David.P

Hi forum, Can I delete a .sync folder in a synced directory, or will this break Sync somehow?

Yeah true -- so has the "Devices" tab been officially removed and replaced by "Settings -> Identity"?

Just an hour ago, in version 2.5.13, I still had Sync's "Devices" tab, where all my devices were beautifully shown with name and status. Now, after updating Sync to v.6, there is no "Devices" tab anymore. Is this a bug or a feature?

Well, this is neither intuitive nor standard behavior in any file manager, or file list, for that matter. At least, when a file is selected (and already synced), "open" has to be shown in the menu options, additionally to "clear" and "remove". Not sure if "sync" should be a menu option for a synced file either. Cheers

Haha, now it's clear what is the problem. Below screenshot shows how I find the file I'm looking for with the amazing instant search function of Sync. So far so good: Next screenshot shows the menu options I get when I select the file. Okay, can't seem to open the file? Probably because it is not synced. So I choose "Sync" and the file is downloaded to my mobile device. This is shown only by the tiny checkmark in the screenshot left below. However, if I now select the file again, I still can't seem to open it. Same if I click on the "i" (information) icon next to the filename: It seems that I can still only share, clear or remove the file, but not open it: This is where I gave up last time. However, now I found that the problem was that I only had tapped on the file's icon, which only selects the file. I did not know, and it is also not very self-evident, that for opening the file, you have to tap the filename and not the icon. What's more, if the file is already selected and you tap the filename, the file is still not opened but instead only unselected. You then have to tap the filename a 2nd time to open it. To conclude, opening a file from the search screen is very unintuitive: "don't tap the icon and don't select the file beforehand, instead make sure to only tap the filename of an unselected (and synced) file to open it!" -- and does not really follow any file manager conventions. Thanks for listening, and please consider fixing this somewhat weird behavior of the search screen.

Thank you Helen, will do so. By the way and apart from the (possibly small) problem I am having with it, Sync's instant file search is AWESOME

I have tens of thousands of files synced on my devices. On Android, of course it's selective sync for storage reasons, and only used for just in case a file is needed on the go. So why on earth is it that (additionally to "sync" or "share") I can't OPEN a file from Sync's search screen on Android?

OK thanks Helen, will do so. I guess the problem was that I started with Sync by following this guide: Quick guide to syncing ...because it says there: "This guide illustrates how to sync a folder between two computers in 5 easy steps", which exactly is what I had been after, but for a long time could not find a tool that would easily do it (until I found Sync). However, I completely missed out on the Identity stuff that way, and therefore did not pay attention to it when setting up sync on the two devices. Rather, I probably should have followed this guide from the start: Comprehensive guide to syncing (Desktop-Desktop) [Edit: no, probably this is the best starting point for setting up Sync Pro: Sync Private Identity & Linking My Devices] Thus, provided all of the above should be correct, I would like to suggest that the Quick guide should include a note saying that preferably the same identity should be used on both devices, because otherwise, advanced syncing will not work properly (as I had to learn the hard way). I would also like to point out that it is not so easy to find your way around the fact that apparently, four or five different keys (with up to eight different names) can play a role when setting up a private cloud with Sync: at least two device keys, or one device linking key (that also can be called "M-key") a personal license key, possibly some read and/or write keys for folders, and a device fingerprint key (which is sometimes also called "certificate" and/or "identity" instead) Thank you again and Best regards David -- [edit: after further reading and still trying to figure out how to set up my three devices, it seems that "device linking key ", "M-key", "fingerprint", "certificate" and "identity"are all only different names for the very same entity. This is extremely confusing for the new user, and really should be consolidated.]

OK so while the name of the identity on the laptop is the same as on the PC, the fingerprints are completely different. Should the fingerprints be the same on both machines, provided I want to use only one Identity? If yes, I wonder how the different identities came about in the first place. I remember that I set up Sync on both devices and then simply shared a folder from the PC to the laptop via the "Share Folder -> Copy Read & Write Key" function on the folders tab. So somehow, the "Share Folder" approach seems not to be the proper way of setting up my private cloud, is it?

Will have to check that and then come back, thank you.

Thank you Helen. cause you don't have any other devices linked to your identity. there's only the laptop. But what about the PC -- the PC is also linked to my identity: ...as is the laptop: So there are two devices linked to my identity, aren't they? Therefore, the "New folders from other devices will be..." -setting should turn up on the laptop as well, shouldn't it?

