Synchronize between Win directory and Android

[commodore]

I've used the Synchronize feature for as long as I can remember. However, when I tried to use it with an Android device (thinking of synchronizing directory contents between a Windows folder and a folder on the device - i.e. Total Commander on Windows and Android connected in file-transfer mode), I get a dialog box "Synchronize only supports the following combinations...". What would therefore be the best way to achieve this kind of synchronization?

[sqa_wizard]

All you need is the plugin Windows Media Audio 2.
This filesystem plugin is available in the Network Neighbourhood of TC and grants more access to your mobile.

[commodore]

Thanks, it works great. It even doesn't complain about path/filename length of more than 255 characters (like the default Windows and TC methods would; or they would just abort the whole operation). I just have to figure out why some of the files have different timestamps (even when overwritten in asymmetric sync).

[ghisler(Author)]

Windows Media Audio 2 uses the same method as Total commander or the Explorer does, it just calls the low level functions directly. Unfortunately setting the timestamp of remote files often doesn't work. So while the file timestamps my look correctly after an upload, they are not stored and the files get the current time. But you see this only when connecting the next time.

[commodore]

I've randomly checked the files now... it seems the ones on the device are -2 or some even -4 hours behind the timestamps of the same files on the computer side. Is there any solution for this? I remember ages ago there were differences after switching between summer and winter time, and it was also not the same on WinNT systems vs. Win9x systems.

[ghisler(Author)]

Do you use the same time zone on the Android device and the Windows PC?

[commodore]

Yes.

[ghisler(Author)]

The Windows Media Audio 2 plugin still has to rely on the MTP (media transfer protocol) mode built into Windows. It depends on the device whether it has been implemented correctly or not.

To bypass it, you could use the Android ADB plugin instead. It uses the Android debug bridge interface, so you need to enable developer options and debugging on the device (no root needed). The advantage is that it's much faster than MTP and can see the actual file system.

[commodore]

In principle, ADB plugin works... however, the files are an even bigger mess on the Android side: timestamps show even less consistency, and worse is that it doesn't seem to handle spaces in filenames at all.

[ghisler(Author)]

What do you mean with a bigger mess? It should show the timestamps exactly like a file manager on the device itself.

[commodore]

It didn't seem consistent at first look. But upon a more thorough examination, it seems they're 1 less hour behind the files on the "computer" pane (i.e. they're -1 or -3 hours, as opposed to when viewing them via Audio2 plugin, where they're -2 or -4 hours).

However, it doesn't seem to handle spaces in filenames, so it's basically useless for my case. For example: If a file is called "this is a filename.pdf", it will display a folder named " this" (with space in front), and a separate "filename.pdf".

So...
- The timestamps remain correct only when copying via the default access point (the one that appears in Explorer after plugging the device in). But the sync unfortunately won't work there (Error - Synchronize only supports the following combinations: directory directory, directory zip archive, directory ftp server, zip archive zip archive).
- Windows Media Audio 2 plugin makes them -2 or -4 hours.
- And ADB plugin has issues with spaces in filenames (also, timestamps are -1 and -3 hours).