What’s the best free file synchronization software for Windows?

File synchronization software comes in many shapes and forms. From cloud storage services that allow you to sync files with the cloud and from there to your other devices to local solutions that you use without third-party involvement.
This article concentrates on local solutions only that are offered for free and run on all supported versions of the Windows operating system.
While cloud syncing services have their advantages, it makes little sense to use them when you want to sync files in a local network between devices.
Before we look at the programs that we reviewed for this article, it is important to define what makes a good file synchronization software.
Requirements

1. Supports manual and automatic (scheduled) modes of operation.
2. Supports one-way and two-way synchronization of data.
3. Filters to include/exclude files or folders based on rules that you specify.
4. Should sync files in use.
5. Should work with a variety of devices including internal and external hard drives, network shares and removable devices.
6. Should not limit you in regards to the synchronization (no file limits, use limits).

The Contenders
Bvckup 2 - Freeware
Create Synchronicity - Open Source Software
FreeFileSync - Open Source software
SyncBackFree - Free for personal use. (Portable version link)
SyncFolders - Freeware
Syncredible - Free for personal use.
Synkron - Open Source software
Not included
Allway Sync - Limits syncs to 40,000 files per calendar month

 

Bvckup 2

 

Bvckup opens a clean interface on launch., First thing you do is create a new backup profile under File and configure it.
There you select the source and destination folders as well as all parameters for the job. You will notice that you can only configure one-way sync operations using the program.
What sticks out on the other hand is support for delta-copying files which reduces the time it takes to update already synced files by transferring only the parts that have been modified.
The program can monitor the source directory in real-time, using specific intervals or manually. The preferences hold additional options of interest. It is for instance possible to link backup jobs to removable devices so that they are only run when the device is connected to the system.
The progress is highlighted in steps when a job runs. It highlights the current operation and the remaining steps and errors so far. A detailed log file is available as well which you can enable under options.

 

Create Synchronicity

 

Create Synchronicity is an easy to configure file backup and synchronization software. Compared to other syncing programs it is rather bare-bones which does not have to be a bad thing depending on your needs.
It does support one-way and two-way syncing though and a couple of additional features that you configure during setup of a new sync job.
It supports a preview option that displays exactly what will happen when you run the synchronization job. There is however no option to make last minute adjustments to the job which means that you will have to open the configuration of the job again to do that.
The sync dialog displays all there is to know about the process including the elapsed time, progress bars, the speed of the process and how many files and folders were created and deleted so far and how many are left.

  https://bvckup2.com/

 

 

FreeFileSync

 

Attention: The program ships with adware. Mystartsearch was offered during test installations and the only option to skip it was to switch from Basic (Recommended) to Advanced and remove the checkmark from the Install Mystartsearch box there before clicking Next.
FreeFileSync's interface leaves you puzzled for a moment where to begin. It is not really that complicated but a little bit of guidance would help out a lot.
What you need to do is add folder pairs that you want to sync using the browse buttons. Once you have added at lest one pair, you use the compare, filter or synchronize button to start a process.
Both compare and synchronize are configured with a click on the cog wheel button next to their buttons. Compare for instance compares all files in both folders based on their size and file time.
Synchronize on the other hand displays the sync methods supported by the program as well as other sync related preferences that you can configure there.
Please note that you need to run the program with elevated privileges as you may get access errors otherwise depending on the folders and files you select.
Compare loads all files and folders and displays them in the interface. FreeFileSync higlights which files are only listed in one of the two directories and displays the total size and file count of the operation if executed.
Scheduling is not built-in but you can export a job as a batch file and add it to the Windows Task Scheduler manually to run it regularly on the system.

  http://www.freefilesync.org/

 

SyncBackFree

 

Setting up a sync job is a two-step process in SyncBackFree. You create a new profile and the desired synchronization method in the first step.
Once done, you configure the new sync profile in detail in the second step. A simple version of the configuration is displayed to you by default. You can change that to an expert configuration if you prefer that which displays all available options (and some not available in the free version).
The expert options leave little to be desired. At the very least, it is necessary to add two folders to the profile but you can do a lot more than that.
For instance, it is possible to define detailed compare options that determine whether files are equal or not based no parameters that you can adjust in the settings.
Next to that, it is the only program supporting compression and encryption of files, and ftp servers. Another interesting and unique feature it offers is a performance estimation for the profile highlighting settings that may slow down the profile.

  http://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/freeware-hub.html

 

