FAQ and Knowledge Base

Yes, they are!

We all need to be very careful when installing new software that is downloaded from the web. At TGRMN Software, we guarantee that all our downloads, installers and software products are top quality and:

• Virus-free.
• Spam-free.
• Ads free.
• Lightweight and not “bloatware”. Our downloads are only a few megabytes.
• Digitally signed by TGRMN Software for extra security and guarantee.
• Only install the software that is actually downloaded, ViceVersa PRO or VVEngine, no additional/other unwanted software. No other software is bundled with our products.
• Do not change or alter system-wide settings, including registry, system files or other operative system settings.
• Do not affect the functioning of the operative system, hardware or other running programs.
• Do not install any Windows Services, unless explicitly requested when setting up the VVEngine scheduler to run as a service (optional).
• Do not install/replace any Windows Drivers or Kernel software.
• Only install and copy files to the designated installation folder.
• Do not require a system reboot after installation.
• Self-contained and do not require any third-party components or libraries to run.
• Can be uninstalled easily, cleanly and quickly, without leaving any traces or system changes behind, via the standard Windows Control Panel. Clean Uninstall
• Do not communicate “back home” any information to us at all, nor collect or transmit any information to third-party. Zero. Nothing.

TGRMN Software has been selling ViceVersa PRO and VVEngine since 2001, you can trust all our products. You can download, install and use ViceVersa PRO and VVEngine with confidence.

Please visit our User’s Forum to discuss with other users.
Please contact sales@tgrmn.com for any questions or clarifications.
Read the End-User License Agreement.

Yes.

Starting with ViceVersa PRO version 2, the Volume Shadow Service is used to copy files and databases while they are in-use or locked. See http://www.tgrmn.com/web/kb/item33.htm for more information.

Yes.

Starting with ViceVersa PRO version 2, the Volume Shadow Service is used to copy files and databases while they are in-use or locked. See http://www.tgrmn.com/web/kb/item33.htm for more information.

Yes, ViceVersa PRO can backup Hyper-V virtual machines using the new Windows Hyper-V Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) Writer.

There are two basic methods you can use to perform backups of Hyper-V virtual machines with ViceVersa PRO:

(a) From within the Hyper-V virtual machine (guest-based backup). In this scenario, ViceVersa PRO runs within the virtual machine to backup files. This is the same process you would use to backup files on any other operative system.

(b) From the Hyper-V host (host-based backup). In this scenario ViceVersa PRO runs on the host computer (outside the virtual machines) and uses the Hyper-V VSS Writer to backup the virtual machines. Using this method is recommended, because it captures more data. This type of backup includes the configuration of virtual machines and virtual networks, snapshots associated with the virtual machines, and all the virtual hard-disks used by the virtual machines. The virtual hard-disks contain the entire guest operative system, Windows Registry, and any data or applications installed in the guest. This method allows so-called “baremetal restore” of the Hyper-V virtual machines.

Detailed information available in this PDF document  BACKING-UP HYPER-V VIRTUAL MACHINES WITH VICEVERSA PRO

Yes, you can set up automatic file synchronization, file replication or file backup, using one of the following tools:

1) Use the Windows Task Scheduler and the ViceVersa Command Line (ViceVersa PRO and PLUS). Command line options for ViceVersa are documented in the help file.

2) Use VVScheduler (ViceVersa PRO). VVScheduler is included in the ViceVersa PRO download and can be accessed from the 'Tools' menu. VVScheduler can schedule multiple profiles to run periodically at a certain time.

3) Use VVLauncher (ViceVersa PRO). VVLauncher is included in the ViceVersa PRO download. VVLauncher can schedule one profile at a time and can run it as soon as file changes are detected in folders.

