ChronoSync Pegasus Edition Articles

MODIFIER ASSISTANTS

2017-10-05T20:28:20.2870000

MODIFY TASKS IN ONE FELL SWOOP

ChronoSync Pegasus Edition v4.8 now includes Modifier Assistants which allow you to choose some or all of your previously created tasks and apply mass changes to them. Whether it be error handling behaviors, task monitoring, enabling Admin Access or setting up schedules, ChronoSync Pegasus Edition 4.8 makes bulk modifications easy!

	Error Handling: Modify the error handling behaviors of one or more sync/backup tasks. The following settings may be changed: continue after errors (for containers), retry on errors, ignore EA and ACL errors, error predetermination, conflict predetermination, and post-task script execution.
	Simple Scheduling: Schedule one or more sync/backup tasks to run automatically. In addition to supplying a simple scheduling interval, you can optionally enable the ‘prompt before running’ and ‘retry on errors’ settings. The assistant will also check your scheduling configuration and suggest changes, if necessary.
	Admin Access: Converts applicable targets to Admin Access on one or more sync/backup tasks. This assistant will convert the input documents to use ‘Admin Access’ to scan your local filesystem, allowing access to files that are normally off-limits to you.
	Task Monitoring: Modify various settings used to monitor the status of one or more sync/backup tasks. These includes: detailed logging, log mirroring, email notifications, push notifications, screen notifications and completion sounds.

CONCURRENT COPIES

2017-10-05T20:24:18.2200000

INCREASED COPY SPEED

Ramp up sync performance with Concurrent Operations in ChronoSync Pegasus Edition 4.8. This feature allows multiple files to be copied simultaneously, which can greatly increase the efficiency of your syncs and backups. You’ll see the greatest improvement when dealing with network or cloud-based connections. Tune the new ‘Max Concurrent Operations’ in your Sync Document and witness the dramatic increase in copy performance for yourself!

LIVE TRIGGERS

2017-10-05T20:22:57.2330000

DON'T LIVE ON A SCHEDULE

One of our most requested features is finally here! With ChronoSync Pegasus Edition v4.8 you can configure your synchronizer task to monitor the chosen target for changes to the files or folders and only run when changes have been detected. Relieve yourself of tedious time-based schedules and know that your changes are being backed up automatically as soon as they occur.

SIMPLE SCHEDULING

2017-10-05T20:21:43.9170000

SIMPLE & FAST SCHEDULING

Have you ever been intimidated by trying to Schedule your Backup to run when needed? Are you overwhelmed by all of the available options? Well, ChronoSync Pegasus Edition 4.8 is for you! In ChronoSync Pegasus Edition v4.8, schedule entry and editing has been completely recreated from scratch. Simplified screens offer easy-to-understand options that make scheduling your backups a breeze!

FILE VALIDATOR

2017-10-05T20:18:53.5500000

BUILD TRUST IN BACKUPS

Double-check the integrity of your backups by running a separate validation of your data. Corruption of your backup data may go unnoticed by your daily backup regimen. ChronoSync Pegasus Edition v4.8 introduces the Validator. The Validator is a tool that can perform a byte-for-byte comparison of your file contents and metadata. Get a report of anything that might be out-of-sync. Validation confirms your older backups are preserved accurately without modifying anything on your two targets. Trust your backups to ChronoSync so you can trust your backups!

CREATION ASSISTANTS

2017-10-05T19:00:45.4400000

LET US ASSIST YOU

With ChronoSync Pegasus Edition 4.8, take advantage of creation assistants to get your backups configured and running quickly and easily. Assistants guide you through the process of configuring a synchronizer task to achieve a specific goal. This helps to quickly get your task configured with the required settings without being exposed to the optional settings that power users adore.