SyncFolders

 

The program is probably the easiest to set up thanks to its streamlined interface. One you click the new button you are taken to the configuration screen where you configure all sync related options.
Before you run a sync operation, you may want to run a scan first as it provides information about the job. It lists files and folders to synchronize, the total size of the data and errors that it ran into.
A click on errors reveals those while details lists all files and folders and their status in regards to the other folder. A right-click on folders or files displays options to override the default rules in place. You can block files from being synchronized or copied for instance.

  http://www.syncfolders.elementfx.com/

 

Synchredible

 

When you first start Synchredible after installation you are taken directly to the task wizard which you can use to create a first sync job.
Adding a new sync job is not complicated and every option that you can select is well explained. It takes seven steps (pages) to set up your first sync job which can be a bit overwhelming if you never used a sync software before.
The wizard covers all necessary information on the other hand giving you full control over the process. Here is a quick rundown of the steps:

1. Select the two folders and decide whether subfolders should be included.
2. Enable one-way or two-way sync, and decide if you want to synchronize all files or only newer files.
3. Add more parameters such as deleting redundant files, ignoring hidden files or folders, or comparing file contents.
4. Set up filters to include or exclude files or folders from the operation.
5. Set up automatic tasks. Schedule synchronization jobs or configure them to run based on certain conditions or system events.
6. Add actions that you want run before or after synchronization.
7. Add a name, assign a system wide hotkey for the task, and enable the preview feature.

Jobs can be run manually at any time or only manually if you want that.Another interesting feature is the program's group option. You can add multiple jobs to a group to run all jobs of that group in one operation.
Before you run the first job you may want to check the program's options first as they list quite a few sync related preferences.
Verification is enabled for instance by default while the saving of reports is not. You can also mail reports, suppress error messages during jobs, change the buffer size or disable log file creation.
Sync jobs that run show the progress of the operation in the interface. There is also an option to pause the job.

  http://synchredible.com/

 

Synkron

 

Synkron supports folder synchronizations and multi-syncs. The difference between the two operations is that a folder sync is keeping files in sync between two or more folders while multisync syncing multiple source folders with one destination folder.
Once you have added at least two folders you can hit the analyze button to display information about the current sync status.
All folders not synced currently are listed for synchronization but you can blacklist files or folders to exclude them from the process.
Advanced options are available as well which you can use to define additional sync related preferences such as not creating empty folders or syncing hidden files and folders.
Once you hit sync all files and folders are processed and displayed to you so that you know exactly where the process is at. There is no progress bar on the other hand which means that you don't know how long jobs will take to complete.

http://synkron.sourceforge.net/

Which program is the best?

This comes down to your requirements more than anything else. Synchredible overall made the best impression as it offers an immense number of options to set up synchronization jobs on your devices.
SyncFolders is another excellent program. While it may lack certain features, it makes up for them with its straightforward interface which is probably the easiest to use.
You cannot go wrong with both of them unless you require a specific feature that one of the programs does not offer.
Update: SyncBackFree is another excellent program that ships with a couple of unique features. It is probable the feature-richest program of all programs mentioned in this article.
If you don't require two-way syncing, then Bvckup may be another interesting choice. The program supports delta-copying which should speed up consecutive sync jobs significantly.
Other suggestions worth investigating:

• DSynchronize
• Mirrorfolder
  
  Source: http://www.ghacks.net/2015/03/17/whats-the-best-free-file-synchronization-software-for-windows/

All You Need to Know about Video Codecs, Containers, and Compression

Explaining the difference between codecs and containers is relatively simple, but hard part is attempting to understand each format. The lines start to get blurred when you realize that most common codecs aren’t exclusive, and can make use of multiple compression technologies in order to get the job done. The blurred line becomes nearly invisible when you start to talk about formats like MPEG-4 which could be classified as a bit of a container and a bit of a codec, but that’s a rather complicated classification that’s best left for another time.
So, how do you teach yourself the difference between dozens of codec and container options? Don’t. There is only a handful of technologies that are used for online video, and the bulk of your effort will be spent understanding how these work, as well as understanding the trade-offs you’re faced with when deciding on what to use.
You could spend weeks studying technologies that are only used for a relatively small number of applications, so instead we’re going to focus our attention on what technologies you’ll use for most of your video encoding and playback needs.

What Is a Codec?

