FreeFileSync

FreeFileSync is a very useful utility for keeping folders up to date between several computers or hard disks. This can be useful for making backups with external hard disks or network storage, or making sure you always have the latest versions of files with you on a USB memory key.

There are two main elements involved in synchronising two folders. The first is to select the two folders and compare the contents. These are then displayed in the two columns. They can be sorted according to name, size and date. Actions can also be set for specific files. For example an excessively large file can be excluded if it would fill the target drive.

The settings for the synchronisation can be saved using the icons at the bottom left and then selected using a dropdown menu.

Finally start the process by clicking on the Synchronize button. Another window appears showing the progress of the job with the option to pause or cancel. The expected time for the job tends to vary quite a bit depending on the size of the file being copied and the effect this has on the transfer rate. Lots of small files can sometimes take longer than one big file.

More advanced users can create batch jobs that start automatically from a shortcut. These commands can be added to the Windows Task Scheduler for even more automation.

The latest version, 3.11, improves folder pairs for migration and has made some cosmetic changes.