Synk Pro for Mac7.0.12

Thanks James. Does ChronoSync synchronise 'on the fly' as SynkPro did, or does ir require a manual or scheduled activation?

Anyone know of an alternative to Synk Pro?

I mourn the loss of this great piece of software, for which there is no great replacement.

One issue is that those of us who used Synk for so long have a lot of backups that cannot be accessed (if we used the archive old version feature). Without Synk installed and able to run (which it can't on Sierra/High Sierra), there is no way to access these old archives.

I WROTE A SCRIPT to extract these archives from the .synkarchive files. Anyone who would like this script should reply to this Comment with a way to get in contact with you, and I'll send the script.

Just received a mail from the developer: "We are coming to the end of testing Synk 7.1, a Sierra-compatible update that should also fix some outstanding issues and improve performance. We expect to finish beta testing in the next few days, and have an upgrade available by next week. (This will be a free upgrade for registered users, so there's no need to purchase a new license.) Thank you for your patience. We hope to have a better, stronger, faster Synk available soon!"

Broken with Sierra. Error message indicates discontinued support for Objective-C garbage collection.

Wont work with macOS Sierra public beta.

Using Synk extensively to synk TB of data across external disks and SMB shares. Recently upgraded to OS X 10.11 El Capitan and Synk still works like a charm. What always brings me back to Synk is the flexibility for the scripts and Synks ability to just quietly do its job, when the opportunity is there, i. e. target and source disks or shares are available. In this sense it is like Time Machine, which runs hourly, when the backup disk is connected. And similar to TM the scanning of the disk (what needs syncing?) is really fast.

Still my go-to backup program, and still working fine under Yosemite (10.10.1).

For some reason; perhaps a recent change in OS X Mavericks (I'm on 10.9.4) this formerly smooth running app has become extremely dangerous and I would advise against using it for any reason. It has suddenly taken to deleting files in synked directories for no reason whatsoever. Files in the other parallel directory get renamed with an extension of '.tmpsynkcopy. In addition, the folders within that parallel directory have some kind of permissions issue that prevents them from being edited or even moved to the trash. These permissions issues bring up an authentication dialogue that results in no action even if you correctly enter an administrator's credentials. I've seen this behavior on 2 different Macs using different external HDs. I'm not sure what changed, but its an extremely scary issue. And the developer does not have any kind of support forums to even search to find out if others have the same or similar issues; which is an extremely sketchy situation in this day and age. I have to again caution strongly against this software at this time.

this Synk thing installs an agent deep in the system that takes up to 200% cpu power and for a long that is a *long* time. without asking me, nor was I able to quit the process. deleted forever. and doesn't come back! good bye sync agent … hasta nunca ...

Necessary upgrades having been made by Tony, its new developer, Synk Pro continues to be one of my most valuable applications. It's extremely simple to set up and use, doesn't need reminding or scheduling (although those are available), works in real time. I really like Synk Pro.

I reviewed Synk Pro when it was new. Now it's a little long in the tooth -- but you know what? It's still better than anything else out there. Oh yeah, if you upgraded to Lion and then Mountain Lion, you're screwed. But you're screwed whether or not you use Synk Pro. ML is the problem. I use Synk Pro continuously with Snow Leopard and it works just great. Between Synk Pro and IMAP, my machines are always synched up. I'm a satisfied customer. (Still, I wish someone would revisit the software for the next generation, when Apple finally comes out with a useful OS update.

I'm a longtime Synk Pro user and happy until this week, when the Synk engines for four of my 10 synchronizations refused to do more than twirl. I requested support and am still waiting to hear back from Tony, the current owner of the franchise. As this is critical, I set up Chronosync (which I purchased around the same time as Synk Pro, but never used) and managed the synchronizations in that fashion. However, I'd prefer real-time synchronization that Synk Pro provides, when it's working. If anyone can tell me how to get the engines going, I'd be much obliged. Otherwise, I'm going to have to switch applications.