A codec – or coder/decoder – is an encoding tool that processes video and stores it in a stream of bytes. Codecs use algorithms to effectively shrink the size of the audio or video file, and then decompress it when needed. There are dozens of different types of codecs, and each uses a different technology in order to encode and shrink your video file for the intended application.
Depending on the codec, this encoding occurs in one of two ways: lossy or a lossless compression.

Lossy Compression

When looking for manageable file sizes, lossy compression is the most viable method available. While you certainly lose quality in audio, video, or both, the compression is a necessary evil (currently) in a world dominated by the need to share and store what would otherwise amount to impractical file sizes. Your average Blu-ray, for example, can exceed 40 gigabytes, and that sort of storage space would not only be expensive, but it’d make digital downloads and purchases inconvenient, if not an outright waste of time. The key when using lossy compression is to settle on the highest quality compression format for your intended use, so that you walk the fine line between loss of quality, and file size.

Lossless Compression

Lossless compression works much like a ZIP or RAR file in that after compressing and decompressing, the file is essentially the same. Through use of smart algorithms, the file doesn’t lose much quality, but it’s not an efficient way to store large files because there isn’t much compression that actually takes place. In addition, online transmission of large video files uses far too much bandwidth (although H.265 encoding may change that) to make it a viable compression option.
Unless you work in the film industry, or in video editing, it’s unlikely you’ll ever share video files in a lossless format (if even then). To put it into perspective, even a 4k television doesn’t contain the resolution needed to display a film shot on a modern camera and delivered without some sort of compression. In fact, it’s not even close (yet). While 4k video is beautiful, it’s not even close to the size of an uncompressed video format.
While a Blu-ray film is less than 50 gigabytes (if it has to fit on one disc), the first downloadable 4k movie (available to consumers – trailer below) is a whopping 160 gigabytes! Completely uncompressed 1080p video is a mind-boggling 410 gigabytes per hour, and that doesn’t include the audio file, which could add an additional 7 gigabytes per hour depending on how it was recorded. All-in-all, these files are all but useless for a consumer market with current technology.
It’s also important to note that codecs aren’t just for compression of audio and video files. Once a file has been encoded using a specific codec, that same codec must be used to decode the file in order for it to play on your device. Not using the correct codec is what leads to the majority of device compatibility or playback issues. This issue is becoming less common as modern containers often include the required audio and video codecs needed to play the file.

Popular Codecs

XviD/DivX

DivX is a commercially sold codec, while XviD is an open source utility meant to function as an alternative to its commercial cousin. Both codecs can decode the output of the other, as they are both built on the implementation of MPEG-4. While still widely used, its often strictly for video encoding and in conjunction with one of the more popular packs mentioned below.

MPEG-4

MPEG-4 is the most common streaming format and it consists of many parts, of which only MPEG-4 Part II is used for video coding. MPEG-4 Part II calls on video encoders such as DivX or XviD in order to encode the video, while audio is typically carried in MP3 format. Modern updates to MPEG-4 are now using H.264 as well.

H.264

This is the most popular choice for high definition material. H.264 is also a relative Swiss Army knife of the codec world as it can utilize both lossy and lossless compression depending on the settings you choose when encoding, such as frame rate, quality, and target file size. H.264 relies on x264 for encoded video (as well as others, such as DivX or XviD), and audio is often encoded using AAC or MP3 audio codecs depending on the size and quality you’re targeting.
H.264 is touted as 1.5 to 2 times as efficient as basic MPEG-4 compression, which leads to smaller file sizes and seamless playback on more devices. That said, H.264 is now included in the MPEG-4 codec (part 10, known as AVC), so it could become a moot point in the near future as the codecs become less reliant on a single encoding technology, and instead take on the role of a codec pack which includes multiple encoding methods in a single package.

What is a Container?

A container exists solely for the purpose of bundling all of the audio, video, and codec files into one organized package. In addition, the container often contains chapter information for DVD or Blu-ray movies, metadata, subtitles, and/or additional audio files such as different spoken languages. The typical container runs like an executable (.exe) file on Windows. It uses a .bat file to tell the operating system that there are executable commands that need to be run together in order to achieve the intended result.

Popular Containers

Flash Video (.flv, .swf)

Macromedia originally created Flash before they were ultimately acquired by Adobe in 2005. Flash is an aging container that is being phased out due to limitations in the technology, creating what Steve Jobs used to refer to as “buggy” file handling. This led to a very public omission from iOS devices for Adobe and it appears that this was the beginning of the end for the format. As HTML5 standardization takes hold, we should see less Flash videos online, and the container is most likely going to disappear with it.

