Some unchanged files keep being copied

[d2hamilton]

Got the full version. Did a full "all files" backup. Then, just to test, I did a "smart update" backup and it had to copy several files. (Only 7 minutes worth.) I immediately did it again, and it appears to have copied those same files (or at least from the same directories) over again. This is even when it's run twice in a row, with no other apps being run, files being changed, etc..

Why does it keep coping over those same files? (from Music folder, Pictures folder, a couple .app "files", etc.)

Thanks,
d2h

[dnanian]

How do you know that those files are being copied? Is it because you're seeing them in the status view? Those files aren't being copied, they're just being examined.

If you're sure they're being copied, it might be that those files are "floating" -- we'll often copy "floating" files (see my blog) over, because they look like they've changed...

[sjk]

I've noticed Smart Update can report a small number of files as copied even though no modifications have been made on either the source or destination volumes. Besides the "floating" files, are there any others (e.g. symlinks) being reported as copied?

[dnanian]

(Smart Update *always* refreshes symlinks, definitely. That's expected and intentional.)

[sjk]

Thought so but I couldn't find our previous discussion about it so thanks for the confirmation.

[joebeone]

So, I too am noticing that SuperDuper! tends to copy more than I want it to... that is I have a partition with Mac OS X 10.3.7 and one with 10.3.9 on it... I do a bit of work on 10.3.7 but spend most of my time on 10.3.9. I would like a way to Smart Update only the files in /Users/... however, when I wrote a script that copied /Users/ it proceeded to Copy a whole slew of stuff including things in /System and (I think) effectively wrote over my 10.3.7 install.

If, as above, it is truly just comparing the files and not copying them, why does the title of the progress bar say, "Copy Files from (source) to (target)"??? Can't it, if making comparisons, say, "Comparing files..." and then when copying, say "Copying files...".

Even if it not copying files, why does it have to check files in /System when all I ask it to do is to Smart Update /Users/?

Frustrated, Joe