I'm a longtime Synk Pro user and happy until this week, when the Synk engines for four of my 10 synchronizations refused to do more than twirl. I requested support and am still waiting to hear back from Tony, the current owner of the franchise. As this is critical, I set up Chronosync (which I purchased around the same time as Synk Pro, but never used) and managed the synchronizations in that fashion. However, I'd prefer real-time synchronization that Synk Pro provides, when it's working. If anyone can tell me how to get the engines going, I'd be much obliged. Otherwise, I'm going to have to switch applications. Bob

I decided that it would be great to back up ALL incremental changes to an illustration that I'm creating with Photoshop CS5 so I dusted off my copy of Sync Pro, version 7.0.12 (40), and put it to the test. Just to note: Time Machine's "once an hour" backup simply isn't sufficient -- too likely that prior desirable creative work can't be re-captured. The other alternative, using Dropbox incremental backups, is OK but I want my versioned backup files to be stored locally for instant retrieval when needed. So far Sync Pro is working great! The "Evolutive" backup feature stores prior file versions in individual "syncarchive" files, which you need to control-click and select "Show Package Contents" to see them for the particular file you're working on. So, for me, this is a great solution for my needs. My system: 2011 15" MacBook Pro, Mountain Lion (10.8.2). ---

THIS SOFTWARE IS DEAD (or undead). I've been a user of Synk since 2005 (licenses from 4.x to Synk Pro 7.x). I've seen it go from an interesting software, to an indispensable backup utility, to a tender transitional stage, to its present state: an unmaintained, languishing heap which does not work for its intended purpose. This software was abandoned by its original developer and, now, appears to have been abandoned by a developer who has done nothing to improve the code while presumably skimming the few users optimistic enough to pay upgrade fees and/or desperate enough to look for a viable backup utility in a post-Snow Leopard world. My advice to all users who need backup is to look somewhere other than Synk. This code is done.

Love Synk Pro 6.5.6 but it's not compatible with OSX 10.7.5 and I'm not able to drop another $30 to upgrade just to retain compatibility. Great program but feel left out with 6.x.

Doesn't work with network drive (like ssh mounted volumes) and there is no solution to sync data located on internet server, I can use this app for the local drive or the local network drive but not to the outside network.

Does anyone know if Synk is ML compatible?

Disappointed because I really wanted a solid bootable backup. The previous versions did that for me but they won't run in Lion. My backup from this baby was unreliable -- would sometimes boot, would sometimes fail. The script never gave me a completed indication after **weeks** of running --- so I never knew what the bootable status of the moment was. I contacted support about being able to do a one-shot bootable back-up and got a ya-but-live-is-our-shtick-and-we're-sticking-to-it sounding response. I dunno --- iCloud, doc version autosave/ restores in the software, and Time Machine built in to Lion has me questioning that single minded approach. Anyway, I was able to make and prove a bootable back-up in a tad over an hour with Carbon Copy Cloner. bye-bye Synk 7

Dog slow- excessive CPU and memory hog -- fixed by developers response (1/2 hour after I sent the email): I wonder if you have Synk Pro set to "Issues and Activity" mode? The constant sorting and re-sorting of the items in that display seem to be the major CPU consumer when Synk Pro loads are high, so you might want to try setting that to "Issues Only" when not actively watching what Synk is doing. Even better, just quit the Synk Pro application when creating a new sync (during which time Synk is creating a database of file metainfo, which is what takes so long)---it's actually the Synk Engine process that's doing all the heavy lifting, and the Synk Pro application isn't needed at this time. Best, Tony -- Tony Gonzalez support@decimus.net

Don't tell me I've lost $60 again…

Abandonware?

Not a problem, only a question: has anyone successfully synched up Apple Mail across two machines. To do this, I tried simply synching ~/Library/Mail, but that seems not to work even with Mail turned off. Must I synch individual folders, everything except IMAP accounts? That would mean absolutely duplicating everything and their order from my MBP to my MBA and vice versa. Seems a lot of work liable to multiple errors. Your advice welcome.

I have the same experience as "Manu Chau" that I was never able to get this to work probably with Lion and making a backup of a boot drive. The software just keeps on throwing errors and takes forever what should be an hour or so task, at least it's with SuperDuper! I have also tried to sync home folders across multiple Macs and again SynkPro just keeps on throwing exception which require me to sit their and acknowledge them for it to continue. I believe this software is okay to sync individual folders across multiple machines but if you want to sync complete home directories and/or complete disks backup I'd not recommend it. Unfortunately that's what I needed it to do so it's not for me.

Really great program for keeping Folders or Drives synchronized. Gone are the days of manually running rsync or some other utility—with Synk you just set up a synchronization rule, turn it on, and from then on you will always have up-to-the-second synchronization. I think the price could be a bit lower, but in the end the ease of use and stability of this app justifies the price, especially if you use it to keep many drives/folders in sync. One note of complaint though, and I'm not entirely sure it's the fault of the program: I had this running on my early 2010 Mac Mini Server to keep a live backup of the OS drive, and I had to turn it off due to extremely high CPU usage. It would fluctuate anywhere from 60–140% of 2 cpu cores (ie-140%=100% first core and 40% second core). However, I run several scripts on my 2007 MacPro, including a live backup of the OS, and cpu usage is negligible. I have no idea what the issue is with the Mac Mini.

easy and works well. - other synching solutions are complicated to set up and don't do what I need. Synk however works really well. Reliable. only issue are permissions which are not adjusted between 2 macs. I need to give myself permission to read/write to documents when I changing my mac. that could be easier.

