This little program called Free File Sync is a very useful tool when you have to back up your files or sync then between your home device (laptop…) and an external one like a USB.
You can configure it many ways. The Way I do to ensure my work is up to date on external devices is setting sync this way:
Sorry for the spanish.
All you have to do is click the green gear and customize it. Assuming “left” would be for example a folder on your laptop and right, a folder on your USB device, that would mean, from left to right:
- First green arrow means “is the element exists only on the left sid, then add it to the right”
- Second arrow means “element exists on both sides but version on the left side is more recent, then update the element on the right side”
- Third orange thunder means “when there is a conflict, leave it unresolved” (dont´t know what exactly means, but I guess is better let it so than corrupting a file on any of the side, and it always worked for me).
- Grey hyphen of 4th position means “if the element exists on both sides but the right element is more recent, then do nothing”.
- And the byn means “if the element exists only on the right side, remove it from right side”. It makes sure then that if I delete a file on my laptop, it would be also deleted on my USB.
Remember you can check what each action does depending on each case (listed on the upper row) and adapt it to your own preferences.