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[mschneid]

What backup sync program do you use?

It occurs that my current backup strategy rewrites the entire flac file when I change any of the tagging meta data.   Conseqeuntly, backups take forever and it seems a waste.

Is there a backup sync program that only updates the metadata tag info when you sync to your backup drive.

Thanks

[bv1pacb]

I've tried a few, and Goodsync is my favorite by a mile.

[Arindelle]

I use Syncback -- the freeware version is great for most things. Love how it works on multiple drives and paths

[jmone]

I use Free File Sync - love the preview.

[mschneid]

Thanks,
I have used goodsync but I think it syncs the entire song file... not just the meta index part.  Microsoft's synctoy is also free and does the basic job.  but... Is there a sync program out there that customized for just this job of syncing the meta data portion of a song file?

[jmone]

I don't think so.  These progs use either changed Modified Date or Bitsum calculations to see if a file has changed then copy the entire file.  So if you retag all your songs then they will be "different" and hence synced by re copying the entire song.

I used to use SyncToy but had all sorts of issues with the timestamps being different and it leaves little synctoy files all through your file structure so I moved to Free File Sync and have not had any issues.

[astromo]

I don't think so.  These progs use either changed Modified Date or Bitsum calculations to see if a file has changed then copy the entire file.  So if you retag all your songs then they will be "different" and hence synced by re copying the entire song.

I used to use SyncToy but had all sorts of issues with the timestamps being different and it leaves little synctoy files all through your file structure so I moved to Free File Sync and have not had any issues.

I use Free File Sync as well. If memory serves, I think I gave it a go after reading a positive comment from jmone, so nice one dude. Works well for me. The only thing I'd say to noobs is to watch the install.

I'd suggest that you don't do an install if you've had a few beers or are dog tired. It's "free" because it's supported by co-packaged software. When I do an AV scan the install package comes up fine and so do subsequent system scans. However the anti-malware software picks up "potentially unwanted programs" in the installer. It could possibly be a nuisance for a user. You have the option of not loading this co-packaged software but the install routine can change or the selections use double negatives or other word tricks to get you to unwittingly install the extra stuff.

Given that it's "free", I accept what's going and just make sure I'm careful. The co-bundled software is also declared and explained, so it's not as if the installer tries to work covertly. So, I'm OK with it.

I went for a wander to try and find software that syncs metadata only, if that's all that's changed. I came up with a lot of not much. I did find an itunes targetted package called, SuperSync, that claims to update metadata. So, at least there is some intelligent thought going on somewhere.

If a sync program like this is available for a Windows OS, I'd be all ears. Until then FFS will do for me.

[jmone]

Good point, it bundles something like "Tune Up" that you really don't want to install (it is an option you have to uncheck!)

[6233638]

I'm not sure that it's a good idea to only sync file tags over to your backup drive.
To do this modifies your backup, which could potentially compromise it.
 
I'd rather wait for the files to be synced across than risk my data.
 

For what it's worth, I use Acronis True Image Home for my automated backups.
This uses a proprietary backup image format (rather than copying files) and supports things like incremental backup schemes.
 
I have one external drive hooked up to my system which does a daily backup, storing up to two weeks of data. (one full backup a week, plus incremental changes each day)
 
Another drive is set for a constant backup which checks my files every five minutes and backs up any changes. (and you can go back to any version of these files from the past two weeks or however long it can store)
 
I use external drives rather than internal ones, so they can quickly be removed if necessary. (e.g. if there was a fire)
 
 
For "offline" backups, I have another two portable drives that are used on a weekly rotation.
Drive 1 is used for Weeks 1 & 3, and Drive 2 is used for Weeks 2 & 4.
 
For this, I use FreeFileSync to sync any changes to my library over to the drives. Once they are synced, the drives are removed from the system and are never used except when creating a new backup.
This way I am protected from a catastrophic failure on the main PC. (e.g. power supply blew up and killed all the drives connected to it)
 
FreeFileSync simply copies the files over, so they would be accessible from any computer rather than requiring Acronis to read them.