Remote sync stopped working since I moved to Lion (despite the suggestion to delete items in my Keychain). This has been the most frustrating piece of software I've ever purchased. The auto mode (when working) was a dream. The manual mode is a nightmare and it's apparently intended to be. After contacting the developer multiple times it's clear to me he feels it's working as intended. I did give it an extra star for making the uninstall painless.

I have been trying Synk Pro 7 for a week, and it just works as expected. I have noticed: - The Synk Engine always runs as root. It sometimes causes a problem of file permission for a remote volume which is readable only by the current user, not by root. We need an option to specify the owner of the engine. - The exclusion list should accept a path input, otherwise it is impossible to specify invisible items.

I have been trialling Synk 7 on and off since March. I have probably sunk at least a whole working week in trying get it to run. But its behaviour is still erratic and the reasons for it are close to impossible to tracking down. And Decimus has been unable to give me any help or pointers besides nice words of encouragement. And since Synk 6 is non-functional on Lion thus have to consider Synk abandonware. The key problem is that Synk 7 almost never manages to get my boot drive into sync, pegging both my processor cores fully for 12+ hours (the most time I can give it during a weekday). I have spent the last two weeks again tracking down what is tripping Synk 7 up. I successively reduced the workload from 3 million, to 2 million, to 500000, to 200000, to 100000, to 20000, to 3000 files by excluding stuff. None of these managed to get into sync by running it overnight. I then went the other way around, not by excluding stuff from by boot drive but by merely syncing individual folders. That worked well and miraculously after some successive buildups of number of files under considerations, syncing the whole boot drive worked (ie, it managed to get into sync). Unfortunately, trying it again today, there is still no sign of it getting into sync after 4+ hours. My best guess is that the rare successes I had with Synk 7 are all down to luck, ie, there are one or more processes that cause Synk 7 to effectively hang itself but I have no clue what it is. Since my computer is usually running around 140 processes (counting the PIDs), finding the offending one by trial and error is anything but trivial. And in their great wisdom, Decimus (or shall we say Benjamin Rister) did not build-in any debugging tools that would show me which folders (or files) are causing Synk 7 to never finish, thus essentially abandoning all their customers which have a slightly non-perfect system (with Synk 7 not working and Synk 6 also not working anymore on Lion). Of course, they say, I should just look at the list of activities but more often than not this list is empty (whether that is a sign of Synk 7 having half-crashed or 'just' a UI bug is naturally an open question). And that Synk 7 can peg my processors with basically zero disk activity for several minutes does look much more like Synk 7 hanging itself as some external process causing it to re-scan a folder. Naturally, Decimus could give me a debug build of Synk (one that simply logs what it is doing, making it maybe possible to say where it gets stuck). But that seems outside their technical or resource or goodwill range. Decimus has abandoned the non-live sync backup market (they market Synk 7 as a live-sync tool and have stated to have no interest in adding a non-live mode to it). As has the creator and lead developer, who has left the company. Thus, I too should probably abandon Synk and Decimus. I am sure there is some great work inside Synk 7 but launching a new product that at same time abandones a good deal of your customer base is not something that creates a lot of trust into their product. Thus, as a warning to all potential buyers of Synk 7: Don't feel too comfortable using it as a backup tool for your boot drive (where lots of processes constantly write files), it might stop working at any moment.

I love Synk Pro 7: it is intelligently engineered, it is relatively simple to set up, and once this is done it is as effortless as Time Machine with much more flexibility and finesse. Like others here I still use SuperDuper! for regular bootable backups, because I do like that to happen on a schedule (at night). I also use QRecall for some things, partly because I am a software junky and I like the interface, but also because it does have specific capabilities that Synk doesn’t. But if I was forced to choose, I’d go for Synk. I remember the days when despite the fact that it was expensive and awkward to use, the herd all stuck with Retrospect because it had been around for a long time and they were used to it. In those days the smarter choice was Synchronize! Pro, which was (and is) much more flexible and user-friendly, but times have moved again: S!P is still good, but it is no longer cutting edge, and it is stuck with an outdated licensing model. Synk, to my mind is the new gold standard. I just really hope that the change in dev will not compromise things. Indications are that it won’t and I wish the team every success.

