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: 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: 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: I am getting 'bad state file' errors. Why?
A: Most likely, you are trying to read a new state file by old GoodSync.
There was a change in state file format in GoodSync ver 7.5.0.
Go GoodSync ver 7.2.9 and earlier cannot read state file produced by GoodSync ver 7.5.0 and newer.
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 it means that state file has become corrupted 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: 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: 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 Move Deleted/Replaced Files is enabled.
So this is where you can find your missing files -- in _gsdata_\_saved_ folder.
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 show many files/folders in Changes? It seems 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 Gary * in the root (top) node of the tree.
After Sync you can also do File -> Open Left/Right Log, it will show all changes that GoodSync did.
Portable drives and FAT
Q: How do I set up GoodSync to synchronize with a unique device when multiple devices share the same drive letter?
A: - Insert the USB drive.
- Go to Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Computer Management.
- Select Disk Management.
- Right Click on the drive.
- Select "Change the Drive Letter and Paths..." for the drive.
- Assign the letter of your choice to the drive.
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: 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: 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.
Networked Sync
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: I am getting 'Access Denied (error 5)' error. What to do?
A: The error message "Access Denied (5)" comes from Windows, not from GoodSync.
It means that GoodSync cannot write file (or read file or create folder or delete file)
when it is performing a synchronization operation.
It is usually caused by lack of permissions:
your client computer cannot write to your server computer.
You should fix permissions and make sure that you can change the files
or folders about which GoodSync complains using Windows Explorer.
Once you can access/change files in Windows Explorer, GoodSync will be
able to do the same.
Q: What is your recommended way to setup Folder Sharing in Windows?
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:
- Right click My Computer, select Manage.
- Select Local Users and Groups -> Users -> Guest.
- Right click Guest and in Properties check 'Account is disabled'.
- This prevents anybody who does not have account on server computer
from seeing and using its resources.
* Step 2:
- 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.
- It allows authenticated user to make any changes to the share from Client.
* Step 3:
- On Client computer enter your share name into Windows Explorer or into GoodSync Browse dialog like so:
\\ServerName\ShareName
Your Windows UserID and Password must be the same on Server and Client computers.
This will show you contents of the shared folder.
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, Secure FTP servers.
You can choose these different location types in the "Browse" dialog.
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.
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.
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-7-2-9.exe
* GoodSync-Setup-7-1-9.exe
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