Category: SyncTime Help

  • Verify backups

    SyncTime relies on the file copy mechanism provided by macOS, which returns an error if something goes wrong. If an error happens, SyncTime always displays it. If no error happens, with all probability the copy operation was successful and there’s no need to perform an immediate verification of the copied data. From time to time,…

  • Why do I have to confirm each sync?

    Please see Sync confirmation dialog.

  • Does SyncTime use checksums to compare files?

    The default overwrite policy compares the modification date and size of a file to avoid comparing the actual file contents, which depending on the file size could take a long time. A checksum (or hash) is a short character sequence computed from a given input (e.g. a file). A checksum is, with high probability, unique…

  • How can I sync a regular file or package like the Photos Library?

    SyncTime syncs the source with the destination. It does not sync the source with the file inside the destination that has the same name as the source; doing so would make it less flexible as it wouldn’t allow to sync files with different names. When the source is a regular file or package (such as…

  • What are .DS_Store, .localized, .DocumentRevisions-V100, .Spotlight-V100, .TemporaryItems, .Trashes?

    macOS sometimes creates files that are hidden in the Finder and may cause confusion when mentioned in a sync error or listed in the sync confirmation dialog. Tip: you can toggle the display of hidden files in the Finder with the keyboard shortcut Command-Shift-. For additional help, see Filters.

  • Control SyncTime with AppleScript

    To view the available AppleScript commands, open the Script Editor app (in /Applications/Utilities), then select File > Open Dictionary and choose SyncTime in the application list. Tip: if you want SyncTime to quit after running a sync, don’t use the quit command, as it will run immediately after starting the sync and will cause SyncTime…

  • Why is CPU usage so high during syncs?

    CPU usage can increase linearly with the number of syncs running in parallel. CPU usage can also vary depending on the speed of the involved volumes. If you have several syncs running in parallel, you can try to run them sequentially to reduce the amount of resources used at the same time. Some possibilities are:

  • Why is the last sync date not updated?

    The last sync date is only updated when the sync completes without errors. When one or more errors happen, it may look like all files are synced correctly, but some files may be missing or synced incorrectly. On the side of the sync item you should see a button with the error count: clicking on…

  • How to connect to Slack?

    Among the scripts that can be executed when a sync completes, SyncTime allows to install one that sends a Slack message. When installing the script, you are prompted for the webhook link to which the messages are to be sent. The webhook link can be generated after creating a Slack app. To create a Slack…

  • Sort sync items by relevance

    By default, sync items can be sorted manually by dragging them to the desired position, both when All sync items or a sync group is selected in the sidebar. When All sync items is selected, you can also sort sync items dynamically by relevance, by toggling the corresponding button above the sync item list. When…