What is live syncing with this app like on very large files say a 4GB file? I assume if I make changes this app will sync the 4GB file over from scratch as I work slowing down my machine? 4GB or so even on an SSD is not instant by any account over a ethernet to a file server. Is this app made for people just using tiny little office files not those working in media? I notice the demo vids all show little files. But what about huge files how does it cope with those? Good or Bad over traditional manual or cron based syncing for large files is my question?

I was upset about the upgrade policy, but I finally bought it and I now I couldn't do without it. It's a full 5 stars, and it deserves it.

One of my best software purchases EVER! I've been using Synk Pro for about four months to synch my MacBook Pro, my office machine, and my MacBook Air, my travel laptop. I've had absolutely no problems linking User folders, Home folders, Apple Mail, and six special folders each pertaining to a different critical project. The system works flawlessly. It even worked all right with Snow Leopard on the Pro and Lion on the Air, but as I never liked Lion -- it's a toy, not a serious OS update, and it resulted in a burnt out logic board -- both machines are now running SL. No matter. The settings work whatever the combination. I don't even have to think about it, SP is doing its job. I can grab the Air and run out the door confident that all the folders and files I need are right there. Support on the few occasions I needed it, early on, has been personal and on the money. I doubt that I'll give up Synk Pro for the iCloud. Despite Apple's efforts to make synching easier, most of their networking efforts have gone off half-assed and besides, Synk Pro already works. I rate SP straight five-stars. (The one 4.5 below, Features, is an artifact of MacUpdate. It deserves five stars, too.) Buy this software, it eclipses the competition and will make you smile.

Takes at least ten times longer than Synk 6, SuperDuper or CCC on my boot volume. Unless you like your computer to contribute to the room heating noticeably and provide a nice background hum via full-speed fans, there is little reason to use it over these three alternatives for the purpose of cloning a boot drive with lots of files.

After my previous problems, I went back to Synk after a time, and the previous reviews are superseded. All the issues I noted have been worked out, and the application is now stable, predictable and effective - it produces full-disk backups with no problem now and I will be using it to prepare my bootable backups for Lion. I still do think a few of the features in 6.x could have been carried across, and that the price is a bit high, but the second is not so much of an issue now that the application is solid.

Excellent application. I love the realtime sync ability. Only wish this could be applied to iPhoto catalogues in simultaneous use. However, this is not a weakness of the application so much as a design issue in regard to iPhoto. I highly recommend this sync utility!

This is one amazing backup program! It backs up the files and folders you tell it to, whenever it detects a change in them. It's "live" backup happening in real time, not hours later. And it works great! You can have it archive older versions so you can go back and retrieve one if you need to. It's kind of like Time Machine but with immediate backup rather than at fixed intervals. I've used it now for a few weeks and it's been flawless. Synk 7 is different from other backup methods (and from previous versions of Synk) and so may require a mental adjustment. But once you've tried it and seen how great it is, you won't want anything less!

I have been using Synk Pro for a few days to setup a folder on "previous versions" for active files I have on my desktop and dropbox folders. So far it works remarkably well and fast in the background. The interface is nice to work with and I very much like the archive file format that gives me full access even without a copy of Synk. So far so good, if this continues I will be sending the $60 to the author. Thanks !

Really surprised how good this is, especially the automatic syncing when I attach USB drives. Only small wish is that I could see activity when it's running.

Easy to use, reliable, excellent support. I'm gradually linking all of the non-volatile folders (e.g., documents, not applications) on my MacBook Pro and my MacBook Air so that I can take the latter with me, updated all of the time. When used with IMAP email and MobileMe, I'm totally synched. So glad to find a real-time synching solution!

Capabilities look very nice on paper, hide the fact that it killed a previous app which had a partially overlapping set of features. So, new features have come, old ones disappeared. Unable to complete a sync for me for my boot disk, worked on pure data drive. Some very horrible UI elements, though also some nice ones. But the horrible ones stick out unfortunately, eg, the menu bar icon or whole lower right part with thin divider lines in a completely arbitrary relation to another.

I really like this software, it's easy to use and has great support. The problem I have with this new version is the price. They used to have 3 flavors for this program, I used the middle one. Now that they have reduced it to 2 there is no middle ground. $60 for features that were in last version is absurd. Drop your price and I'll gladly fork over the dough.