	Home Folder Backup: Make a backup copy of your home folder onto another volume. This assistant allows you to filter out sub-folders at the root level of your home folder. It provides the option of skipping unnecessary files and skipping your email folder.
	Bootable Backup: Create a bootable clone of your system drive onto another drive. This assistant provides the option of erasing or formatting your destination volume. You can even choose to enable encryption.
	Backup to a Disk Image: Make a backup copy of any folder onto a newly created or existing disk image. This assistant will intelligently size the disk image based on your source size. You can also filter files by data type and choose to encrypt the disk image.
	Synchronize Two Folders: Make folders identical to each other by bidirectionally synchronizing two folders of your choice. These folders can reside on different devices or mounted file servers (including NAS devices).
	Folder Backup: Make a backup copy of any folder onto another volume. This assistant allows you to optionally filter files by data type. The backup destination can reside on a different device or a mounted file server (including an NAS device).
	Multiple Folder Backup: Backup multiple folders to the same location on another volume. These folders can reside at different locations in your file hierarchy or even on different devices. You can optionally filter files by data type.

New 4.8

2017-10-05T18:58:20.2500000

4.8 Now Available!

ChronoSync Pegasus Edition 4.8 is finally here! The easiest, fastest and most powerful ChronoSync yet, version 4.8 brings a much simpler user-interface, simpler scheduling, a backup validation tool, substantial speed improvements as well as numerous other tweaks and enhancements. Use the links on the left to further explore all the new features that ChronoSync Pegasus Edition 4.8 has to offer.

Video: Scheduling

2017-10-05T18:52:24.1230000

Watch and follow along with these videos to learn how to schedule sync documents to run automatically, how to use advanced scheduling options and how to use the Scheduled Documents Manager Window in ChronoSync.

ChronoSync can automatically run any saved sync document on a pre-determined schedule. Learn how to setup a scheduled sync by watching our video guide “Schedule a ChronoSync Sync Document to Run Automatically”.

ChronoSync scheduling features include the option to run a sync document when a volume mounts. This technique allows you to schedule a sync to run when you, for example, plug in an external drive for backup. Learn how to schedule a sync when volume mounts by watching our video guide “Schedule A ChronoSync Sync Document To Run When A Volume Mounts”.

ChronoSync scheduled syncs are managed in the Scheduled Documents Manager window available from the ChronoSync Window Menu->Scheduled Documents Manager. Learn the various features and capabilities of this powerful document manager by watching our video guide “Scheduled Documents Manager Tour”.

Video: Restoring Items

2017-10-05T18:50:25.1700000

Now that you have quality backups created with ChronoSync, one day you may find that you need to restore a backed-up file from your backup target, or find an older version of a file from your Archive. Watch and follow along with these videos to learn how to restore items.

Your ChronoSync backups are exact copies of your important files. You can always browse your backup target and find items using Finder. Did you know you can also use ChronoSync to restore files and folders? Learn how to restore backed up files and folders using ChronoSync by watching our video guide “Restoring Synced Items In ChronoSync”.

ChronoSync can maintain extra copies of synced and deleted files or folders when you enable Archiving. What about restoring archvied items? Learn how to restore from the ChronoSync Archive by watching our video guide “Restoring Archived Items In ChronoSync”.

Video: Sync Document Basics

2017-10-05T18:49:32.9070000

ChronoSync is a document-based application, so each sync or backup you create can be saved as a 'Sync Document' and re-used. Watch and follow along with these videos to learn about Sync Documents and Container Sync Documents.

Each sync or backup you create using ChronoSync can be saved as a 'Sync Document'. Learn how to setup and run a Sync Document by watching our video guide "How to Set Up and run a ChronoSync document".

ChronoSync includes the ability to group one or more 'Sync Documents' into a special package called a 'Container Document'. Learn how to setup and use a Container Document by watching our video guide “Container Documents”.

Excluding a File or Folder

2017-10-05T18:47:23.0800000

This guide covers the quick and easy steps to exclude specific files or folders without ever having to visit the Rules panel.

https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/guide-excluding-files.html

Formatting and Partitioning Hard Drives

2017-10-05T18:46:20.5870000

Before using a hard drive for backup, you must format it. This guide shows you how to format and partition a hard drive to use for backups.

https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/guide-format-hard-drives.html

Synchronizer Document Fundamentals

2017-10-05T18:36:31.9100000

This guide steps you through the creation and setup of a synchronizer document. It explains target selections and a handful of options to consider when working in your document.

https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/guide-sync-doc-fundamentals.html

To Sync or Backup?

