Grig Software

edit: I added an important edit (see red below)

Hi,

as you may know, I mainly use Synchronize It! to synchronize files on two different computers using the package feature. Now, I was wondering, while several folders still showed up on the target computer after multiple synchronization steps, although I had deleted them on the source computer a long time ago.

Obviously, there is something wrong with the way how synchronize it! handles files that are tagged to be deleted. It seems to work, if only some files within a folder are to be deleted, but it seems to fail, if an entire folder needs to be deleted.

For example:

927385 26-10-2005 01:38:32 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\DSC04186.JPG
1219462 18-10-2005 01:35:48 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\DSC04207.JPG
1349266 26-10-2005 10:06:50 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0450p.jpg
1182415 29-10-2005 14:57:05 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0487.jpg
1450513 26-10-2005 10:07:02 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0499.jpg
1461198 26-10-2005 10:07:04 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0510.jpg
1126104 26-10-2005 10:07:26 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0592.jpg
1224202 26-10-2005 10:07:58 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0707.jpg
918973 26-10-2005 10:08:08 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0744.jpg
641736 14-11-2005 01:23:13 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0754p.jpg
1562107 26-10-2005 10:08:18 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0783.jpg
2389386 26-10-2005 10:08:22 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0790.jpg
1613790 26-10-2005 10:08:30 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0810.jpg
1052138 26-10-2005 10:08:36 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0832.jpg
1689148 26-10-2005 10:08:42 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0860.jpg
1336108 26-10-2005 10:08:46 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0869.jpg
1561134 26-10-2005 10:08:48 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\IMG_0881.jpg
76623802 08-12-2005 01:25:42 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\KuP Puzzle work.psd
1175107 08-12-2005 01:26:15 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\KuP Puzzle.jpg
71976525 06-12-2005 01:31:36 1 0 0 Canon\'05_10_Puzzle\KuP Puzzle.psd

This folder has gone on the source computer, and is still there on the target computer. Hence, all files in the list have been tagged with 1 0 0 (which I suppose means that they should be deleted). However, when I do the synchronization, the files don't show up, independent of which action I use. If I choose to also display identical files, they don't show up neither! They are simply ignored by Synchronize It and remain in on the target computer, until I delete them manually.

I can also send you the list file of the comparison, plus the list files of target and source computer, if you tell me how or give me your e-mail-Adress.

Please look into it, otherwise the package feature can't really be used the way it was intended!

Thank you very much!

- spitfire

edit: here an example, where an entire folder was deleted properly:

On the source computer, I renamed Olympus\Olympus_Hungerbühlers to Olympus\Hungerbühlers. On the target computer, I did not do that. So when I compared the package from the target computer with the source computer, it correctly suggested to delete Olympus\Olympus_Hungerbühlers and copy Olympus\Hungerbühlers, instead. When I look at the list file of this comparison, the entries look like this:

1314081 24-03-2006 23:17:20 0 0 0 Olympus\Hungerbühlers\'06_02_Schneesterne\Compilation 1.jpg

Which I assume, means that this file has to be copied to the target, since it's not present there. Notably, I found no entry labelled Olympus\Olympus_Hungerbühlers. Although, or because there is no such entry, it correctly recognized that this folder should be deleted on the target.

My conclusion: If files are tagged 1 0 0, they are not always deleted properly on the target, especially not, if an entire folder should be removed. It works for individual files, though.

If an entire folder is simply not present in the list (package), then it's properly deleted on the target. I don't know, why in some cases the files are tagged in the list, whereas in other cases they are simply removed from the list.

I hope this helps!

Regards

- spitfire

Hi again,

I uploaded some lists and reports of this specific case. You can download them from here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/136319562/d ... g.zip.html

source.pck
Snapshot of source folder

target.pck
Snapshot of target folder before synchronization

list.txt
I created a package file on the target computer, took it to the source computer and synchronized it. I then extracted this list.txt file from it. It's the file from which I took the example in the previous post.

report.html
I took the synchronized package back to the target computer and tried to synchronize the target with it. The result is shown in this report. Please note that many folders which were tagged for deletion (1 0 0) do not show up.

Best regards

- spit

In order to be able to use the package feature before a fix for this problem has been worked out, is it possible to use some kind of manual workaround? Would it, e.g. help to locate all entries with 1 0 0 in the list and remove them from the list? Would this trigger Synchronize it to delete the corresponding files in the target folder?

Thank you very much for any suggestion on this

- spitfire

Ok, welcome back, Igor! I hope you had nice holidays

Not bad, thanks! It's a shame that I have thought about placing an info about it in blog only after return. But I had my laptop with me and was going to keep in touch. But laptop refused to load on second day, and so it goes

I'm verifying your case in this topic right now, by the way.

Which version are you using?

Hi,

don't worry, I assumed you were in holidays. I hope your laptop is working again!

I am very happy to hear you are looking into this, thank you very much! The version I use is 3.4.1639

Are the files I uploaded still available on rapidshare, or should I upload them again?

Best regards and thank you!

- spit

I have already got them, thanks.

What are the settings in Start Dialog in your case?

Do you have package file as source? Did you try using it as target always?

It's already I while ago I did those, so I don't entirely remember. But I am sure I tried it both ways, using the package as target and as source, and I am pretty sure I also tried various other settings like "synchronize", "duplicate", "backup". "Include subfolders" was also checked, maybe with some exclude folders (but non of them was part of the problem). To compare with a package, I usually use "Date + Size", since there is no content in the package to compare

Btw., maybe you could also grey out "compare by content" if a package is involved.

Could you not reproduce the problem? Could you detect it in the files I sent you? Sorry, it was an awful lot of files I tried to synchronize ...

Best regards and thank you for looking into this!

- spit

I can see your result when I use package as Source. This is not correct anyway, of course.

As a temporary solution: Might it work, if I manually removed all lines from the list that contain 1 0 0 (see quote from first post below)?

Do you know any automatic method to do that? I know the search and replace function in Word, but I can't use it to look for certain characters in a line, and then delete each entire line that contains them.

Thank you very much!

- spitfire

My conclusion: If files are tagged 1 0 0, they are not always deleted properly on the target, especially not, if an entire folder should be removed. It works for individual files, though.

If an entire folder is simply not present in the list (package), then it's properly deleted on the target. I don't know, why in some cases the files are tagged in the list, whereas in other cases they are simply removed from the list.

Try using package as target always - it should help.

That's affirmitive - using the package as target in combination with the 'synchronize' option it does what it's supposed to do. Thanks for the hint!

Regards
- spitfire