Thanks a lot for your software and your work. Works pefectly with intensive and large backup and sync. Out all others backup systems.

I can across Synk purely by accident, thanks to a tweet by Olof of SLink. I can't say enough good about this application. I've been using it for a couple off weeks and its effortless and automatic. The biggest problem with backups is remembering to run them and normally you don't realize you have been forgetting to do your backup's until its too late. With Synk its a set it and forget it. The 2 way sync (or multi way sync with the Pro) is fantastic. No more shuttling between computers with USB key's or external hard drives, Synk will keep the files in sync on your computers just like Dropbox! The advantage over Dropbox though is many fold... Decimus explain it on there Web site but two I'll mention here, no annual recurring fee and no limit to the data you can sync (i.e. Dropbox is 2Gb, 50Gb or 100Gb). The one feature though that is a must have is the Archiving in Synk Pro. You can keep every version off every file for however many day's you set in the software. I thought this would be very complex to set up and maintain but its so simple and I've already had to use this feature to recover some files (RW projects) that I messed up. Brilliant!! Saved me hours off work and this alone was worth the price off the software. There are some poor reviews from existing customers who do not like the new version off Synk. I can't understand why, this is brilliant and has already saved me from many stupid mistakes.

Synk Professional is an invaluable tool for me and i use it quit often. although looking at chronosync from time to time i never see a reason to swtich. developers are responsive and up2date. thumbs up!

It's about time people recognised this latest version of Synk Pro as being a significant improvement on version 6. OK - it's different. OK - it takes time to get your head round it. BUT - I have never come across a more capable synchronisation program in my computing experience. It beats chronosync and superduper in terms of functionality and ease of use. Currently I have five scripts - 3 synchronisation and 2 one-way backups. They are ALWAYS up to date without having to think about it. Even with 5 scripts I hardly notice any cpu activity and the new archive system works very well eg I have access to multiple versions of the same word doc and this has proved useful on a number of occasions. The bootable backup script is, admittedly, a little slow on first running. However, once you go into the advanced settings and instruct the script to force backup to the destination drive, the script is super fast and I am guaranteed to have the very latest version of my system. I have tested the bootable backup on several occasions and found it to be accurate and functioning. The upgrade price is definitely worth it - crikey, software developers don't live on air! This is the first review I have ever written for a piece of software - usually can't be bothered wasting my time - but in this instance I just had to counter the negative reviews I kept finding. These reviews, I believe, are ill considered. Try this program out - it will change your backup, synchronising and archiving routines for the better.

What the developer needs to understand is these figures; 60*271 =16260 20*2710 =54200 15*27100 =406500 as at 01/29/2010 Check the success of the iPh app developers - they go for volume.

I have only been using Synk (standard version) for a month or so, and I am most impressed with its features and straight-forward functionality. I have used many backup apps, and this is by far the best. The problem I've had with many is that I was continually tinkering with them and often I never resolved the problem. Not so with Synk. Just set and forget. You can access the backups easily and they're not encrypted or converted into a different file format. And restoring a file just takes a moment. Best of all, Synk comes with excellent tech support from the developer. When I was originally setting it up, I had a few problems - and the developer responded very quickly and even set up the same backup scenario to get to the root of the problem [which was user error]. And this was all while I was still trialling the app. What else is there to say? ... If you just want a backup service that delivers what it promises, you've come to the right place..

After initial problems with the new version of Synk, I have come to really appreciate what the developers have come up with here. It is a backup program unlike any other, and I think Jayhawkbabe's comment about Dropbox points towards the best comparison I can think of: Synk is a bit like an offline Dropbox utility with the advantage that you can backup whole drives. Synk recognizes file changes and syncs them immediately to one or more specified locations. It's great how one or many backup/sync scenarios can be set up in one place and how you can order them in the side bar and even create folders for different scenarios. My scripts include: - several bootable backups of two different hard drives - folders that I want to keep in sync - a so called "GoodReader" folder that syncs my GoodReader documents on my iPhone/iPad (neat, isn't it?) I also want to highlight the excellent support behind Synk. I had some inquiries, and the super friendly and competent support team got back to me within hours.

