Smart Synchronization
The smart sync feature allows making files available offline. You can also choose to make explicitly all or only selected files and folders available for offline use. Changes to files are saved in a local cache first and uploaded in the background as soon as a connection is available.
Bookmark Options
You can change the synchronization options for a bookmark in Connect Mode.
Default: Use setting from Preferences
Online: Do not synchronize any files to your computer. You can only access this volume when a connection is possible to the server or cloud storage. Files are accessed on demand from the remote when opened and do not take up any local disk space.
Smart Synchronization: Files opened are made available for later offline access. You can explicitly make files available offline using the context menu.
Status of files
Files and folders on a mounted volume have a status icon overlay in File Explorer (Windows) and Finder (macOS).
Note
Please make sure to enable the Mountain Duck Integration in System Preferences → Extensions → Finder on macOS.
Up to Date
The file or the contents of a directory has been opened and downloaded to your computer and therefore currently synced with the server or cloud storage. The file takes disk space on your computer and can always be opened even when no connection to the server or cloud storage is possible. New files in a directory on the remote server will appear as Online Only and are not downloaded automatically. Files copied to a volume are kept cached by default.
In Sync
The file or directory is selected to be synced with the server or cloud storage to always keep offline. The file takes disk space on your computer and can always be opened even when no connection to the server or cloud storage is possible. New files in a directory on the remote server will be downloaded automatically.
Online Only
The file can only be opened when a connection to the server or cloud storage can be made. The file does not take any space on your computer. The file is downloaded on demand when you open it.
Sync Error
There was an error updating the file after changes. You are missing permission to write to the file or another problem occured. Please contact your web hosting service provider for assistance. To resolve the error, move the file to your local disk and reload the directory.
Ignored
The file is only saved in a local temporary location and never synced to the server or cloud storage.
Context Menu Options
macOS only
Please make sure to enable the Mountain Duck Integration in System Preferences → Extensions → Finder Extensions.
Select files and folders to always keep offline
You can choose to make files and folders available offline in the context menu. Those files and folders are located within an obfuscated synchronization cache and can’t be accessed outside of your bookmark. You need an active connection to the bookmark to see the offline folders. That means that you have to connect to your server once while you have access to an active internet connection. If you don’t disconnect the bookmark and the connection to the server isn’t interrupted otherwise you can still access the files that are located within the local synchronization cache. As soon as you are connected to the internet again, all changes are transferred to the server in the background.
To reach the context menu right-click on a file or folder in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS). Refer to Finder Extension & Windows File Explorer Extension.
Keep Offline
Choose Mountian Duck → Keep Offline on Local Disk to make the file available offline. The status of the file will change to In Sync. The action is recursive for all contained files when a folder is selected and applies to new files found on the remote storage.
Delete on Local Disk
Choose Mountain Duck →Delete on Local Disk to delete the offline copy. The status of the file will change to Online Only. The action is recursive for all contained files when a folder is selected and allows you to quickly free up space used in the cache on your local disk
Note
Choosing this option won’t prevent Mountain Duck from downloading there files and folders into the synchronization cache again.
Sync Conflicts
A conflict may be caused by two or more users editing the same files at the same time or while on the road before the files are synced. We do not merge changes to files like version control systems do. The file with conflicting edits will be renamed with the current time added to the filename. You will have to compare the changes manually and delete the duplicate file afterwards.
Action |
Error Cause |
Error State (Overlay Icon) |
Remarks |
Manual Conflict Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Indexing folder |
Missing permission |
Sync Error for files with |
Other files are removed from |
Context menu with options |
Open placeholder (1) file |
Permission failure reading |
- |
Status remains Online |
- |
Select to keep file offline |
Permission failure reading |
Sync Error |
- |
Context menu with options |
Indexing folder containing |
File with write sync error |
Sync Error |
For error states caused by other Operations |
Context menu with options |
Open placeholder (1) file |
Directory index is out of sync. |
- |
File is deleted in local cache |
- |
Edit file deleted on server |
Directory index is out of sync. |
- |
File is uploaded anew to server |
- |
Edit file renamed on server |
Directory index is out of sync. |
- |
File is uploaded anew to server |
- |
Edit file already changed |
Last seen checksum differs from current |
- |
Existing file on server is renamed |
User has to manually merge |
Edit file with parent folder |
Upload fails because parent folder |
Sync Error |
- |
Move file to different folder |
Move or rename file to target |
Directory index is out of sync |
- |
Existing file on server is renamed |
User has to manually merge |
Move or rename directory to target |
Directory index is out of sync |
- |
Existing directory on server is renamed |
User has to manually merge the |
Move or rename directory that no |
Directory index is out of sync |
Sync Error |
Directory is removed from local cache |
- |
Create file that exists already on server |
Directory index is out of sync |
- |
Failure creating file is ignored |
- |
Create folder that exists already on |
Directory index is out of sync |
- |
Failure creating folder is ignored |
- |
Deleting file already changed on server |
Directory index is out of sync |
- |
File is deleted on server |
- |
(1) Indexed file in local cache not downloaded from server
Sync Progress
Changes to files are uploaded in the background as soon as a connection is available. Progress is reported by animating the status bar icon and a menu item titled Sync in Progress.
Detailed status for current transfers is available in the Sync submenu. Refer to Sync Progress.
Pause Sync
You can manually pause background syncing by selecting Pause Sync in the submenu for the sync status. Syncing is also paused automatically when your network connection to the server is interrupted but resumed automatically when a connection is restored.
The paused sync status is indicated with a greyed-out icon in the tray (Windows) or status bar (macOS).
Sync Errors
Files that failed to sync get a sync error badge. You can try to repeat the failed transfer by selecting Mountain Duck → Retry in the context menu.
Resolve Errors
If a sync error cannot be solved using Mountain Duck → Retry because the server does not allow the operatio due to a permission issue you can resolve the error state on the file or folder by
Move the file or folder to another location on the volume
Delete the file or folder
File History
You can lookup the latest changes to files. Refer to Recent Files
Notifications
File Added: New file found on server for previously indexed folder.
File Updated: File changed on server since previously indexing a folder
Sync Conflict: Conflicting change in file lead to duplicate of file being created with previous content edited on server.
Refer also to Preferences → Notifications
Preferences
Refer to Preferences.