Beyond Compare 2 Says "Nothing to Do!"

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When synchronizing files using the Synchronize to Left or Synchronize to Right commands, the Synchronize Preview dialog says "Nothing to Do!".

The default synchronize command copies newer and orphaned files.  If Beyond Compare cannot find any newer or orphaned files, it will display the message "Nothing to Do!".

Reasons for "Nothing to Do!":

1. Both Sides are Identical

2. Comparison Criteria

By default, the synchronize command uses timestamp comparison to determine if non-orphan files should be copied.  If timestamps are not included in the comparison criteria, Beyond Compare is not able to determine which side is newer.

To enable timestamp comparison, from the Session menu, select Comparison Control.  In the Comparison Control dialog, check Compare Timestamps.

3. Sync Options Not Set to Defaults

To change the sync options back to the defaults, from the Tools menu, select Options.  Go to the Sync Options section of the options dialog.

Under Synchronize to Right, the defaults for the dropdowns are:

If file on left is newer: Copy left to right
If file on right is newer: Leave alone
If file is only on left: Copy left to right
If file is only on right: Leave alone
If files are different: Leave alone
If files are the same: Leave alone

If the Just Selection box is checked, and you haven't selected files with differences, it may not find any files to copy.

If Only affect visible files is checked, and different files are filtered out of the display, or they are in folders that are not expanded, files might not be copied.