I'm a long time user of Synk Pro 6 and have put Synk Pro 7 through it's paces both as a beta tester and once a stable version was released. I admit it took me a while to get used to the new paradigm adopted by Synk 7. As noted by others, Synk 7 removes some degree of control over when files are synchronized. However, there is an upside: my files are ALWAYS synchronized. I don't have to remember to run the program--it just happens! As internet bandwidth continues to grow, I think this will be the trend most programs take. Indeed, there are already a number of services that use this model. It's just that these programs--Dropbox, SugarSync, ZumoDrive--tend to synchronize a smaller amount of files and they do it with a server. Synk 7 scales this model up and cuts out the server middle-man. So, to those who are grappling with the new way Synk 7 runs, I'd recommend taking it for a spin with a few, non-critical files. Play with it for a few days and get used to the way it works. I think many will be pleasantly surprised. I'd also add that the service I've received in my many years as a Synk user is outstanding. The developers are sharp, helpful, and willing to have a frank discussion with me about a question or feature request. This is exactly why I like supporting indie software.

I think there is an injustice to be set right here: Synk Pro 7 does not deserve a low rating. It is a carefully thought-out and well designed app that does a good job very elegantly; it just does a rather different job from Synk Pro 6. I can understand why registered users of 6 might feel aggrieved at stumping up for an upgrade that defies their expectations, and there would perhaps have been an argument for launching 7 as a renamed app to make clear that it has taken a new direction. I do not however blame the dev for changing course, in fact I applaud him for it. I really appreciate single-minded devs who throw their heart and soul into a project, and pursue a good idea without compromise. And this particular dev has a track record of writing (and supporting) excellent software. Much as I'd like to give it five stars, I'm not yet rating 7 because I have not used it in hot blood, but I can see the logic of evolving from ZeroScan to the concept of continuous background backups rather than absolute schedules. There are a shoal of apps already doing what Synk Pro 6 did (very well) with powerful scheduling —and no reason for the time being at least not to stay with 6— but 7 seems to be moving into new territory, combining the forgettability of Time Machine with the fine-grained control of 6. My only real gripe with 6 was the rather cluttered interface, and this has certainly been addressed in 7, which is much cleaner and easier to follow. I have to admit that the upgrade fee is causing me to think very carefully about how badly I need to upgrade. I do appreciate that this is to all intents a new app, but the reality is that if it is perceived as an upgrade, the price is very steep —more for an upgrade to Pro 7 than the full cost of Synk. I think this was misjudged, but the app itself still deserves a high rating for achieving its own aims very well.

Like others, I've used Synk for a long time and had a pattern of use for it, specifically for -periodic scheduled backups- and -back this up right now- Unfortunately, Decimus has decided these modes of operation are no longer 'user friendly'. They've decided that "always synchronize in background mode" is the only legitimate mode for the application. Additionally, they have not recognized the user interface problem I pointed out to them (one that caused me to lose hundreds of vacation photos), where a default setting is -destructive- ("Extra files in destination" default is "remove if previously in source") I'm really sorry they moved in this direction, because Synk no longer fits my needs. Time to learn rsync().

OK, let me sum it up: - the update from Synk 6 Standard to Synk 7 Standard costs $30 ($40 full price) - a bunch of features of Synk 6 Standard has moved to Synk 7 Pro (Rules ! Are you kidding ?!) - the update from Synk 6 Standard to Synk 7 Pro costs $45 ($60 full price) - ChronoSync costs $40 (full price) - ChronoSync is rated 4 stars and a half on MacUpdate, Synk 7 Pro rating has plummeted to 2 Beyond price issues, having mandatory upgrade to Pro version to keep using the same functionalities is unacceptable. Conclusion: farewell Synk.

I have used Synk Pro successfully since v5, and was looking forward to v7. Unfortunately, I feel that backward steps have been taken. I see what the author is trying to do with v7 - hide complexity from the user interface and make all backups continuous on attaching a backup disk without there being a trigger - but, as often happens, 'simplification' has introduced confusion. Most seriously, a whole disk backup always shows 'conflict in file versions' warnings and never appears to complete because some applications continually update files in non-temporary folders; ironically, Backblaze is a prime culprit. I was able to set up a rule to stop these irrelevant conflicts from showing, but a beginner could be excused for thinking that there was something fundamentally wrong. Also, the list of files being backed up either scrolls madly (if file activity and issues are turned on) or shows little if anything of what is happening (if issues only are turned on); nowhere is there even a rough indication of how much of the backup has completed. That the focus of the list moved from the folder level (v6) to the file level (v7) is surely a mistake, because there is generally too much irrelevant information shown (how often do you need to see the details of every file backed up?) and, for some reason, a large list occasionally becomes 'stuck' well away from the files being backed up, which again gives the impression that nothing is happening although the backup drive light is flashing. The Menu Bar item is static; granted, the Time Machine animation might not mean much, but at least it shows something is happening! All that said, the backups are sound ... but there is too much detail and not enough of a summary shown while getting there.

upgrade price for Synk Pro v7 $45 = original Synk v6 price. "Interesting" offer for existing customers!

