File Synchronization is a utility that has the ability to synchronize multiple pairs of folders or files. It has been designed to be easy to use and quick to do the job.
Good file sync tool for backup – Windows Server storage – Windows and Mac clients. Hi, We have a Windows 2008 server that has an unlimited backup agreement.
- File synchronization software comes in many shapes and forms. From cloud storage services that allow you to sync files with the cloud and from there to your other devices to local solutions that you use without third-party involvement.
- EaseUS Utilities. EaseUS offers you a list of utilities to make your digital life easy. Disk cloning software, Mac performance optimizing tool, simple file sync software, etc. EaseUS CleanGenius for Mac. Easy Mac cleanup tool helps to make your Mac OS run faster and perform better.
- Available for Linux, Mac and Windows, File syncing tools examines your data, separate files that are frequently used and makes extra copies of the backup. This file synchronization software is easy to install, has convenient set-up process and offers trouble-free usage.
- ChronoSync could already create versioned backups (retaining older and deleted versions of backed-up files), so it’s now just as capable as an all-purpose backup tool as it is for synchronization.
It was based originally on the File Synchronization tool provided by Apple with the old Mac OS, but has a few improvements and features to help get the job done quickly and efficiently.
Software To Sync Files
File Synchronization synchronizes multiple pairs of folders or files. It has been designed to be easy to use: choose 2 folders to synchronize then click the Synchronize button and you're done! However, there are multiple options when your needs get a little more complicated. The interface is easy to use and the application is quick to do any synchronization that you might need.
3 different synchronization modes to use depending on what you want to achieve:
![File sync tool for windows 10 File sync tool for windows 10](https://mac.eltima.com/images/upload/syncmate/articles/best/ios%20sync.jpg)
- Automatic mode: whenever the content of one of the folder you synchronize changes, the synchronization is performed so you can be sure that the 2 folders are always synchronized. You set it once and then forget about it.
- Repeat mode: the synchronization is performed at a regular interval that you set in the preferences. Good when you're constantly making changes and don't want the folders to be continuously synchronized.
- Manual mode: whenever you want to perform the synchronization, you select the pair in the list and click Synchronize. Ideal if you synchronize a folder that is on a remote volume that might not always be available.
- Bidirectional: changes in both folders that are synchronized are duplicated in both folders. Best when changes can occur in each folder that you synchronize.
- Unidirectional: changes that occur in one of the folder you synchronize are duplicated in the other folder. If you want to have an exact backup of a folder, that's the synchronization mode to use. You can choose to backup the folder on the left or on the right.
- See how many items are going to be copied and deleted and what the sizes of those items to copy and delete are.
- Check what is going to happen if the synchronization is performed.
- Decide which item is going to replace the other
- Remove some items from the list from being synchronized.
- Delete items you don't want to be synchronized.
File Sync Tool For Mac
Synchronization options for each pair:- Select the synchronization mode.
- Choose the synchronization direction of that pair.
- Set filters to ignore certain items.
- Decide what happens with orphaned files and recently modified files.
- Ignore warnings when both copies of the same file have been modified since the last synchronization.
- Include or not invisible items.
- See the status of the last synchronization session and when it was last synchronized.
- Local disks.
- Remote volumes shared by another Mac on your network or by a Windows computer.
- iDisk.
- USB flash drive.
- Store login information for remote volumes so that they can be automatically mounted the next time they are needed.
- Any volume you can access in the Finder can be used.
- Can generate a log each time a synchronization is performed.
- Error reporting gives you a description of an error so you can fix it.
- Hierarchical views show you exactly where an item is in any list. Double-click an item and it will be selected in the Finder.
Today's Best Tech Deals
Picked by Macworld's Editors
Top Deals On Great Products
Picked by Techconnect's Editors
Econ Technologies ChronoSync 4.3.5
When I last reviewed ChronoSync (version 3.3, in 2008) it was already a mature, full-featured utility for synchronizing files and folders between volumes or computers. In the years since, ChronoSync has become even more powerful, extending its backup and network synchronization capabilities.