2017-10-05T01:47:05.6730000

1. INTRODUCTION
2. CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY
HARD DRIVES
TARGETS
FILES
HOME FOLDER
3. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SYNCHRONIZING AND BACKING UP
SYNCHRONIZING
BACKUP
4. HOW AND WHAT TO SYNC
5. HOW AND WHAT TO BACKUP

1. INTRODUCTION [top]

ChronoSync is the complete data management utility for macOS that allows you to efficiently synchronize or backup files and folders from one disk location to another. Before you start using ChronoSync, however, you must decide whether to perform a synchronization or backup operation. The answer may indeed be both, depending upon your circumstances. This guide explains the difference between these two operations and helps get you started using ChronoSync.

2. CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY [top]

HARD DRIVES [top]

All the data on a Mac is stored on a hard drive. This may be a spinning disk, or a solid-state drive (SSD). Hard drives appear in Finder as "Devices" and may be labeled "Macintosh HD" or something similar. Hard drives may also be referred to as disks, volumes, and HD's. Data can also be stored on external hard drives, network-accessible storage (NAS), iPods, iPhones, mobile phones, web servers, discs, and a lot more. These may appear in Finder as some of your "Favorites" and "Shared" devices. Your data on these devices is organized into a structure of folders. These folders can contain other folders and/or data files.

TARGETS [top]

When using ChronoSync and choosing something to sync or backup, you are choosing a target. This may be an entire disk or maybe just a folder on one of your disks. Don’t let the name confuse you — a target can be either the source or destination of the operation you are performing. The point to remember is if you can browse the device or folder using Finder, you can choose it as a target in ChronoSync.

FILES [top]

All of the data on your hard drive, or any device for that matter, is really just a bunch of files. These files have many descriptive names: applications, packages, utilities, folders, documents, and many more. For the most part your Mac can be divided into four basic sections; Applications, Library, System, and Users. Each of these sections is a folder at the root of your system hard drive that stores a bunch of files.

Applications folder - This is where all your applications are stored. Applications (or just Apps) are the programs that you use on your Mac.
Library folder - This is where all the files are stored that need to be accessed by the operating system and applications run by any user.
System folder - This is where the macOS operating system or 'OS' is stored. This contains the programs and configuration data that runs your Mac.
Users folder - This is where all the home folders are stored. Each user account will store their data files here.

HOME FOLDER [top]

Your home folder is a special folder on your Mac. The home folder isn't actually named "Home"; its name is the same as the short name specified in your user account and it is created as a sub-folder of the "Users" folder mentioned above.

Your home folder is the place where all the data and preferences related to your user account are stored. It's your HOME. All of your documents, mail, music, movies, pictures are stored inside your home folder. Even your desktop folder is a sub-folder of your home folder. Every user account on your Mac has a unique home folder. It serves to keep everyone's stuff separated from all the other users that have an account on the Mac.

For the most part only the OS and applications are stored outside of the home folders. However, some people may store files in various places all over their hard drive. If this is the case you should get organized and store all your files in your home folder! If you need to share files with other users on the same Mac, there is a "Shared" folder inside the "Users" folder which is just the place to do this.

When using ChronoSync, keep in mind that your most important data will be located in your Home folder. This is true for each of the users on your Mac. You can always restore your OS and reinstall purchased applications, but you don't want to have to try to recreate the data files you have in your home folder. So, when syncing or backing up, the best place to start is at home!

3. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SYNCHRONIZING AND BACKING UP [top]

SYNCHRONIZING [top]

Synchronizing (or syncing, for short) should be performed when you need to actively use and modify files on both targets. Files get copied from one target to another and then back again. Syncing is typically used to keep data files the same on two different Macs, such as when synchronizing between an iMac and a MacBook.

In a typical sync scenario, you may have some documents you have been working on using your office's iMac. You now need to travel and will be carrying your personal MacBook on your trip. Before you leave, you can synchronize the "Documents" folder between the iMac and your MacBook using ChronoSync. Now you will have all the iMac's documents on your MacBook to use during your trip. While traveling, you will make changes and update these documents. Upon your return, you then use ChronoSync to synchronize the "Documents" folder from your MacBook back to the iMac.

