Question Do you use sync software and if so, which one?

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kamla5abi

Level 4
Verified
May 15, 2017
178
It is recommended to have deny write access to sync folders except for only those programs which need access - like office productivity suite programs, video players, etc. Otherwise if your system gets smacked by ransomware and the sync folder gets encrypted, the encrypted files can be synced too and overwrite the good versions. You need to have file or backup version recovery to get out of that one.

You could just manually connect\disconnect an external backup target drive to avoid it as well. There are multiple strategies to prevent encrypted synced folders from wreaking havoc.
Could you please give more details on how you do this? How do you deny write access to backup location (128gb USB drive in my case) except for the backup software?

What I do currently is very old school, just copy/paste different folders to my USB drive (documents, music, photos are only folders on my laptop where I store my personal files), rest of SSD is only windows or installed software files, so if anything gets infected or encrypted, then I just have to reinstall Windows and my software. After my backup operation (copy paste :p ) I disconnect my USB drive every time.

I will try the software @BoraMurdar linked to in OP as all I care about really is the files, rest is only software I can install manually when disaster hits.

I read about free Veeam endpoint backup software too. Have not tried it yet though, but Google results say Veeam software is very good free software.
 
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5

509322

Could you please give more details on how you do this? How do you deny write access to backup location (128gb USB drive in my case) except for the backup software?

What I do currently is very old school, just copy/paste different folders to my USB drive (documents, music, photos are only folders on my laptop where I store my personal files), rest of SSD is only windows or installed software files, so if anything gets infected or encrypted, then I just have to reinstall Windows and my software. After my backup operation (copy paste :p ) I disconnect my USB drive every time.

I will try the software @BoraMurdar linked to in OP as all I care about really is the files, rest is only software I can install manually when disaster hits.

I read about free Veeam endpoint backup software too. Have not tried it yet though, but Google results say Veeam software is very good free software.

You can try something Secure Folders (free abandonware), software restriction policy with protected folders (AppGuard), or the free BiniSoft USBFlashDrive Control (can set Read, Write and Execute permissions for USB. Just change policy to what you need, then disconnect\reconnect USB and new policy is enabled.)

With what you are doing (using an external USB flash drive), BiniSoft USBFlashDrive Control is perfect. And it is free.
 

bobby holla

Level 2
Verified
Oct 30, 2014
63
I would recommend GoodSync over every other Sync software. it is the best you can ever get and it has a portable version which i love best.
 
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LASER_oneXM

Level 37
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Feb 4, 2016
2,520
im frequently using sync software to synchronize my internal drives (hdd, ssd)
with my external backup drives ("one way synchronization"). im using this tool: "freefilesync"
 
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Yoda

Level 3
Verified
Jul 26, 2017
103
I am using FreeFileSync to sync my data (Only Data) with an external HDD with Mirror option.
 

R2D2

Level 6
Verified
Well-known
Aug 7, 2017
267
I use Pipemetrics' Bvckup for data mirroring on local hard disks, Siber Systems' Goodsync for syncing with the NAS and Scooter Software's Beyond Compare for file/folder comparisons.

All are excellent tools but if I have to choose a favourite it would be Bvckup. Beyond Compare and Goodsync are next in that order.
 
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Mantissa_Bedford

New Member
Jul 5, 2018
4
It is recommended to have deny write access to sync folders except for only those programs which need access - like office productivity suite programs, video players, etc. Otherwise if your system gets smacked by ransomware and the sync folder gets encrypted, the encrypted files can be synced too and overwrite the good versions. You need to have file or backup version recovery to get out of that one.

You could just manually connect\disconnect an external backup target drive to avoid it as well. There are multiple strategies to prevent encrypted synced folders from wreaking havoc.

That doesn't happen always. I have to use an application named Mail Backup X to backup my Outlook emails from the system to an external drive.
 

show-Zi

Level 36
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Jan 28, 2018
2,463
It is a small program using Robocopy.exe . I recently started using it. Synchronization by schedule is also possible.

robomirror
MainForm.png
 

DeepWeb

Level 25
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Jul 1, 2017
1,396
I am using AOMEI for biweekly backups and File History to another drive. But that drive is inside my laptop. Now I don't want an external drive and my security is pretty good. What are the odds that malware also attacks backups and file history on other drives? I think from what I have seen most ransomware is only written to target user folders on the c: hard drive.
 

scorpionv

Level 2
Apr 20, 2020
87
I'm using SyncBack Pro, which has ransomware protection. Before each sync, the ransomware protection calculates a hash from a user selectable file, and compares this hash with the hash from the cloud stored file. As soon as these do not match, possibly caused by ransomware encryption, the sync is aborted. The ransomware protection just needs one file that is a prime ransomware target (like a *.doc file), that never needs to be changed by the user (just copy an old document, and name it something like 'DoNotChange.doc).

It is nowhere completely safe, but better than no protection at all.
 

mkoundo

Level 8
Verified
Well-known
Jul 21, 2017
358

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