Thank you. However, it does not say where I "add a folder". Does that mean that I add a folder in Sync on the folder tab, or that I add a folder on the actual device at the default folder location as specified in the My Devices tab...? Now that you are adding this information, it seems to be clear (whereas I still am somewhat confused by you adding "apparently"). However, please note that the official guide linked above does not state where you "add a folder". While for you and the developers who deal with Sync all day long, it seems to be self-evident and not worth mentioning that you "add a folder" to the "Folders" tab in the Sync application (and not to the default Sync folder location on your hard drive), please understand that this degree of self-evidence cannot be assumed for users who try to find their way around Sync and how everything works. So why is it that there is no such setting on my laptop? Sorry but it says verbatim in the above screenshot that I "don't have any linked devices". If this information actually should mean that I don't have any other linked devices, then it should say so. The wording "You don't have any linked devices" (when actually I have one linked device) is clearly wrong and therefore confusing. What will happen if I click "unlink this device"?

Thanks Helen, will do so.

Thank you. I think I will edit clear names in the logfile then, and send it to you. What else should I edit in the logfiles before sending them? You can't connect to my sync devices using the logfile, can you? Btw, I have used the correct syntax for MAC addresses in the Sync settings. I have only inserted "XY" into the MAC address above because I am not sure whether I could be located with the original MAC address.

Hi, the problem has unfortunately reappeared. Sync is not connecting via the WiFi adapter MAC address as set in the adapter bind setting. This is the adapter: I am hesitant to send the entire log file because it contains lots of private data like file names and real names etc. The bind interface setting is active and set to 1c:87:2c:XY:ed:71 In the log, I can find things like this: ...or this: Please advise what I could do, or what else you'd need from the log file. Thank you. [Above, I have crossed out some private data like IP addresses and names]

Okay, there, I read: However, it does not say where I "add a folder". Does that mean that I add a folder in Sync on the folder tab, or that I add a folder on the actual device at the default folder location as specified in the My Devices tab...? Sorry, this is still very unclear! ..... it's always there, you cannot disable it. You will need to select one of the three if you link a few devices with one identity to tell Sync what to do with new folder which is added to sync. No, there is no "New folders from other devices will be..." setting on my laptop, see below: What's more, from the screenshot it can be seen that my device "blurred laptop" is linked, but at the same time not linked, to my identity. Sorry again, but this is still very confusing.

?

Sorry I still don't really get the full concept of this, and whether I need it at all. "It" meaning the linking modes "Disconnected", "Selective Sync" and "Synced". What I have been doing successfully is sync ONE folder from the office PC to the home PC, via the Folders tab. Works like a charm. However, I don't really understand the meaning of this in the My Devices Tab: In the above settings in the My Devices Tab, do I need that "New folders from other devices will be..." -setting at all? There are no "New folders from other devices", only my standard sync folder in the Folders tab. So should I "Unlink this device", or what should I do with the My Devices Tab, and why?

After weeks of working perfectly, I found that I had no connection today. Sure enough, that bind_interface setting had been gone again. Additionally, when starting sync (via Windows Start Menu), I was asked for a user name as if I had never previously set up and used Sync. So why is it that Sync can't just save and keep its settings? It is hard enough to set up anyway, but it is a nuisance having to do it over and over.

OK thanks, I understand now what the linking modes "Disconnected", "Selective Sync" and "Synced" mean. However, what is a "pixelated identity"? Additionally, I was of the opinion that Sync only syncs folders, not entire devices. At least I have set it up to sync only one folder at the moment. Therefore, I don't understand why Sync came up with that question about linking identities (= syncing devices?) in the first place. Could you clarify this...?

OK, will do so, thank you.

I've edited the original post to show the dialog in English. I'd be glad if someone could explain the meaning of every one of the three paras. to be found in that dialog. Further, this dialog comes up only about every second time I open Sync, which also is confusing. Additionally, this dialog never came up during the first months of use of Sync. I also already have certain folders that are synced, so it's not clear to me what "linking to [my] identity" means, nor what stuff is put in the "default folder" location, neither the reason why I have to specify what happens with "new folders". David.P

The setting seems to remain if I just relaunch Sync. But not always. I just had to change the adapter bind setting three times until it was saved. Also, the setting had remained active for a couple of weeks. However, today suddenly I had no connection anymore and sure enough, the setting was gone (i.e. reset to default).

This morning, suddenly the below dialog comes up when starting Sync: I have not the slightest idea what this dialog suggests me to do -- and there is also no explanation given about it whatsoever. Additionally, there is not even a possibility to dismiss this dialog! So what am I supposed to do? I can't even get to the main screen of Sync. Please note that I'm as close to an software engineer as you get, being a power user with occasional programming experience. Therefore, please try and use language that not only the developers but also your customers understand, when suddenly coming up with dialogs like the above. Finally, please be as kind as to explain what the above dialog is about. Thank you David.P

OK it seems to work now. However, Sync does not save the Sync Prefs -> advanced -> power_user option "bind_interface" -> 00:80:41:ae:fd:7e (example) ...setting. After a reboot, the setting is always set back to default (i.e., no interface binding)!