What is SyncBack? Backup and Sync Software for Windows Explained

Most people start thinking about backups the day after they needed one. A laptop won't start. A folder of photos was deleted by mistake and the Recycle Bin has been emptied. An external drive clicks and is never seen again. A ransomware note appears where your documents used to be. At that point the only question that matters is whether there is another copy of your files somewhere safe.

SyncBack makes sure there is. It is Windows software that copies your files to another place, such as an external drive, a NAS, a server or a cloud storage service, on a schedule you choose, and gives them back when you need them. 2BrightSparks has developed SyncBack since 2003, and it is used by home users, small offices and large organizations around the world.

This article explains what SyncBack does, how it works, and what it can do for you. It also helps you choose between the three editions: SyncBackFree, SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro.

What does SyncBack do?

At its heart, SyncBack copies files from one place to another and keeps track of what has changed. The first run copies everything you have selected. After that, each run compares the two locations and copies only what is new or has changed, so most backups finish quickly.

Around that simple idea is a great deal of control. You decide which files are included, where they go, when the copy happens, what to do about files that were deleted or changed in both places, whether to compress or encrypt them, how many older versions to keep, and who should be told when something goes wrong. If you just want your documents copied to a USB drive every evening, you can ignore almost all of it. If you are responsible for the files of a whole office, it is there when you need it.

It is worth being clear about what SyncBack is not. It backs up files and folders. It is not disk imaging software, and it does not make a bootable copy of your Windows system drive. For most people the files are what matters: Windows and your programs can be reinstalled, but your documents, photos, emails and accounts cannot be recreated. See Disk Imaging is not a Total Backup Solution for why file backups are still essential even if you use imaging.

Backup, Mirror or Synchronization?

SyncBack can copy files in three ways. Choosing the right one is the most important decision you will make when you set up a job, so it is worth a minute to understand the difference.

• Backup copies new and changed files from the source to the destination. It never deletes anything from the destination, so a file you delete by mistake is still in the backup. This is the default, and the right choice for most people.
• Mirror makes the destination an exact copy of the source. It copies new and changed files, and it also deletes files from the destination that are no longer in the source. This keeps the destination tidy, but it means a file you delete by mistake is removed from the backup on the next run. In SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro, versioning can keep the deleted file as a version instead, for as long as your versioning settings keep it.
• Synchronization works in both directions. New and changed files on either side are copied to the other side. With Intelligent Synchronization in SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro, a file deleted on one side is also deleted on the other, or you are asked what to do if it has changed there. This is ideal for keeping a desktop and a laptop, or two offices, working from the same files. It is not a backup on its own, because a mistake on one side can be copied to the other.

Here is what each type does when you delete a file from the source:

If you are not sure which to choose, choose Backup. The most common mistake new users make is choosing Mirror when they meant Backup.

In SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro, synchronization is Intelligent Synchronization. It remembers the state of both sides from the last run, so it can tell the difference between a file that was deleted on one side and a file that was newly added on the other, and it handles changes made on both sides far more reliably. SyncBackFree offers basic synchronization, which has no such memory, so by default a file deleted on one side is simply copied back from the other. For more detail and worked examples, see Backup, Mirror and Synchronize Profile Types.

Profiles: one job, set up once

Everything in SyncBack is built around the profile. A profile is a single job that you set up once and run as often as you like. It says:

• What to copy: which files and folders, and which to leave out.
• From where: the source, where your files live now.
• To where: the destination, where the copies go.
• How: Backup, Mirror or Synchronization, plus any other settings such as compression, encryption or versioning.
• When: manually, on a schedule, or when something happens.

For example, a profile called Documents to USB drive might back up your Documents folder to a folder on an external drive every evening. A second profile could back up your photos to a NAS once a week, and a third could synchronize a project folder between your desktop and laptop. You can create as many profiles as you need, and each one keeps its own settings and its own log, so you can always see what it did.

Creating a profile takes a minute. Click New, give the profile a name, choose Backup, Synchronization or Mirror, and choose the type of source and destination (a drive or network path is the default). Then pick the source and destination folders and click OK. That is a working backup.

When you want more control, the Profile Setup window has two modes. Easy mode shows only the settings most people need. Expert mode shows every option. You can switch between them at any time from the menu at the top left of the Profile Setup window, so you are never stuck with more, or fewer, settings than you want.

See exactly what will happen before it happens

Backup software copies, moves and deletes files. If it is set up wrongly, it can do damage, and with many backup programs you only find out afterwards. SyncBack lets you find out first.

