Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

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hapEcat
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Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by hapEcat »

I'm using the donation version of FreeFileSync to sync my W10/Mint20.3 shared NTFS E:DATA partition to my backup media, which consist of; 1 exFAT SDXC, 3 exFAT 3.2USB sticks.
The 3 USB sticks sync with no errors, but syncing to the SDXC card has started returning errors, "Cannot write modification time of <fileXXX>" synced to the SD card. Because the modification times are not written, in the comparisons, those files are considered as "New Files" and are repeatedly rewritten.
This just started May 12th, and I posted to the FreeFileSync forum that day, thinking that surely this had to be a FreeFileSync issue.
Since then, the post has been viewed 55 times, with 0 replies.
See topic: https://freefilesync.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9358
Is it possible that the "Mod Times" is a Mint issue, that changed the SD card from storing those times?
All files Synced previous to May 12th have retained their Mod Times, and do present this issue.
ScrnShts are below...
FFS_Warning_2022-05-12 15-34-46.png
CompletedWarnings_2022-05-12 15-36-53.png
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by hapEcat »

The FreeFileSync site Admin has finally posted an answer to my issue of "Mod Times" not being written since May 12th, but were written to the removable media prior to May 12th, by claiming that it's an issue with Linux Mint. A known issue?
It would appear someone is attempting to pass the buck.
A ScrnSht of the reply is below...
FFSForum_2022-05-30 11-06-20.png
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by Menard »

I ve read a lot of stuff about this and for some "specialists" this comes from delays between the Linux Kernel and the Ext4 file system, this ext4 supports now 2 dates by element but the kernels, no, because the "team" thinks it is useless ?
In the real it is even more complicated if you back up on NTFS because the modification dates are kept only for one part of the elements ... :shock: and it may vary with the time, so one day with Nemo you see the files dates that were kept, but another time later they are lost :shock:

Some stuff https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... 897#657897

The solution i ve found because I am not using some application, only Nemo ... I put the files in folders with dates as monthes or else to keep the month

But for SDCard it may be different, generally they are formated in fat32

When you copy files from ext4 to another NTFS partition did you have this event, one date lost ?
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by hapEcat »

Menard wrote: Tue May 31, 2022 4:16 amWhen you copy files from ext4 to another NTFS partition did you have this event, one date lost ?
It's not in the copying from ext4 to NTFS, as it is NTFS to exFAT media using the Mint20.3 OS, but no issues, when done using the W10 OS.
I've been making backups since the Mint20.3 install, sometime in the 1st part of the year, and the "Mod Times" have been written to all backup media, through May 11th, but on May 12th the "Mod Times" could not be written to the SD card media.
Something happened between May 11th, and May 12th.
My workaround has been to do my syncing in W10, where the "Mod Times" are written to the media.
The main data partition is a separate NTFS (E:DATA, or /dev/sda7) partition, and all Mint "/home" data is synced over to a "CopyOfMint-home" folder on the W10 E:DATA partition.
From E:DATA, 4 backups are made, with mirroring updates done on a daily basis. A good % of downloaded files, are downloaded directly to that NTFS (E:DATA) partition.
I have 4 removal media backups, all formatted exFAT.
1) SDXC 256GB
1) 3.2 USB 256GB
2) 2.0 USB 128GB
Hope this explains my scheme a little better.
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by hapEcat »

What is so different in SD cards vs. USB sticks, when formatted in the same x-FAT file system, the data is not stored in the same format?
Or, after May 11th, certain aspects of that data are omitted?
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by AndyMH »

Note that freefilesync is a windows application ported to linux. The dev may only have a limited understanding of linux.

EDIT - I wonder, dual booting with win10 - I assume you have disabled fast start in win (or maybe a recent win10 update may have turned it back on)?
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by mikeflan »

I wish I knew the answer to this problem, because I am afraid I might have this problem someday. The bottom line is I always FFS from EXT4 drives to NTFS or FAT32 drives and I never have a problem with modification times or FFS. My NTFS is an internal drive that is always mounted. I thought my USB sticks were NTFS, but I discover this morning that they are FAT32. I just did a test both ways with the FAT32 sticks and I have no problem. Sorry.
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by hapEcat »

AndyMH wrote: Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:12 amEDIT - I wonder, dual booting with win10 - I assume you have disabled fast start in win (or maybe a recent win10 update may have turned it back on)?
Yes, "Fast Boot" is turned off. If "Fast Boot" is not turned off, I've found that you can never boot to anything other than W10, but Secure Boot seems to work with either OS.

Mind you, in the 1st post, I stated...
Up until May 11th the modification times were written to the SD card, so we're talking 4 1/2 months that the "mod times" were written to that SD card, but on May 12th those "mod times" ceased to be written to that same media. Nothing changed except the date.
So my work-around is to boot to W10, run FFS, then boot back to Linux Mint, a real PITA, but a necessary evil.
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by AndyMH »

hapEcat wrote: Mon Aug 01, 2022 6:21 pm Yes, "Fast Boot" is turned off. If "Fast Boot" is not turned off, I've found that you can never boot to anything other than W10, but Secure Boot seems to work with either OS.
You are confusing fast boot and fast start. fast boot is a setting in BIOS, fast start is a setting in win10. It means it never really shuts down, leaves any win filesystems it touches locked and read-only to linux. Default is enabled. Not convinced it is the cause of the problem, but worth a look.
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by hapEcat »

Where is "fast start", and how do I disable it?
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by AndyMH »

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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by hapEcat »

That setting is not an option.
PwrSetting_01 2022-08-09 06.01.32 PM.png
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by AndyMH »

Didn't try very hard.
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by antikythera »

hapEcat wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 11:18 am claiming that it's an issue with Linux Mint. A known issue?
possibly fuse but not Linux Mint specifically. NTFS to exFAT would be handled by fuse rather than the kernel
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by hapEcat »

AndyMH wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 5:08 am Didn't try very hard.
Tried that too, but the option is not there.
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by AndyMH »

Odd, if you google "windows 10 disable fast startup" you will get a lot of hits, saying the same thing. Don't have a win10 machine to hand to test.

Reason I suggested it was with it enabled, win filesystems are locked = read-only to linux, but if you are able to write to ntfs partitions from mint, then not the problem.

Note your SD card is exfat. Try formatting to ntfs, does the problem go away? linux does now support exfat, but not sure how well (I don't use it, some utilities in LM20 don't support it, gparted and parted are two).
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by hapEcat »

I have always been able to write to my Win NTFS E:DATA partition.
E:DATA, same as dev/sda7, is a shared DATA partition between W10 and Mint20.3.
I'm also able to write to 3 different exFAT USB sticks, with the "Mod Time" preserved. It's something to do with that SD card, that is not preserving the "Mod Time", when trying to do my backups through FFS, using the Mint20.3 OS.
Basically, I only use W10 to make the backup to the SD card, so the "Mod Times" will be preserved.

Be mindful, this "Mod Time" write to the SD card only started in mid-May, previous to mid-May the "Mod Times" were written to the same exFAT SD card, without exception.... One day the "Mod Times" are written, the next day they ceased to be written. Something happened, overnight.
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Re: Modification times not written to backup media, by FreeFileSync

Post by mikeflan »

Posting more faststartup info in case it help:

Boot into windows and disable faststartup.
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-disa ... st-startup
viewtopic.php?p=2067102#p2067102
https://fosspost.org/prepare-your-pc-fo ... cure-boot/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdLcJLKEMbY

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