[Bug : sync not indexing data when using NTFS junctions]

I'm running a Windows 8.1 system, using the NTFS file system ; Sync Pro version 2.3.3 (296)

I need to provide some background first, then I'll provide details of the bug.

Background:

I have 3 hard drives, all local.
Drives C:, D: and L:

I have a folder L:\real_data where my actual data is located
I have 2 subfolders - L:\real_data\data_01 and L:\real_data\data_02
I have populated each of data_01 and data_02 with some test data (a file, and a subfolder with a file)

I have a folder d:\000_data_junctions
I have created a junction d:\000_data_junctions\data_01 to L:\real_data\data_01
The command I use for that is: mklink /j d:\000_data_junctions\data_01 l:\real_data\data_01
doing a dir /s of d:\000_data_junctions\data_01 shows the expected data - the contents of L:\real_data\data_01

I have created a junction d:\000_data_junctions\test_data_02 to L:\real_data\data_02
The command I use for that is: mklink /j d:\000_data_junctions\test_data_02 l:\real_data\data_02
doing a dir /s of d:\000_data_junctions\test_data_02 shows the expected data - the contents of L:\real_data\data_02
Note the name of this junction is different than the target folder (test_data_02 vs data_02) - a perfectly valid thing to do from a file system persepctive

I have created the folder c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03

So far, all of the above is regular Windows file system stuff, and is all working as expected.

I add c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03 to btsync ; added successfully, and currently empty.

So far so good.  Now, the steps to reproduce the bug.

Scenario #1
In c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03, I create a junction called data_01 to d:\000_data_junctions\data_01
The command I use for that is: mklink /j c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\data_01 d:\000_data_junctions\data_01
doing a "dir /s" of c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\data_01 shows the expected data - the contents of L:\real_data\data_01
btsync indexes the shared folder c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03 properly - showing the proper size of the target

Scenario #2
Next, in c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03, I create a junction called test_data_02 to d:\000_data_junctions\test_data_02
The command I use for that is: mklink /j c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\test_data_02 d:\000_data_junctions\test_data_02
doing a "dir /s" of c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\test_data_02 shows the expected data - the contents of L:\real_data\data_02
btsync DOES NOT index the contents of c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\test_data_02 properly

Scenario #3
Next, I create a new junction for L:\real_data\data_02 called d:\000_data_junctions\data_02 - note this time the names match
The command I use for that is: mklink /j d:\000_data_junctions\data_02 l:\real_data\data_02
Next, in c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03, I create a junction called data_02 to d:\000_data_junctions\data_02
The command I use for that is: mklink /j c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\data_02 d:\000_data_junctions\data_02
doing a "dir /s" of c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\data_02 shows the expected data - the contents of L:\real_data\data_02
btsync correctly indexes the contents of c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\data_02 properly

Scenario #4
Next, in c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03, I create a junction called foofoofoo to d:\000_data_junctions\data_01
The command I use for that is: mklink /j c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\foofoofoo d:\000_data_junctions\data_01
doing a "dir /s" of c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\foofoofoo shows the expected data - the contents of L:\real_data\data_01
btsync DOES NOT index the contents of c:\000_shares\000_btsync\zz_test_03\foofoofoo properly

Conclusion:
- btsync fails to index data using junctions if, at some point, any of the names differ from what is actually on the file system (Scenarios 2 and 4)
- this started happening fairly recently.  Honestly, I can't recall a specific date, but I'm positive it was working in December 2015, so this bug must have been introduced sometime in 2016.
- the short answer as to why I'm creating a network of symbolic links, is that it allows me to abstract where the data actually resides from what's being shared in BTsync - I can move the data around as I see fit (wrt folder and drvie paths), but do not have to touch the BTsync configuration itself.  This has been working for years - as long as I've been using BTsync - so I'm nut sure what broke ... hoping it's a quick fix.

Please let me know if you need more information.

Thanks in advance!

-kevin

 

[Latest Desktop Build 1.4.83]

@rockhill04

Well, first of all I'm happy to hear that such a complex setup works fine for you. We would like to leave "Beta" as soon as product becomes stable (for now we still receiving some issue reports which we'd like to get resolved before leaving "Beta"). For now I can't share any ETA, sorry.

 

@2048bit

I guess the message you get is message of KeyPass. Could you please let me know exact version so I can attempt reproduction in Lab?

 

@cactustak

Thanks for bug reports, we'll take care of #1. As for #2 - what version of IE is installed on your PC? I have Win7 x64 in my Lab and it shows the vertical scrollbar once you exceed the window size with big amount of folders.

 

Hi RomanZ.

 

I'm running Windows 8.1 64-bit with IE11.

 

Thanks,

[Latest Desktop Build 1.4.83]

Hello there GreatMarko and all the other Bittorrent Sync folks!

 

First time posting, so let me start by offering a big THANKS! for this tool.  Making great use of it keeping things like music files in sync between my devices!

 

I've recently upgraded to the Windows 64-bit v1.4.83 version, and I've noticed a couple of UI bugs/oddities I thought I would mention.

 

1) If I open the UI, and keep the window open but (for the most part) minimized, except for when I'm working in it/looking at it, the following happens after a while ... I don't have a precise timeframe, but I'd say after 6+ hours at least:

- when I bring up the UI, the shared folders list only displays lines up to where the mouse pointer is.

- if I move the pointer down, more shared folders are displayed

- if I move the pointer up, fewer folders are displayed

- closing the window and re-opening the window solves the problem, but I don't think this should be a problem in the first place, should it?

 

2) no vertical scroll bars

- I have a large number of shared folders - 16 at the moment - and I basically have to have the window maximized to see them all ... navigating to folders not shown is a bit of a pain, in that one has to select a folder, then use the arrows to scroll up/down to bring the other folders into view, and the last folder is only about 3/4 in view.  Hopefully you can add a vertical scroll bar to make the UI a little cleaner to use?

 

Thanks in advance!