The above scenario can be handled in ChronoSync by creating a bi-directional synchronizer document. The two targets you choose are the "Documents" folder on the office iMac and the "Documents" folder on your personal MacBook. Once the bi-directional synchronizer document is created and saved, you can run it before your departure and then run it once again when you return. The will keep the Documents folder on both of these computers in-sync!

BACKUP [top]

Backup should be performed by everyone. You backup files when you need to maintain one or more redundant copies of your files in case something goes wrong. When backing up, files will get copied from a source to a destination. You should never use the files on the destination other than to restore them in the event a file is accidentally deleted or becomes corrupt. You should also consider performing multiple backups stored at different locations to increase the chance of recoverability should disaster ever strike. In a typical backup scenario you may want to keep a duplicate copy of all of your documents. By making a regular copy of your documents to a backup device, you are covered in the event that:

a document is changed and you want to revert back to the older version.
a document becomes corrupt.
a document is accidentally deleted.
a document becomes inaccessible due to hardware damage or theft.

In the event you need an older or working copy of a particular document, you can use ChronoSync to locate the document and restore it. ChronoSync can also keep archival copies of documents when they change, so you can go "back in time" and restore an older version of a document.

A special type of backup is the bootable backup. This type of backup produces a duplicate copy of your startup volume. It provides you the ability to startup your Mac using the bootable backup volume in the event your primary startup drive becomes corrupt or disabled. The advantage of a bootable backup is that you have a complete duplicate of your OS, applications, and all user accounts in one place — you can use it to have your Mac running within minutes of a failure of your primary drive.

The term bootable backup is somewhat misleading. It is a redundant system that can be used for quick recovery but it should not be thought of as a backup of your critical data. Consider this — if your system drive fails and you have to resort to starting your system from the bootable backup, what was once your backup is now your primary. At this point you will be operating with no backup whatsoever! While having a bootable backup is highly recommended, you should always augment it with additional forms of backup. Luckily, ChronoSync can create bootable backups AND alternate forms of backup so that all your needs are covered.

4. HOW AND WHAT TO SYNC [top]

You generally don't want to synchronize "System" or "Library" files that exist outside of your home folder because these files are specific to your computer and can actually cause problems when transferred to another computer. You also typically don't want to synchronize applications because they should be installed and updated from an installer or software update mechanism such as the Mac App Store. Instead, you should only synchronize files that exist within your home folder. You should also be aware that even inside your home folder there are certain sets of files known as managed data that you need to be careful with. Managed data are files in your home folder that are structured into databases such as your Contacts, e-mail, iTunes library, Photos and Bookmarks. For tips on dealing with certain types of managed data, see Guides: Strategies.

To learn the basics of synchronizing, watch our video "Sync Overview".

5. HOW AND WHAT TO BACKUP [top]

Unlike synchronizing, which restricts what files you should synchronize between two Macs, you can — and should — back up ALL the files on your Mac. If you fail to regularly do this, eventually you may be one of those people we all hear about who lost their data because they were not diligent about backing up. You can backup to internal drives, external drives, other Macs, PC's, iPods, iPhones, network, or web storage. ChronoSync can accommodate all these forms of backup destinations. You should also have multiple layers of backup — primary, secondary, maybe even tertiary (or more). It all depends on how critical your data is. ChronoSync can backup the same set of data in multiple places, fulfilling any multi-layered strategy you can think of.

In addition to making redundant copies of your important files, ChronoSync can be configured to make archival copies of your data. This means that every time a file gets deleted or changes, ChronoSync places the older version into an archive in case you need it again. If disaster strikes, you can use ChronoSync to restore the immediate backup copies of your files or extract the older, archived copies, too.

To learn the basics of backing up, watch our video "Backup Overview".

If you want to find out more information on backing up your Mac then get the bookTake Control of Backing up Your Mac by Joe Kissell.

I want to install ChronoSync on two Macs. Do I need to buy two License Keys to do this?