Every new version of Synk (standard) removes feature from the app while adding unnecessary ones and increasing upgrade price (30$ to upgrade Standard version). With thes one, you cannot even prevent Synk to synchronize invisible files, like finder .DS_Store ! You have to buy the Pro version ! I use Synk to synchronize a MacBook with an iMac once a day. Do I really need to have a process running all the time checking any changes in my documents folder? Even when my latop is not connected or powered on, the Synk Engine on my iMac is trying to synch it, showing warning (unavailable destination) in the menu bar. Maybe this software is useful for backups (what's about Time Machine?) but it's definitively not the good solution for synching a laptop and a desktop anymore. I'll stay with Synk 6 Standard.... until I switch to something else (CronosSync ?). Disappointed.

ZeroScan is neither "revolutionary" (because it has not changed a damned thing in the world of syncing) nor "new" (because it has been a part of Synk for like 8 years). Developer, the more BS PR/advertising language you use in your MacUpdate post, the more people will continue to ignore your app. BTW, I have a paid license for Synk and think it's an outstanding application, so I'm not making these critical comments because I prefer one of your competitor's apps, but rather because I am sick of cheesy marketing, which is inappropriate in this space.

actually $45 is for upgrading Synch Pro 6 to Synch Pro 7! =:-0 full price is $60 for the Pro version and $40 for Standard :-/

I have been a very satisfied user of Synk Standard 6 for several years to maintain a bootable backup. I downloaded and installed Synk Pro 7 last night. Overnight, it finally finished its rebuild of a bootabl backup on the extrnal drive. It now continuously checks for changes in just seconds and then goes dormant. I even tried ejecting the external disk without turning off Synk and it handled it smoothly. It was even able to remount the external disk by just turning the script off and then back on. I am truly impressed! I have no connection to the developer except being a very satisfied user.

I downloaded this about 20 days ago and have been testing since then. I own several of the other similar programs and found I like this one the best. I also tested their support by sending them a question and got a reply within just a few hours. I like how you can easily see all the scripts in the left window and the summary view for each script. Also the one to many sync option. It is very fast at doing syncs. Overall I like the interface and features in Synk Pro the best.

Very useful software; I had Superduper but it slowed down my computer for 30 min when making bootable backup; much more rapid with synk and many more options. For example, I also use it to automatically launch a synchronization between 2 USB hard disks when both of them are connected.

I've been a long time SuperDuper user. At one point the features of SuperDuper simply weren't enough to cover my needs though. After testing several backup applications I happily bought Synk Pro and I haven't regretted this for a single moment. I have set up different backups that run automatically when the external drive is attached to my Mac, two of them bootable backups (clones) and several important file backups. I also backup some critical files on a daily basis to my Dropbox account using Synk's time scheduling feature. All of these scenarios are handled easily with Synk Pro once everything is set up. I can say that I feel pretty reassured knowing that Synk Pro is taking care of my backups. The only time I had to make a full restore from my bootable backup everything went smoothly and without a problem. I'd also like to point out to my fellow MacUpdate users who are looking for a great and reliable backup solution that Decimus' customer support is more than excellent. I contacted them twice and received helpful feedback within the hour. I strongly recommend this application!

I was using Synk Standard and recently updated to Synk Pro. The interface on both products is clear and has extensive options. I use it on my clients' servers and over the years I have built up confidence in the reliability of it's operations. Recently I had a need to contact technical support. I got an email reply within a few hours. Problem solved. Thanks for a great product and excellent support.

While testing Synk Standard and Pro on exact backups, neither current version seems to backup app-icons always. Synk Standard v6.4.1, however, did exact-backups with app-icons intact.

I have used Synk to back up my file servers since version 3. I have found it fast, extremely reliable, and easy to set up and upgrade. It is a "fire and forget" app that does my periodic and nightly backups and one I prefer to Time Machine (probably because all my data lives on my servers rather than my hard drives).

despite a kernel panic when trying to run a complete backup, i'm going to give this one a shot because the ZeroSync and multiple-sync features seem promising

Looks like another great MacUpdate promo deal, and I've been looking at Synk for awhile now, so I may end up buying this deal as well!