MKV

MKV is a rapidly growing format that was designed to be future-proof. The container itself supports almost any audio or video format which makes it adaptable, efficient, and highly regarded as one of the best – if not the best – ways to store audio and video files. In addition, it even supports multiple audio, video and subtitle files even if they are encoded in different formats. Due to the options the container offers, as well as its handling of error recovery (which allows you to play back corrupted files), it has quickly become one of the best containers currently available.

MP4

MP4 is the recommended format for uploading video to the web, and services such as Vimeo and YouTube have it listed as their preferred format. The MP4 container utilizes MPEG-4 encoding, or H.264, as well as AAC or AC3 for audio. It’s widely supported on most consumer devices, and the most common container used for online video. You really can’t go wrong with MP4.
The bottom line is, a container is a (mostly) useless bit of information when referring to video. Telling someone to send you an MP4 file doesn’t give away any useful bits of information without understanding how the video and audio itself were encoded. The container is just that, a place to store the audio, video and the codecs needed to decode them for playback.
So, ultimately if you’re looking for advice on what to use, H.264 is quickly becoming the standard codec, while either mp4 or MKV are worthy containers. MP4 might get the edge here because it is better supported in consumer devices, and is the standard for most large streaming video sites. Ultimately, the choice is yours, and as long as the video can be decoded and played on the other end, there really aren’t a lot of bad choices you can make in terms of what to use.

I’d love to hear what you use and for which application you’re using it for. What are your go-to video compression codecs, settings, and containers? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/all-you-need-to-know-about-video-codecs-containers-and-compression/

3 tools for finding and eradicating duplicate files on your hard drive

One of the pains of owning a PC that's getting towards the end of its life is dealing with the ever-shrinking amount of storage as your PC fills up with music, photos, and documents. In the end, the only way to battle the bloat is often to get a new PC or more storage—but until you do, there are a number of tricks you can employ to make space on your PC.
A particularly handy one is to eliminate duplicate files and folders on your hard drive, getting rid of superfluous data you don't need. You'd be surprised how much content ends up duplicated on your PC thanks to a sync gone wrong with iTunes or an errant click with the photo importer.
Here are three tools that can help you reduce the clutter on your system.

DoubleKiller

DoubleKiller is an all-purpose duplicate finder that can scan folders, your whole drive, and even other PCs on your local network. It compares file name, size, modification date, and even content (presumably by hashing a file's contents). The program also lets you exclude files by name, size, or type (XLS, MP4, etc.).
DoubleKiller has a lot of great features, but the interface may not be as straightforward as it could be. If you find yourself confused, start by adding some folders to scan under the Options tab then, go back to the DoubleKiller tab and click Run. Once it's done you can decide to delete your duplicates or move them to another location.

dupeGuru Picture Edition

As its name suggests, dupeGuru Picture Edition is all about finding doubles in your image folders. Pictures can be one of the top sources of duplicates for many people, especially as we migrate to new PCs, restore data from back-ups, and keep pictures in different cloud services like Dropbox, Google+, and OneDrive.
DupeGuru PE is very easy to use. All you get is a simple window with options to add folders for scanning. When you're ready, just hit Scan and let the program do its magic, then decide what to keep once it's done.

Winmerge

This is a seriously useful tool if you have a lot of documents or text files kicking around and need to pare them down. Winmerge lets you compare two versions of a document (or an entire directory) and then view the actual differences between them on screen. You can then choose to merge the text into one preferred document.
Unlike the other tools in this article, Winmerge isn't about searching your hard drive for duplicate files. Instead, you have to know that the two files or directories you're comparing are similar or earlier versions of each other.
The big advantage is that you can see the differences and then easily bring your files together into one canonical version. At first glance, you may find Winmerge's interface a little overwhelming, but don't be intimidated. The icons are designed to offer visual cues to help you understand how everything works.
With these three tools you'll end up with a little more space on your hard drive in no time.

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Ian Paul ian@ianpaul.net

Ian is an independent writer based in Tel Aviv, Israel. His current focus is on all things tech including mobile devices, desktop and laptop computers, software, social networks, Web apps, tech-related legislation and corporate tech news.
More by Ian Paul

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2893306/3-tools-for-finding-and-eradicating-duplicate-files-on-your-hard-drive.html#tk.nl_pwr