2017-10-05T01:40:47.8070000

ChronoSync Usage
Personal Use -- Personal Use is defined as an individual using ChronoSync for personal, non-commercial use. You can register the same ChronoSync License on any Mac that only you use. If more than one individual uses a Mac then a separate ChronoSync license is required for each Mac.

Commercial Use -- Commercial Use is defined as a commercial enterprise, non-profit enterprise, educational institution, or religious institution using ChronoSync for their entity. You can register the same ChronoSync License on any Mac that only one individual uses. If more than one individual uses a Mac then a separate ChronoSync license is required for each Mac.

For example, a single employee or student may use ChronoSync on both the employee’s desktop Mac Computer and laptop Mac Computer, or multiple employees or students may serially use ChronoSync on a single Computer. For the sake of clarity, each Mac Computer used serially by multiple users requires a separate license.

If registering with a Multi-Mac License Key then you can register that license key on the amount of Macs stated in the License Panel.

Contact sales@econtechnologies.com for any clarification.

Why is ChronoSync so cheap?

2017-10-05T01:39:52.2100000

We get this question at least as often as "Why is ChronoSync so Expensive?" — a fact that we find somewhat humorous. The unfortunate reality (for us) is that the current race-to-the-bottom app economy imposes a very strong downward influence on the price of software. Back in the 80's and 90's, it would have been easy to charge $199 or more for such a product — but not today! Luckily we are very efficient developers with very low overhead, so we can continue to offer professional grade software at such low prices.

Why is ChronoSync so expensive?

2017-10-05T01:38:59.7670000

We get this question from time-to-time and, in the current race-to-the-bottom app economy where $4.99 apps seem expensive, we can see why it’s easy to balk at a $49.99 purchase. The fact of the matter is that ChronoSync is not expensive. First of all, it’s the only price you'll have to pay. You will never have to worry about an upgrade or support fee with ChronoSync. With every new update (and we've released more than 60), you can actually consider your cost of ownership going down!

Secondly, software development is expensive. We've spent several million dollars developing, maintaining and supporting ChronoSync over its lifetime. It needs to be sustainably priced in order to continue that. Otherwise you'll be stuck with an un-maintained and un-supported product and we definitely don’t want to see that!

What is the difference between ChronoSync and Time Machine?

2017-10-05T01:38:10.1530000

Time Machine is the system level backup service that's built into macOS. It works transparently, behind the scenes, to take snapshots of your files. Backups are implicit but you have little control over what is backed up, when they are backed up and where the backups are placed. ChronoSync provides explicit control over your backups allowing you to control what is backed up, where it is placed and how often it is backed up. ChronoSync actually works quite complimentary with Time Machine. For more details, click here.

Can ChronoSync protect and encrypt the data that I am backing up?

2017-10-05T01:37:36.5330000

Yes. Take a look at how to Synchronize with a Disk Image to see how you can protect and encrypt your data.

Can I run ChronoSync as root or in Administrative mode to synchronize files?

2017-10-05T01:36:11.4670000

YES. In the Setup panel for each target, change "Connect to" to "Local Volumes (Admin Access)" to gain access to all files in the target regardless of permissions. This will only work for drives connected directly to your Mac. You cannot gain administrative access to any volume mounted via file sharing. To connect to a remote Mac with full administrative access, you can always use ChronoAgent.

Can I create a bootable backup with ChronoSync?

2017-10-05T01:35:26.9370000

Yes! ChronoSync can make bootable backups to locally attached, internal and external hard drives. It can also make remote bootable backups over a network connection very easily, by combining it with ChronoAgent. ChronoSync 4.8 will be able to create bootable backups of APFS volumes to APFS or HFS+ volumes when High Sierra is released later this fall.

Can I synchronize my two iPhoto libraries into one?

2017-10-05T01:34:51.8670000

Not safely. ChronoSync can merge the contents of two iPhoto libraries together, but iPhoto won't recognize those changes. This is because iPhoto tracks all its photos in a private database file. If you merged the contents of two libraries, you'd be making changes that aren't reflected in the database and iPhoto may lose track of your photos.

What the difference between backup and synchronize?

2017-10-05T01:34:12.6330000

Backup is when you copy files to a destination so that you have a redundant copy, in case something goes wrong with the original.

