Using SyncBack

What is SyncBack?

SyncBack is one of the backup programs available for Microsoft Windows.

You can use the SyncBack family of products to backup, synchronize, and restore data files.

The SyncBackFree version should be enough for easily mirroring directories, or groups of directory to an external disk, but you can compare the features available in SyncBackPro, SyncBackSE and SyncBackFree: summary comparison and full comparison

Installing and launching SyncBack

Download SyncBackFree

Install SyncBackFree. At the end of the installation process, you may want to subscribe to the mailing list (you will receive from time to time codes to upgrade to another version of Syncback at a reduced price)

Launch SyncBackFree. You can find it in Start→ 2BrighSparks → SyncBackFree

Basic configuration

We want to do a mirroring backup:

Copy all the files from the source directory to the destination directory. All the files are copied on the first run, only the new/changed files are copied on subsequent runs.

Warning! if a file is not on the source anymore, mirroring will automatically remove it from the destination! The idea is that the destination should be an exact copy of the source! If that's not what you want, check the backup (rather than mirror) options.

Do not be frightened by the step by step configuration and the screenshots below! There are lots of available options in the SyncBack point-and-click interface, and it is easier to use images to explain what needs to be done

Filters

It can be useful to use some filters to disable some of what SyncBack would try to backup otherwise:

Not backing up useless files/directories (e.g temporary files in cache directories) will make SyncBack run faster (and save space on the backup device)

Some files/directories can't be backed up because their access is protected by the system and will generate errors in the log file. Skipping them will make it easier to spot real errors

Notes:

A filter must start with \string (string will be searched in the root of the source directory) or *\string (there can be subdirectories between the source directory and string)

A folder name must have a trailing slash

To modify an existing filter double-click it

Suggested filters when backing up your Home folder

This is NOT_C:\Users\your_login, assuming that you have followed the instructions in Configuring folders to create a Home folder distinct from your default Windows home folder on C:\

Remove Thunderbird and Firefox lock file: *\parent.lock

Suggested filters when backing up your Windows folder

Default Windows folder: C:\Users\your_login

Remove WSL+Linux from backup: *\AppData\Local\Packages\Canonical*Ubuntu*\

Remove the backup of all the settings saved in AppData\Local\Packages: *\AppData\Local\Packages\

Remove Chrome Cache: *\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\*Cache\

Remove some Microsoft apps related directories: *\AppData\Local\Microsoft*\

Remove some apps directories that use too much space: *\AppData\Local\WebEx\, *\AppData\Local\GoToMeeting\

Remove misc. files: *\ntuser*, *\NTUSER*, *\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Current*

Remove misc. directories: *\AppData\Local\Comms\, *\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\

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