4) Use VVEngine   (ViceVersa PRO). VVEngine is our most advanced scheduling tool for ViceVersa PRO, available as a separate download. With VVEngine you can manage multiple profiles using the Internet Browser; organize profiles into categories; set profiles to run every X minutes, every X hours, every X days; set your profiles to run at startup or as soon as file changes are detected; detect external drives and network connections, re-run profiles on error and much more ... 
Click Here for more information on VVEngine 

See the different tools' capabilities in the Scheduling Comparison Chart

Watch ViceVersa Schedulers Video

It is quite rare to exceed 259 characters for a file path name. If that is needed, ViceVersa PRO supports long path names exceeding 259 chars.

To enable this in a specific folder use the prefix "\\?\".

For example, to allow paths longer than 259 characters in c:\folder\backup\ use \\?\c:\folder\backup\ as source (or target, or archive folder) in ViceVersa PRO.
Using "\\?\" permits a maximum path length of approximately 32,000 characters composed of components up to 255 characters in length.

To specify a UNC path, use the "\\?\UNC\" prefix.
For example, "\\?\UNC\<server>\<share>".

Yes, Dark Mode is available from version 5 of ViceVersa PRO.

Dark Mode in ViceVersa is automatically selected if dark mode is enabled on Windows.

Alternatively, dark mode can be activated manually in the ViceVersa preferences. VVLauncher also supports dark mode.

Watch Dark Mode Video

ViceVersa treats Outlook Files (.PST) as any other file. 

When synchronization is activated, ViceVersa overwrites the older PST file with the newer PST file, based on the files' timestamps.
If changes have occurred in both PST files since the last synchronization (e.g. you have worked on both computers where Outlook is used, without synchronizing first), then a conflict is reported.
The conflict pair needs to be resolved manually, i.e. you need to decide which file to keep.

Please note: ViceVersa does not synchronize individual Outlook e-mails, contacts, appointments.

Yes. ViceVersa PRO is fully compatible with all editions of Windows Server 2003.

ViceVersa PRO can be setup to run as a Windows Service using the VVEngine

ViceVersa PRO supports also the 64-bit version of Windows 2003: more info

Yes, ViceVersa PRO is fully compatible with Windows Server 2008 (and with Windows Server 2003, 2000). ViceVersa PRO is fully compatible with all editions of Windows Server 2008: Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, etc. ViceVersa is not compatible with the Windows Server 2008 Server Core mode as ViceVersa requires a GUI to be present.

ViceVersa PRO can run on the server as a Windows Service using the VVEngine add-on.

Yes, ViceVersa PRO is fully compatible with Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2.

ViceVersa PRO is fully compatible with all editions of Windows Server 2012 (Essentials, Standard, Datacenter, etc.). ViceVersa is not compatible with the Windows Server 2012 Server Core mode as ViceVersa requires a GUI to be present.

ViceVersa PRO can be easily setup to run as a Windows Service using the VVEngine add-on.

Yes, ViceVersa PRO is fully compatible with Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022.

ViceVersa PRO is fully compatible with all editions of Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022 (Essentials, Standard, Datacenter, etc.)

ViceVersa PRO requires Windows Server 2016 / 2019 / 2022 with Desktop Experience installed. It does not run just on Server Core as it needs the GUI to be available.

ViceVersa PRO can be easily setup to run as a Windows Service using the VVEngine add-on.

Yes, ViceVersa works with CD/DVD Recordable/ReWritable drives (CD-R/CD-RW/DVD-RW) if a proper device driver is installed and configured with your drive. The driver should make the CD/DVD behave like a large floppy disk. Nero InCD (part of Nero 6 or later) and Roxio DirectCD (part of Easy Media Creator) are two products that work with various CD/DVD drives and makes them look like large floppy disks. Check with your CD/DVD documentation.
One simple test to see if ViceVersa will work with your drive is to see if you can copy files from your hard disk to the drive using Windows Explorer. If Windows Explorer can copy files to the drive ViceVersa can too.