A Simulated Run scans both locations, compares them and writes a log, just as a real run does, but it does not copy, move or delete a single file. If you have set a profile to run another program before or after it, that program is skipped during a simulation unless you choose otherwise. You can start one from the drop-down arrow on the Run button, by right-clicking the profile, or by pressing Ctrl+S. When you create a new profile, SyncBack offers to do a Simulated Run straight away.

Before files are changed, SyncBack can also show you the Differences window. It lists every file that is about to be copied, replaced or deleted, and lets you change the action for any of them: skip it, copy it the other way, or exclude it in future. It always appears for simulated runs and restores, so you are never surprised. It is not shown for scheduled runs, so your backups never wait for someone to click a button.

Simulate every new or changed profile before you run it for real, especially a Mirror or Synchronization profile. It takes a few seconds and it is the best habit a SyncBack user can have.

Groups: run several jobs together

A group is a collection of profiles that are run together, in the order you choose. Instead of running or scheduling five profiles separately, you run or schedule one group. Groups are available in every edition, including SyncBackFree.

By default a group runs its profiles one after another, each starting when the previous one finishes. You can tell a group to stop if any of its profiles fails, which is useful when one step depends on another. For example, one profile might zip a folder and a second might upload the zip file. If the zip fails, there is nothing worth uploading. Groups can also run their profiles in parallel, or contain other groups.

Groups are also how you back up to more than one place. A profile has one source and one destination, so to keep your documents on a NAS and in the cloud, you create a profile for each destination and put both in a group. See How to Back Up to Multiple Destinations with SyncBack for how to set this up so that the profiles share their source and filters.

SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro also have group queues. A group queue can contain the same profile more than once and can say how each entry runs, for example as a simulation or an integrity check. See Group Queues.

A profile in a group can still be run on its own, for example by its own schedule or a hotkey. If it should only ever run with the rest of its group, for example because it uses the group's settings, you can tell SyncBack to refuse to run it on its own. This is on the When > Group Only page of the profile's settings, in every edition (V12.1.26 and newer).

Backups that run themselves

The backup you forget to run is the one you will need. SyncBack can run a profile or group automatically, so your files are protected without you having to remember.

• On a schedule, such as every evening at 6pm or every Friday. Schedules use the Windows Task Scheduler, so they run even if SyncBack is not open. See Creating Schedules in SyncBack.
• Periodically, for example every 30 minutes while SyncBack is running, optionally only when the computer is idle or between certain times.
• With a hotkey, so a backup is one key press away.

SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro can also run a profile:

• When files change: as soon as files or folders in the source are changed.
• When a drive is plugged in: plug in your USB backup drive and the backup starts.
• When you log in to, or log off or shut down, Windows.
• When a program starts or stops: for example, back up your accounts folder as soon as you close your accounts program.

Automatic backups are only useful if you know they worked. Every run writes a log, and SyncBack can email it to you after each run. SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro can also send a Pushover notification to your phone, or call a webhook, when a profile fails or succeeds. See SyncBack Notifications.

Where can you back up to?

Every edition of SyncBack can back up to and from:

• Internal drives, external USB drives and memory cards.
• Network shares, NAS devices and other computers on your network.
• FTP servers.

SyncBackSE adds FTPS (FTP over a secure connection), and phones, cameras and other devices that connect using Media Transfer Protocol (MTP). With SyncBack Touch, which is free with SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro V12, you can also back up files on other computers and devices running macOS, Linux, Android or Windows.

SyncBackPro adds SFTP and a long list of cloud storage services, including Amazon S3 and S3-compatible services, Microsoft OneDrive, OneDrive for Business and SharePoint, Google Drive, Microsoft Azure Blob Storage, Backblaze B2, Dropbox and Box. It can also back up email from mail servers. Cloud storage gives you an off-site copy that survives anything that happens to your building, which is a key part of the 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy. SyncBackFree and SyncBackSE do not support cloud services.

Features that keep your backups safe

Copying files is the easy part. A good backup also has to cope with the things that go wrong in real life. These are some of the features that make SyncBack backups dependable.

Versioning

A backup that only holds the latest copy of each file cannot help if the file was damaged, overwritten or encrypted by ransomware before the backup ran. With versioning, SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro keep previous versions of files that were replaced or deleted, so you can go back to the version from last week, not just the one from last night. You choose how many versions to keep.

Copying files that are in use

Files that are open, such as an Outlook data file, are often locked, and many backup programs simply skip them. SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro use the Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to take a snapshot and copy open and locked files safely, without you having to close your programs. There is no extra charge for this, even on Windows Server.