Synchronization is when you copy and work on files within both targets, like a desktop and a laptop.

What can I backup and synchronize?

2017-10-05T01:33:35.2270000

For backup operations, any file and folder that the logged-in user has read-access to. If you can open the folder in Finder and see its contents, and open the documents in an application, they can be backed up by ChronoSync. This typically encompasses everything in your Home folder.

For synchronization operations, you will also need write-access to these files so they can be changed. You typically have read and write access to the same files so this is rarely a problem. You should be careful about synchronizing the contents of your Library folder with another computer, however, since it typically contains computer-specific information.

ChronoSync also has the "Local Volumes (Admin Access)" option that can read & write to any file or folder on your system provided the user has administrator credentials. If connected to a remote computer via ChronoAgent, you can also gain full access to all files and folders on that computer as well.

Can I do a bi-directional sync between two different operating systems?

2017-10-05T01:32:38.6330000

Yes. You can synchronize certain files, like document files, between any OS that your Mac can copy to. For instance, you can synchronize your Documents between Mountain Lion and Yosemite or even Mountain Lion and Windows XP. However, you can only perform a Home-to-Home sync between the same version of macOS, meaning you must sync Yosemite to Yosemite but not Yosemite to Mountain Lion. Furthermore, you need to make sure that your iApps like iPhoto, iTunes and iCal are the same version.

Can I sync or backup to my iPhone or iPad?

2017-10-05T01:32:03.0600000

Yes. By using InterConneX in conjunction with ChronoSync, you can backup or synchronize files to an iPad and to an iPhone.

Can I synchronize a Power PC (G3,G4,G5) Mac with an Intel Mac?

2017-10-05T01:31:18.9230000

Yes, but only files and folders under the User and/or Home folders.

Do I need to install ChronoSync on two computers to synchronize them?

2017-10-05T01:30:41.9930000

No. If you are synchronizing between two computers, you only need to install ChronoSync on one Mac and connect to the other Mac. You can connect to the other Mac via File Sharing or install ChronoAgent on the other Mac for better performance. ChronoSync will automatically mount the remote computer for you with either option.

Which native languages do ChronoSync support?

2017-10-05T01:29:58.0000000

ChronoSync is available in English, French, German, and Japanese.

Do you have education or volume pricing?

2017-10-05T01:28:10.5130000

We do not offer educational pricing, but do offer volume discounts to everyone. Discounts on 5 & 25 packs are available online. For information on larger quantity discounts, email our sales department with your inquiry.

Can I purchase ChronoSync or ChronoAgent from the Mac App Store (MAS)?

2017-10-05T01:27:04.4100000

No. The reason is because Apple places restrictions on what system resources can be accessed by any application sold in MAS. This makes it impossible to offer the full ChronoSync feature set to MAS purchasers. ChronoSync Express, a more limited version of ChronoSync, isavailable in MAS.

Does ChronoSync install any low-level system components?

2017-10-05T01:25:59.6700000

No. ChronoSync Pegasus Edition does not install any kernel extensions or patch any system service nor does it bypass high level system APIs to communicate directly with devices. ChronoSync Pegasus Edition operates exclusively in "user land" and will not affect the overall stability of your system. ChronoSync Pegasus Edition DOES perform very high intensity disk I/O and, very rarely, may expose underlaying hardware and/or driver issues. If such occurs, our support team will be happy to assist in solving the problem even though it does not reside in ChronoSync itself.

Does ChronoSync have to be kept in the 'Applications' folder?

2017-10-05T01:16:22.6900000

No, it does not. Just be sure to launch ChronoSync once via double-click in Finder from its new location so that location path identifiers can be updated.

What are the system requirements?

2017-10-04T19:00:56.1970000

ChronoSync requires macOS 10.10 or newer. 50.8 MB of free disk space is also needed. Older versions are available for systems as far back as 10.3.

Does ChronoSync work on High Sierra?

2017-10-04T18:44:23.0070000

Yes! ChronoSync 4.8.1 is fully compatible with High Sierra and Apple File System (APFS). We’ve prepared a short tech note discussing High Sierra and the issues you should pay attention to.