Schedule folder sync as calendar event?

[Viktor]

Hello all!

I keep a backup copy of a certain folder on an external HD. Every second day or so I do a manual synching of the original folder with its external backup copy to keep the latter up-to-date - just in case the data in the original folder gets messed up.

Anybody know if there is a way within BC to schedule folder sync to be automatically performed on predefined days and times?

Thank you!

[Aaron]

Hello,

We do not have a method to schedule syncing in the graphical interface, but do support a command line sync (which can then be scheduled in the Windows Task Scheduler).

Scripting is documented in the Help file -> Using Beyond Compare -> Automating with Script chapter (and in the Scripting Reference chapter). In general, you create a text file with the sync instructions, then execute it from the command line with:
bcompare.exe "@c:\scripts\bcscript.txt"

where bcscript would contain the commands for the sync, like:
load "c:\folder1" "c:\destination"
sync update:left->right

However, please note that there is no Undo for a sync action, and script does not preview before committing the action. I would recommend using a test location while learning scripting and syntax until you are comfortable with how the script performs to prevent accidentally overwriting or losing any data.

[Viktor]

Thank you so much, Aaron, for your reply!

a) In my first posting I forgot to say that I am on a Mac, not Windows, so that the details of using the Windows Task Editor, though interesting, are of not much use to me…

b) While waiting for a reply to my posting, I already figured out that there was no such built-in feature in Beyond Compare but rather that there must be some scripting involved to produce the result I was actually after;

c) After weighing pros and cons, I decided not to bother. A simple calendar reminder to sync the folders in question every so often would do the job just as fine.

Many thanks again!