GoodSync is a file backup and synchronization program with an emphasis on speedy data transfer times, helping reduce network bandwidth requirements as well as storage needs.
GoodSync 9 uses file system changes detection rather than simply copying whole files, significantly speeding up backup and synchronization processes.
Sync Files and Folders
GoodSync uses advanced block-level synchronization to securely and seamlessly transfer and backup files between two computers, dramatically decreasing network traffic in comparison with traditional file transfers (such as FTP or SFTP), which copy entire files all at once. This approach makes GoodSync ideal for large, ever-evolving sets of files such as databases, logs or email archives that cannot be stored intermediately.
GoodSync analyzes selected folder pairs and computes any changes necessary to make them identical, then presents you with results of its analysis in the form of a tree of files and folders with arrows pointing in directions of file copies; an empty circle denotes no copying. Filters like Include/Exclude as well as Size/Mod Time can help narrow the results further.
GoodSync uses Longest Common Ancestor of these folders to determine which side of a job should receive new files or folders. For instance, when synchronizing between ‘Work to PortHD’ and ‘Work on PC’ jobs, then the former will receive all files contained within C:WorkPortHD while its counterpart ‘Work on PC’ will gain new versions of all ‘Work’ files.
GoodSync cannot determine which set of changes is superior, so in cases of conflict it excludes items. You can resolve the dispute by choosing one of two actions available under Item Action Menu: Copy State L to R or Right to Left Copy – both can only work when performing 1-way Jobs between Left to Right and Left to Left jobs respectively.
Accounts feature allows you to link a Job with one of your existing accounts and use its credentials in the Browse dialog, making accessing cloud storage such as OneFile, Microsoft OneDrive and Office 365 directly from GoodSync without using GoodSync Connect easier. Furthermore, using your own server for backup storage reduces reliance on GoodSync Connect as an intermediary when saving files locally.
Backup Files and Folders
GoodSync automatically backs up files and folders as they change, providing complete and up-to-date copies of all of your important data. Plus, AES-256 bit file-level encryption offers maximum protection at rest and in transit. Designed as a background service to deliver automated, scheduled, real-time backup and synchronization with minimal user interaction required – propagating only blocks changed since analysis for faster backup times, reduced network consumption, and storage requirements.
GoodSync allows users to back up and synchronize to multiple devices simultaneously, including computers and USB drives. Furthermore, GoodSync lets you protect specific files with AES-256 bit file-level encryption applied individually per file; an Encryption Password must be entered to decrypt them after they’re backed up or restored.
GoodSync allows you to automate a job on every change or initiate one manually from its Job menu. Once an activity has begun, its status can be monitored in the GoodSync Monitor; for those not yet completed it will display a progress bar and an estimated completion time; once finished it will display a green check mark as evidence of success.
Jobs are organized in a two-level tree structure. You can view their list by either pressing the More button or selecting View -> Jobs -> Job List, with each job displayed according to its Name, Left Folder and Right Folder properties and can be sorted using column headers.
GoodSync compares its left and right folders when creating a Job to determine how much data to transfer across. If both sides contain different file modifications, GoodSync decides which side’s changes it should adopt based on various criteria; otherwise it declares a conflict.
GoodSync saves the internal file state for each file during a conflict situation and copies this saved information from one side to the other, providing an easy way to recover from syncs where one side lost data.
Restore Files and Folders
GoodSync is the only file synchronization software capable of automatically restoring files and folders back to any previous state, even on slow network connections. Our powerful algorithm ensures fast, reliable performance even over slower connections, so your most critical files never disappear without warning. In addition, GoodSync’s advanced backup capabilities offer you a variety of storage solutions including local file systems, remote servers and online storage services – so your important documents stay safe at all times.
GoodSync automatically copies files to a specified destination folder on either your computer or an online server, then monitors differences between source and destination files to detect when there are discrepancies – when this occurs, GoodSync copies any missing file or folder to its new home automatically. Alternatively, you may exclude files or folders from backup, such as object files *.OBJ and editor backups *.BAK.
GoodSync allows you to exclude files and folders from its backup by either not backing them up, deleting them, copying them to multiple destinations (for instance a different disk or folder), or specifying how many times to retry bad file transfers.
Use filters in File Tree or Job List views to select multiple files and folders to backup or sync using filters. Filter criteria may include file extensions, file size or modification time criteria – you may even combine multiple filters at once!
GoodSync displays job status in its system tray icon when running. Status indicators may include Syncing Files, Analyzing Files, Paused, Error or Completed; these can also be seen from within Job List view or System Tray icon.
Starting with version 9, GoodSync allows you to set up one or more Server Accounts for each job you create, each storing information about an online folder address and its credentials required for access. When credentials change in one job, GoodSync updates all others that refer to that same folder immediately – an enhanced functionality brought by sticky Folder Options introduced with version 10. GoodSync can synchronize or backup files stored on portable drives connected directly to a computer via USB ports.
Access Your Files and Folders
GoodSync allows you to securely and quickly access files and folders even when working offline, providing a single interface where you can see which updates, additions or deletions occurred on either side of a sync job and take appropriate actions: For instance: “Add this item,” “Combine”, or “Deleterate this one”.
GoodSync is especially helpful for working in multiple locations – multiple computers or cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or iCloud for instance – where files must be updated across them all at the same time while maintaining consistent access permissions across each one. With GoodSync your files are automatically synced across them all so they are always up-to-date and accessible across them all ensuring a consistent workflow and experience across devices and locations.
GoodSync does this by comparing MD5 checksums of files/folders on either side of your file/folder tree, only uploading or downloading newly or changed files. GoodSync will also recognize if files are deleted/moved within an operating system and only download unchanged versions.
Install GoodSync on all of your computers and devices and quickly connect them together in order to share data between each other, without the need for manual configuration or set-up. GoodSync will search out local or remote GoodSync servers automatically and create connections without you having to set anything up yourself manually.
GoodSync offers secure, AES-256 bit encrypted connections in transit and at rest. GoodSync stores all of your change history so that you can restore individual items or complete sets from any point in time.
GoodSync in elevated mode offers you a way to circumvent some of the more frequent Access Denied errors on Windows (requiring User Account Control elevation), making synchronizing or backing up easier than ever before. It works for any job, whether synchronizing or backing up.
This option allows you to specify a file/folder path on your computer that will serve as the backup destination. You can make this your default backup destination or select an individual folder as part of each backup job. Alternatively, specifying an external disk (USB disk, portable hard drive etc.) could also work.
