your phone from the cradle for Outlook.pst to be unlocked.

Outlook.pst file location:
* XP: C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.
* Vista: C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook.

How to make Outlook store your Outlook.pst in the folder you like:
* Move Outlook.pst from the standard folder to the folder where you want it to be.
* Start Outlook -- it tells you that it cannot find Outlook.pst.
* Outlook offers you to specify location of Outlook.pst. Select the folder where Outlook.pst is now.

Outlook Express.
Outlook Express (OE) stores its data in several files, located in OE data folder. To find where this folder is, open OE and go to Tools -> Options -> Maintenance -> Store Folder. It will show you where the data files are and you can change this location of the folder too. Sync the entire folder. Sync only when OE is closed, as OE may lock the files it uses.

Windows Mail (Vista Only).
Sync Windows Mail data folder. It is located at
C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail

Quickbooks.
Quickbooks (QB) stores all its data in one file that has format CompanyName.QBW. This is the file to sync. Quickbooks backup files have extension .QBB. We recommend to back up the QBW file using native QB Backup command and to sync the backup file too, for extra protection. Quickbooks locks the QBW when opened, so you must close QB before syncing. Even if you opened QBW file to only view it and not to modify it, QB will still modify this file. So you cannot use GoodSync for 2-way syncing of *.QBW files, you can do only 1-way backup.

ACT!
Act locks its data files and when you close ACT, they are still locked. This is because ACT! installs a SQL service that is active even when the ACT! application is not running. This service keeps ACT! data files locked. You should stop the MSSQL ACT! service temporarily to be able to sync these files: Go to Start/Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services, locate the service named "MSSQL$ACT7" (or something similar), stop it, do the synchronization, and then start the service again. Alternatively, you can permanently exclude ACT! files from synchronization.

Mounting Folder via Network: Tutorials

GoodSync synchronizes folders that are mounted on the computer on which GoodSync runs.
Mounting folder on a computer uses Windows machinery and other programs.

We provide tutorials that explain how to do it, even though the exact recipe of how to mount a drive via Network lies outside of scope of GoodSync manual.

Sync files between Two Computers on Local Network.
First you need to decide which computer is Client and which is Server.
Server computer must have Sharing turned on and folder to sync must be Shared on the Server.
Client computer must have GoodSync installed. Client computers mounts folder to share from Server.
Both computers must be sitting on the same Local Network (LAN).
Usually a bigger computer that is constantly connected to the network gets to be the Server and smaller computer that is not always connected gets to be the client. In Desktop to Laptop syncing Desktop will be the Server and Laptop will be the Client.

1. Share Folder on Server Computer (done once per folder).
Open folder to share in My Computer or in Windows Explorer.
Right-click the folder and select Sharing and Security.
Click "Share this folder on the network".
Assign Share Name to your folder, this name will be what you see on the Client.
Check box "Allow network users to change my files". GoodSync should be able to read and write files in the folder you share.
Click OK and wait for Windows to set permissions on the folder.

1a. Share entire Disk on Server Computer (alternative to sharing individual folders).
You may want to share not just one folder, but the entire disk, in this case you do not have to go through folder sharing procedure for every folder you need to sync. This is how:
in My Computer or Windows Explorer right-click Disk drive,
select Sharing and Security,
check Share This Folder.

2. Set or Get your Server Name (done once per server computer).
On Server computer right-click My Computer and select Properties, then click Computer Name tab.
Full Computer Name shows the Name of your Server computer.
If this name is meaningless, change it to something you can recognize by clicking Change button. Usually computers are named after person who uses them or their location. Examples: Scott Laptop, Susie Dell.

3. Mount Shared Folder on the Client.
Now go to the Client computer where GoodSync is installed.
Select Job -> New to create a New Job and name this job.
Click left Browse button and select folder on the Client computer to sync with.
Click right Browse button. This is where we will enter the shared folder that we mount from Server to the Client.
Select My Network tab, it shows a list of computers visible on your network.
Select the Server computer, open it and select the folder that you Shared on server.
Click OK and you Job is ready to Analyze and Sync.
If your computer is not immediately visible in My Network, you can type direct address of the Shared folder as \\ServerName\ShareName where ServerName is the name of your Server and ShareName is the name that you assigned to the shared folder.

Sync files between two computers on the Internet: Non-Secure.
We are syncing between two computers (Client and Server) by mounting network disk via Internet.
- Windows file sharing does not encrypt file contents in transit, nor does it encrypt disk sharing passwords that you use. So this method is not secure, as 3rd parties listening on your network can sniff out passwords and file contents.
- Share a disk on a Server computer: in Windows Explorer right-click drive, select Properties, go to Sharing tab, check Share This Folder on the Network.
- Make Server computer accept connections on port 139. If you have a software or hardware firewall, config this firewall to allow incoming connections on port 139.
- On a Client computer type this into Address bar of Windows Explorer: "\\111.222.333.444\Share". Here 111.222.333.444 is IP address of the Server Computer and Share is share name of the shared disk on the Server Computer. You should see the Server folder that you shared.
- Start GoodSync on Client Computer and type the same \\111.222.333.444\Share into the sync folder path. Now you can sync.

Sync files between two computers on the Internet: Secure.
We are syncing between two computer (Client and Server) by tunnelling disk mount via SSH.
- Install a suitable SSH server on Server Computer or on a computer that sits on a local network with Server Computer. Using cheap Linux box with SSH as a gateway is an option.
- Install a suitable SSH client on Client Computer.
- Configure SSH client to tunnel connections from port 139 on Client Computer to port 139 on Server Computer, that is, to IP address of the Server as seen from the computer where SSH server runs.
- Establish an SSH connection from Client to Server.
- On a Client computer type this into Address bar of Windows Explorer: "\\127.0.0.1\Share". Here 127.0.0.1 is address of localhost (that is, Client Computer). Windows Explorer connects to port 139 on Client Computer, SSH client tunnels this connection to the Server computer via SSH server.
- You cannot share other disks on Client Computer, as there is only one port 139 on the computer and it will be taken by disks you share locally. Non-trivial workarounds exist for this limitation.