WinDataReflector is a free portable file synchronization software with visual comparison feature for Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
The program is offered as a portable version that you can run from any location. The program is tab-based, and differentiates between backup and synchronization tasks.
The core difference between the two options is the following: Backup copies files from the source path to the target path, and that is about it. Synchronize supports two-way syncing between the selected folders, or one-way synchronization of the source folder and the target folder.
Note that you may also define custom sync settings in the project properties.
WinDataReflector
Select one of the available tabs, or the synchronize or backup buttons at the top to start a new project. You need to select a source and target directory regardless of task that you select, and may hit the process button once you have done that to have WinDataReflector scan the two paths.
Files and folders are displayed then, and stats about the file count and data size of the source and target path as well.
If you select synchronize, the required disk space to sync all files to the two directories is displayed, as well as the total number of files that are not in both or in the right directory.
While you can hit the sync or back up buttons right away to start the process, it is recommended that you check the project properties at least once. Here you find listed the following options:
- Define if and when files get deleted during the process (only sync).
- Define if a new or the same folder should be used for the backup (backup only)
- Enable NTFS file permission copying.
- Change synchronization rules.
- Add exceptions (with or without regular expressions).
- Schedule the job to run regularly.
- Enable comparison of CRC checksums, and verification using checksums.
- Enable logging.
Some of these options are quite useful, as you may schedule jobs, or change what is processed by a job.
A click on the schedule button in the main program window opens a list of all projects. You may open the settings from there as well. This can be useful if you have set up several jobs already, maybe even that many that you need to scroll to access them in the interface.
Closing Words
WinDataReflector is a powerful file synchronization and backup program for Windows. It supports one-way, two-way and custom sync jobs, backups with or without compression, and lets you run one or multiple jobs manually or on schedule.
The software supports copying NTFS file permissions, the filtering of files or folders using regular expressions, checksum verification, and more.
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