Compression and encryption

SyncBack can compress files into zip files to save space, and encrypt them so that a lost backup drive does not mean lost privacy. SyncBackFree uses standard zip compression and basic zip encryption. SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro add stronger compression methods such as LZMA2 (as used by 7-Zip) and Zstandard, and AES encryption up to 256-bit.

Checking that the copy is correct

SyncBack can verify that each file was copied correctly by reading back both the original and the copy and comparing them. SyncBackPro can also run an integrity check later on, to detect files in your backup that have been damaged since they were copied, so you find out about a problem long before you need to restore.

Ransomware detection

If ransomware encrypts your files, the worst thing a backup can do is faithfully copy the encrypted files over your good ones. Ransomware detection watches a file you choose, and if its contents change, SyncBack will not run your profiles. A profile can also warn you if it finds an unusually large number of changes, another sign that something is wrong, and an unattended run will stop. Ransomware detection is in every edition, including SyncBackFree.

Speed

With large backups, most of the time can be spent working out what has changed. Fast Backup in SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro avoids scanning the destination, which can make a big difference with a slow NAS or a remote server. For very large files that change often, such as an Outlook data file or a virtual machine disk, SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro can use delta-copy to store or send only the parts that changed, saving both storage space and bandwidth. It works together with versioning, and with SyncBack Touch.

Warning of a failing drive

SyncBackPro can read a drive's S.M.A.R.T. health data and warn you when it shows signs of failure, giving you a chance to replace it before you lose anything. See S.M.A.R.T. Drive Failure Detection.

Getting your files back

A backup is only worth something if you can restore from it. With SyncBack you do not need a separate restore program or a special backup format: unless you use compression, encryption or delta versioning, your backed-up files are ordinary files and folders that you can open in File Explorer.

To put files back, select the profile and click Restore. You can restore everything, or choose just the folders and files you need, and restore them to their original location or somewhere else. As with a normal run, the Differences window shows you exactly what will be restored before anything happens, and a Simulated Restore lets you check first. If you use versioning, you can pick earlier versions of a file to restore. See Restoring from a Backup and Restoring from Versions.

The Restore command is available for Backup and Mirror profiles, not Synchronization profiles. If a Synchronization profile uses versioning, you can still recover earlier versions of files from the Differences window when you run it. A profile that is set to only run as part of a group is restored by restoring its group.

Test a restore soon after you set up your first backup. Restore a few files to a different folder and open them. It takes five minutes and it means that on the day you really need your backup, you already know it works.

Which edition is right for you?

SyncBack comes in three editions. They look and work the same way, with the same profiles, groups and Simulated Runs, so you can start with one and move up later without starting again.

• SyncBackFree is genuinely free, for home and business use. There is no registration, no email address required, and no telemetry or personal data collected. It is a reliable way to back up to another drive or a NAS. See 100% Freeware.
• SyncBackSE is the right choice for most home and small office users. Versioning and open file copying are the two features most worth paying for, because they protect you against ransomware, accidental changes and files that were in use when the backup ran.
• SyncBackPro is for anyone who wants an off-site backup in the cloud, uses SFTP, or needs the most control and the best performance. It is the edition we recommend for businesses.

The paid editions are a one-off purchase, not a subscription: a license is perpetual for the major version you buy. A home license covers up to five of your own computers at one home address. There is no extra charge for Windows Server, for the portable (no install) version, or for using VSS. Both SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro have a fully featured 30-day free trial with no registration required. For every difference between the editions, see the detailed feature comparison.

Getting started in five steps

1. Download and install the edition you want. If you are not sure, try SyncBackPro: the trial has every feature, so you can find out which ones you need before you buy.
2. Create a Backup profile for your most important folder, such as Documents, with an external drive or NAS as the destination.
3. Do a Simulated Run and check the Differences window shows what you expect.
4. Run it for real, then test a restore of a few files to a different folder.
5. Schedule it, so it runs every day without you, and turn on email notifications so you hear about any problem.

That is a complete, automatic, tested backup. From there you can add more profiles, a group, versioning or an off-site copy in the cloud as you need them. The Beginner's Guide to SyncBackPro Install and Profile Setup walks through each step with screenshots, and pressing F1 anywhere in SyncBack opens the help for that window.

Conclusion

Losing files is common and it is almost always preventable. SyncBack gives you a simple way to start, with a single profile that copies your important folders to a safe place on a schedule, and the depth to grow into: groups, versioning, open file copying, encryption, ransomware detection and, with SyncBackPro, cloud storage. Simulated Runs and the Differences window mean you can see what every job will do before it does it, and restoring is as easy as backing up.

Try it now. Download the free 30-day trial of SyncBackPro or SyncBackSE, or start with SyncBackFree, and have your first backup running in minutes.

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