I have been looking for a backup system to compliment my G5 for about a year. Glad to see this is available. Diane Knaus

Happy to test another backup Utility. Presently using CCC b6 on Black Intel MacBook. Beta 5 did not run on Intel but Developer (Bombich) provided near-instant feedback on beta 6 - now runs. All Backup utilities have different functionality, and I guess it depends on what meets your needs. I used to use Retrospect, but it is so dated now and so slow- amazing to see it still around. Will try this and see how well it meets my needs. Eric in Hobart, Australia

I've recently been identifying and testing a number of backup strategies. One particular criteria for me has been to ability to do frequent updates to backups (e.g. once per hour). With Synk Pro's ZeroScan technology, such backups can be done quickly and without much overhead. I suspect that Apple's Time Machine will not offer the same breadth of features and usability that Synk Pro provides. In addition, I have found the vendor to be responsive to issues I have had with the application.

Good deal, going to pick it up!

I want to like Synk, but after using it a bit, synkd, the helper process that manages automatic backups and this "zeroscan" thing that hooks into the Kernel knowing about file updates, is using 700MB of REAL MEMORY. This process is supposed to be resident ALL THE TIME. When the Synk.app process is running, between the two they're using over a gig of memory. That's just not acceptable. Thanks, but I'll stick to SuperDuper, despite its problems.

I've been a Synk user since v5 -- a powerful program that I highly recommend!

I've been using Carbon Copy Cloner until, the sync engine couldn't do a single clone completely (the sync engine would crash). I'll give this a spin and see how it goes...

I have Super Duper and this program (version 5, however) A great program it is!

I use SuperDuper, but this is very tempting. I can't decide!

I've taken a look at this software before and have been impressed with its features. I been using qdea's Synchronize! X Plus for its ease of use now the features in Sync Pro are looking much more flexible to me.

Wow, I used this software years ago with great success but migrated away from it. I'll have to give it a second look.

I've used earlier versions of Synk with great success. This version (actually, the new Synk Standard) seems to take forever on the first backup -- nearly a full day for 120GB. That seems excessive, but if ZeroScan really is as quick as they claim, then perhaps it's worth the one-time wait.

As a ChronoSync owner I didn't find out this tool as too much revolutionary. I am skipping this one...

Great Software!

Looks like a no brainer. I was just about to buy SuperDuper, but this does more for the same price.

This sounds like a good solution to sync my USB stick, Mac and backup server.

This is an awesome program which I bought at version 5 but the price was a bit steep on renewal when it hit version 6.

I've been using SlingShot for synchronizing between a desktop and laptop. Anyone familiar with both -- and how they compare?

This looks like the perfect solution for my work back-up needs.

Having been a Syncronize Pro user for years (and having paid a fortune for that claim) - I'm ready to try something more agile, capable and made by a gang that seems to have a good time while being guys anyone would be keen to meet. Good luck with it all!

I use SuperDuper for regular updates, but this looks useful for finer-grained directory-level backups and restores.

How does it compare to Chronosync?

SyncPro is an excellent front-end for selecting groups of files you want replicated in multiple machines. A general use for this is to synchronize your Documents folder from your MacBook to your Desktop, making sure that every time you take your notebook on the road, you've got the latest versions of your files, and when you get back to your office, you're working on documents you've changed on the road. This is a fantastic productivity tool for anyone with more than one machine, and is well worth full price. Grab it at a bargain while you can!

This looks like my new choice for backing up instead of Deja Vu.

I haven't won anything since the second grade and that was a little over twenty years ago. Guessing how much candy corn was in a jar. And I hit the number right on the nose. And that was the only hot teacher I ever had Ms. Davidson. Of course kids these days are luckier than we were back then.

Working in a Pro audio environment, Sink is my definitive choice as a backup application.

Weird my previous comment seems to have disappeared. I have ChronoSync but I might try SynK Pro. I think I'll have a read through the features first see if it adds anything to whay ChronoSync already offers...

So you just need to post a comment... cool. Oh and SynK Pro is great :D

Promo License Portability: Synk Pro licenses are also accepted by Synk Standard and Synk Backup, should you prefer a simpler and easier-to-use version over a power-user's tool.

I have been using SuperDuper and Personal Bakcup Pro, but Synk seems quite attractive, and possibly more versatile. I am just wondering if I need the Pro version, or if the mid-range product would be appropriate too. Anyway, thank you, MacUpdate. for arranging such offers of fine products at attractive pricees!

5 Starts for a quick and easy solution to Syncing challenges.

Synk Pro solves so many issues and makes like so much easier. Thank you MacUpdate!