SyncToy

Having to deal with a lot of new or updated files on a daily basis can prove to be quite a hassle, especially if they need to be moved between different locations. On the bright side of things, you can easily rely on specialized applications like SyncToy (32 and 64 bits) to perform multiple types of synchronization on pairs of folders.

The application takes little time to install, letting you take it for a spin right afterward. Note, however, that it requires .NET Framework to function and to be able to go through the installer, as well as Microsoft Sync Framework, but items are already bundled in the installer and ready to be deployed if not on your PC.

Creating a task takes you through a series of steps. Synchronization is done on a pair of folders, so you need to create them if you don’t want to use existing ones. They’re selected in the first step, followed by the type of synchronization to be performed. Don’t worry because all settings can be modified once you’re done creating the task.

There’s the possibility to have content completely synchronized, meaning that all files are found in both folders by the end of the operation. An echo mode can be used for new and updated files to be copied to the right folder, while the contribute mode does the same thing, but without removing duplicate items.

As mentioned, settings can be changed once a task is done, and this allows you to configure file filters and whether or not to include subfolders, exclude read-only, hidden, and system files. A preview mode can be launched to mimic actual synchronization just so you see whether the task is properly configured.

SyncToy is definitely a reliable offline folder synchronization tool. The wizard makes sure you have not trouble setting up tasks, with several synchronization modes at your disposal to configure just the operation you need.