Note on Windows XP: Windows XP includes a "lite" version of Adaptec/Roxio's Easy CD and it does not make the CD-R/RW/DVD-RW look like a hard disk. You will need to install a packet writing software such as Roxio's DirectCD for Windows XP. DirectCD is included with Easy Media Creator for Windows XP. DirectCD allows your drive to appear just like any other drive volume. In other words, your CD-R/RW/DVD-RW drive handles files just like a hard disk or floppy disk. Once you have Direct CD installed on your system, you can drag and drop files to the CD/DVD as well as use ViceVersa to backup your files to the CD-R/RW/DVD drives.

*** Requires ViceVersa PRO 2.5 build 2502 or any later version ***

I have a profile with multiple source/target pairs: how do I apply a file filter only to one of the pairs? For instance, I would like to include all .doc files, but only from the second pair.

Answer:
Use an include file filter with mask <2>*.doc
The notation <2> will limit the scope of the filter to the second source/target pair.
Similarly, use <1> for the first pair, <3> for the third, etc.

Please refer to the following Article on wikiHow

ViceVersa uses the timestamp that Windows assigns to every file.

To identify file conflicts, i.e. files that have changed both in source and in target, and to keep track of file deletions, ViceVersa PRO uses a tracking database.

Every time you run a project/profile, ViceVersa compares the files in source and in target to see if they have changed.
By using the file timestamp assigned by Windows, ViceVersa determines which files are identical, which files have changed and which files have been added or deleted.
Then, based on the execution method you specify, ViceVersa will copy and delete files as required.
For example, you can specify Synchronization or Backup or Replication as execution method. ViceVersa will save you time and network usage by only copying files when necessary.

ViceVersa powerful preview feature shows you exactly what is going to happen before any files are touched. Preview even gives you the possibility to copy/delete individual files and to reconcile file conflicts.

ViceVersa PRO can also be scheduled using VVScheduler or run at Windows' start-up, shut-down or as soon file changes are detected using VVLauncher (included in the ViceVersa PRO download).

See List of ViceVersa PRO features

I have setup a ViceVersa profile to copy files between multiple computers (they are all servers). It is working fine. However when I create a test file and save it to a local folder (the source) that is in the profile, it takes a while to get around to the other machines even though I have the profile set to update immediately as soon file changes are detected. 
I'm concerned about this, because the root folder in this profile contains 10GB of data and if I save just one file it runs the entire profile to update (it rescans the entire source and target folders). What can be done to avoid this and avoid using too many resources?

You can use the new file or subfolder level change detection functionality in VVEngine Server Premium.
The new file or subfolder level change detection functionality does not require a full re-comparison of source or target and this speeds up execution substantially, especially over slow connections or with a large amount of files. VVEngine will keep track of which files have changed, are new or have been deleted, and when the profile runs it will apply changes to the other side without performing a full rescan.

Learn more about VVEngine
Learn more about the new file or subfolder level change detection

Yes, starting with version 6, ViceVersa is fully multithreaded.

Multithreading while copying, deleting, and scanning files can significantly increase speed, especially over the network (LAN, WAN, and SMB) and when working with SSD drives.

Multithreading Options in ViceVersa

Scan Target While Scanning Source (Prefetch Target): (Yes/No) This option can help improve scan performance in certain scenarios, as ViceVersa simultaneously scans the source and target. 

Multithreaded Source Scanning: (Yes/No/Auto) Use multiple threads to scan the source. It is recommended over the network and with SSDs. This option will help speed up the scanning time quite significantly. 

Multithreaded Target Scanning: (Yes/No/Auto) Use multiple threads to scan the target. It is recommended over the network and with SSDs. This option will help speed up the scanning time quite significantly. 

Multithreaded Comparison: (Yes/No/Auto) Use multiple threads to compare the source and target. This option will help speed up the comparison time, especially when a CRC/SHA comparison is to be performed. 

Multithreaded Sorting: Use multiple threads (8) to sort source and target files. This option is enabled by default. It can be eight times faster than a single-threaded sort. 