The basic program layout remains the same: You choose one folder or volume on the left side of the window and another on the right, select your options, and click Synchronize to copy your data. You can customize this simple-sounding procedure in a vast number of ways. For example, you can copy in either direction or bidirectionally, synchronize deletions in either direction, archive changed and deleted files, create rules to include or exclude files matching any pattern you describe (such as those files under a certain size or having a particular Finder label), and so on. You can also click a Trial Synchronization button to display the results of the synchronization without copying any data. ChronoSync can take any of numerous actions in the event of a sync conflict—for example, always overwrite in one direction or the other, always choose the older or newer file, skip the file altogether, or prompt you to choose one or the other manually.
Generally ChronoSync does a good job of keeping its interface simple for basic operations while offering more-complex options for users who need greater control. However, some operations that are simple in other backup programs may seem strangely complicated here. For instance, you can’t see a hierarchical list of an entire volume and merely check or uncheck the items you want to sync or back up. If you wish to select or deselect several arbitrary files or folders, you would typically create a separate synchronization document (which holds all the settings for a given operation) for each one. You can group these documents into containers to run several of them at once, but if you frequently change your selection of files and folders, you may find the process to be cumbersome.
ChronoSync 4.3.5 supports the copying of all essential metadata, ownership, and permissions, and it can make a bootable duplicate of an entire startup disk. ChronoSync could already create versioned backups (retaining older and deleted versions of backed-up files), so it’s now just as capable as an all-purpose backup tool as it is for synchronization.
When it comes to restoring backups, ChronoSync does have a limitation compared to Time Machine (and many other backup apps). Although you can select any version of any backed-up file or folder and restore it to its original location or somewhere else, you get no view in which you can see all your files as they looked at some arbitrary time in the past. If you want to restore many files from a variety of locations or restore an entire volume to a state earlier than its most recent backup, the procedure will involve a long series of manual steps.
![Mac Mac](https://cdn.afterdawn.fi/screenshots/normal/12453.jpg)
The program offers tremendous flexibility for scheduling synchronization and backup operations. You can choose a repeating schedule (such as every minute or every three weeks), any number of arbitrary dates and times, or whenever certain trigger events occur, such as a volume mounting. On each run, ChronoSync copies only the items that have changed since the previous run, and you can select any of more than a dozen criteria to determine what should count as a change. I would like to see ChronoSync go one step further and offer an option found in some other sync software: the ability to watch specified folders and synchronize changes as soon as they occur rather than waiting until the next scheduled run.
ChronoSync can use any network volume mounted in the Finder as a source or destination. However, if you need to preserve ownership and permissions when copying files over a network (especially important when copying items outside your home folder), you can install an optional companion program called ChronoAgent 1.3.6 ($10) on another Mac. This utility gives ChronoSync, running on your Mac, complete administrator access to the files on the other Mac and improves file copying performance. ChronoAgent also enables ChronoSync to perform the neat trick of creating a bootable duplicate over your network. (Only three other apps—Carbon Copy Cloner, Retrospect, and Synk—have this capability.) With ChronoAgent installed on another Mac, ChronoSync can initiate a backup automatically whenever that Mac appears on your network, and the program can wake up the remote Mac when it’s time for a scheduled backup.
Bottom line
ChronoSync 4.3.5 exhibited excellent performance in my testing. With a bit of configuration, it can fill almost any synchronization or backup need, and the added capabilities of ChronoAgent make it that much more compelling. If you’re looking for a single app to handle synchronization and backup tasks, ChronoSync is an impressive choice.
Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.
Econ Technologies ChronoSync 4.3.5
Pros
- Good UI for basic operations
- Flexible scheduling options
- Can create bootable backups
Cons
- No hierarchical list view
- Some UI limitations with backup restores