Hey again,
Unfortunately, it looks like this issue still exists in v6.3.7.0. Here's exactly what happened:
1) At some point in the past, I copied some images to my HD. I know they were valid, as I've viewed them before.
2) I used SyncBack to mirror them to my FTP backup server (as usual).
3) At some point since then, some sectors seem to've failed on my HD - coinciding with one of these images.
4) On a subsequent run of SyncBack, it detected the (now-broken) file as "size 0" and copied a 0-byte file to the FTP, overwriting the backup. It showed the task as having completed successfully, but effectively destroyed the only "good" copy of the file - thus, losing it irreversibly.
Now, I know you'll probably say that "if Windows reports the size as 0, there's not much we can do;" however, if I try to copy the file in Windows Explorer itself, it doesn't allow the file to be copied; instead, it presents this dialog: http://screencast.com/t/i40xb3RUblDO. I also tested BeyondCompare, another folder synchronization utility; it too detected the error and wouldn't allow the "broken" file to be copied (screenshot: http://screencast.com/t/sS69UsSD). And so did Filezilla: http://screencast.com/t/EwvdMKDL888. Thus the behavior of copying it as a 0-byte file, overwriting the previous backup, seems to be unique to SyncBack. Examination of the SyncBack FTP log shows that it's seen as a size-0 file:
[...]
[20130312 05:17:03] MDTM /DS_Justin_Backup/PortablePC/Download/New Pics & Vids/Pics/12-09-21.0) Hong Kong - Daytrip to Lantau Island/2438 - IMG_2466.JPG
[20130312 05:17:03] 213 20121002014307
[20130312 05:17:03] SIZE /DS_Justin_Backup/PortablePC/Download/New Pics & Vids/Pics/12-09-21.0) Hong Kong - Daytrip to Lantau Island/2439 - IMG_2467.JPG
[20130312 05:17:03] 213 0
[20130312 05:17:03] MDTM /DS_Justin_Backup/PortablePC/Download/New Pics & Vids/Pics/12-09-21.0) Hong Kong - Daytrip to Lantau Island/2439 - IMG_2467.JPG
[20130312 05:17:03] 213 20130312051429
[...]
But again, Windows explorer does not - it shows the proper size: http://screencast.com/t/5CxcSmUSbDn
Any thoughts on this? It really is a rather unsettling issue, as shown by my exact experience; by running SyncBack regularly I thought I was securing my data, when in fact, SyncBack destroyed the backup (causing an error on my local HD to result in it being irrecoverably lost).
Unfortunately, it looks like this issue still exists in v6.3.7.0. Here's exactly what happened:
1) At some point in the past, I copied some images to my HD. I know they were valid, as I've viewed them before.
2) I used SyncBack to mirror them to my FTP backup server (as usual).
3) At some point since then, some sectors seem to've failed on my HD - coinciding with one of these images.
4) On a subsequent run of SyncBack, it detected the (now-broken) file as "size 0" and copied a 0-byte file to the FTP, overwriting the backup. It showed the task as having completed successfully, but effectively destroyed the only "good" copy of the file - thus, losing it irreversibly.
Now, I know you'll probably say that "if Windows reports the size as 0, there's not much we can do;" however, if I try to copy the file in Windows Explorer itself, it doesn't allow the file to be copied; instead, it presents this dialog: http://screencast.com/t/i40xb3RUblDO. I also tested BeyondCompare, another folder synchronization utility; it too detected the error and wouldn't allow the "broken" file to be copied (screenshot: http://screencast.com/t/sS69UsSD). And so did Filezilla: http://screencast.com/t/EwvdMKDL888. Thus the behavior of copying it as a 0-byte file, overwriting the previous backup, seems to be unique to SyncBack. Examination of the SyncBack FTP log shows that it's seen as a size-0 file:
[...]
[20130312 05:17:03] MDTM /DS_Justin_Backup/PortablePC/Download/New Pics & Vids/Pics/12-09-21.0) Hong Kong - Daytrip to Lantau Island/2438 - IMG_2466.JPG
[20130312 05:17:03] 213 20121002014307
[20130312 05:17:03] SIZE /DS_Justin_Backup/PortablePC/Download/New Pics & Vids/Pics/12-09-21.0) Hong Kong - Daytrip to Lantau Island/2439 - IMG_2467.JPG
[20130312 05:17:03] 213 0
[20130312 05:17:03] MDTM /DS_Justin_Backup/PortablePC/Download/New Pics & Vids/Pics/12-09-21.0) Hong Kong - Daytrip to Lantau Island/2439 - IMG_2467.JPG
[20130312 05:17:03] 213 20130312051429
[...]
But again, Windows explorer does not - it shows the proper size: http://screencast.com/t/5CxcSmUSbDn
Any thoughts on this? It really is a rather unsettling issue, as shown by my exact experience; by running SyncBack regularly I thought I was securing my data, when in fact, SyncBack destroyed the backup (causing an error on my local HD to result in it being irrecoverably lost).