Number of File Copy/Delete Threads: (Number of threads or Auto) Number of threads to use to copy / delete files. Usually, a higher number of threads results in faster copy and deletion over the network, and fast seek drives (e.g. SSD). Set this value to 'Auto' to let ViceVersa decide the best number of threads to use (see note below). Using multiple threads will also require more resources. A single-thread operation will only use one core on systems with multiple cores, and this is sometimes preferred if reaching the top copy speed is not the main concern.

Notes on 'Auto' Values:

Multithreaded Source Scanning, Multithreaded Target Scanning, Multithreaded Comparison and Number of File Copy/Delete Threads all support 'Auto' as a value. If the value 'Auto' is selected, ViceVersa will decide when to use multiple threads, i.e.:
 
- Multithreaded Source Scanning and Multithreaded Target Scanning: when set to Auto, multithreaded scanning will be used if the folder to be scanned is over the network, a mapped drive, or a local disk with fast seek access (e.g. SSD). 
 
- Multithreaded Comparison: when set to Auto, multithreaded comparison will be used for CRC comparison or when checking file permissions and source or target are over the network or both drives are fast seek (e.g. SSD). 
 
- File Copy/Delete Threads: when set to Auto, for network and mapped drives, ViceVersa will use 16 threads. When deleting local files, ViceVersa will use as many threads as the number of system cores. To copy files between local disks, ViceVersa uses the number of system cores, if the copy is between different physical devices.

Offloaded Data Transfers (ODX) are supported by the following Windows API functions:

    CopyFile
    CopyFileEx
    MoveFile
    MoveFileEx
    CopyFile2

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn265282%28v=vs.85%29.aspx

To have ViceVersa use the native CopyFileEx Windows API when copying files, enable the option Use Windows native file copy in ViceVersa profile settings -> performance / options. With this option enabled, ViceVersa will use offloaded data transfer capabilities if they are available.

• Insert the USB drive.
• Go to Control Panel ->Administrative Tools -> Computer Management.
• Select Disk Management.
• Select the drive you just inserted and right-click.
• From the context menu that appears, select the option to change the drive letter.
• In the "Change Drive Letter" dialog, select an available letter for the drive. From now on, every time you insert the USB drive, Windows will assign the same drive letter you specified.

The old ViceVersa PLUS has been discontinued and it is no longer available.
You can upgrade from ViceVersa PLUS to ViceVersa PRO from here: https://www.tgrmn.com/web/buy.htm

When ViceVersa overwrites an older file with a newer file, first it copies the new file to a temporary file in the destination folder. Only after the copy operation completes successfully, ViceVersa replaces the older file with the temporary file. So, in case of a connection failure only the temporary file is affected. Just run ViceVersa again when the connection is restored, the temporary file will be removed.

During file synchronization a file conflict occurs when a file has changed in both locations (source and target) since the last sync, making it difficult to determine which version should be left unchanged and which version should be updated.

For example, if you've changed a document on your desktop computer since the last synchronization and also made a different change to the same document on your laptop, a file conflict will occur.

ViceVersa PRO (ViceVersa Plus does not track file conflicts) will mark file conflicts in the comparison window with a ** in front of the name and will also report conflicts in the log file and the scheduler, so that you can decide which version you want to keep and which version you want to update.

There is a profile option in ViceVersa PRO to 'Synchronize files even if in conflict (synchronization method)'. When this option is enabled, ViceVersa PRO will synchronize also file conflicts: it will copy the newer file over the older file and rename the older file into filename_[timestamp]_CONFLICT and keep it in the same folder.

In one-way sync, files are copied only from a primary location (source) to a secondary location (target) in one direction, but no files are ever copied back to the primary location. Replication and Backup (=Mirroring) are one-way sync methods in ViceVersa.

In two-way sync, ViceVersa copies files in both directions, keeping the two locations in sync with each other. Synchronization and Consolidation are two-way sync methods in ViceVersa.

You might set up a one-way sync to backup your files to the network, for example, where ViceVersa will copy every new files from your computer to the network but never to copy files in the other direction (from the network to your computer). When files are deleted from your computer they are also deleted from the network.

You might set up a two-way sync between a desktop and a laptop computer, for example, where ViceVersa will copy the newest version of any file it finds to the other location, overwriting any older versions of the same file. This is a good way to sync if you work with the same files on both computers and want to make sure you always have the most recent version of every file you have worked on, no matter which computer you are using.

During a two-way sync, ViceVersa will alert you whenever it finds a conflict, which typically occurs when a file has changed in both locations since the last sync. Rather than overwrite either of the files that have been updated since the last sync, ViceVersa will show the conflict and you can decide which version to keep.

There is also a profile option in ViceVersa PRO called 'Synchronize files even if in conflict (synchronization method)'. When this option is enabled, ViceVersa PRO will synchronize also file conflicts: it will copy the newer file over the older file and rename the older file into filename_[timestamp]_CONFLICT and keep it in the same folder.

ViceVersa PRO supports:

• Windows 11 (All editions. 64-bit*) - ViceVersa PRO 4 or newer
• Windows 10 (All editions. 32-bit and 64-bit*)
• Windows 8.1 (All editions. 32-bit and 64-bit*)
• Windows 8 (All editions. 32-bit and 64-bit*)
• Windows 7 (All editions. 32-bit and 64-bit*)
• Windows Vista (All editions. 32-bit and 64-bit*)
• Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit*)
• Windows Server 2022 (All editions, 64-bit*) - ViceVersa PRO 4 or newer
• Windows Server 2019 (All editions, 64-bit*) 
• Windows Server 2016 (All editions, 64-bit*)
• Windows Server 2012 (All editions, including R2. 64-bit*)
• Windows Server 2008 (All editions, including R2. 32-bit and 64-bit*)
• Windows Server 2003 (All editions, including R2. 32-bit and 64-bit*)
• Windows Small Business Server and Small Business Server 2011 (32-bit and 64-bit*)
• Windows Home Server and Home Server 2011 (32-bit and 64-bit*)
• Windows 2000
• Windows Server 2000

* The ViceVersa PRO installer for Windows 64-bit can be downloaded from here: http://www.tgrmn.com/web/kb/item74.htm

For other operating systems such as Unix, Linux or Netware, as long as the machines running these platforms are visible to the Windows machine, ViceVersa PRO can synchronize and replicate files.

ViceVersa PRO must run on one of the supported operating systems listed above.

Yes, when you can "see" the source and target folders using Windows Explorer and you can manually copy/move/delete files between the two machines. ViceVersa will have no problem in synchronizing or mirroring the folders. The type of connection is not important. This includes connections such as LAN, WAN, VPN, Bluetooth and also storage media such as external Hard Disks, Network Disks, USB Disks, Zip Drives, USB Keys, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, etc.

ViceVersa PRO is available as a 64-bit application for 64-bit Windows, specifically for:

• Windows 11 64-bit (x64) - ViceVersa PRO 4 or newer
• Windows 10 64-bit (x64)
• Windows 8.1 64-bit (x64)
• Windows 8 64-bit (x64)
• Windows 7 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Vista 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Server 2022 64-bit (x64) - ViceVersa PRO 4 or newer
• Windows Server 2019 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Server 2016 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Server 2012 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Server 2008 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Server 2003 R2 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Server 2003 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Home Server 2011 64-bit (x64)
• Windows Small Business Server 2011 64-bit (x64)
• Windows XP 64-bit (x64)

The special installer for ViceVersa PRO 64-bit can be downloaded here: http://www.tgrmn.com/web/download.htm 

Note: The VVEngine add-on is only available as a 32-bit application, but it is fully compatible with Windows 64-bit and it works with both ViceVersa PRO 32-bit and 64-bit  More info on VVEngine