NTFS in Backup drive generates different timestamps

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Weaksauce
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Feb 24, 2017
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Hi guys,

I've got two USB drives and I backup one to another using an application and both are formatted as NTFS under Win10.

After a while I noticed that the app copies all the files from the beginning everytime I run the backup although most of the files haven't changed. After inspecting the log, I can see that the app identifies time differences and decides that a file has changed. But in my case, the time differences are just of 3ms.

For example, in Source: 22/04/2018, 13:45:23 and in the Target: 22/04/2018, 13:45:26

I contacted the tech support of the backup app and they told me that NTFS should be precise or at max within 2secs. Then the backup app would not identify the files as changed.

After some discussions I had with them, they told me that my NTFS drives are not actual (???) NTFS files although the disk manager shows this.

So, my question is what you think of all this? If the case is that I don't get actual NTFS drives by formatting them under win10, how do I do it anyway?

TIA for the replies
 
Windows 10 is still using NTFS.
Other features have been added to the OS - like ReFS, but most people (myself included) won't be using those features - outside of a commercial environment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReFS
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-resilient-file-system-refs-windows-10


1) What exactly is the problem you have with your backup(s) ?
2) Is the small time stamp difference causing you a problem ?
3) What backup application are you using ?

Please explain the problem simply and clearly - as it's not obvious to me what you real problem is ?
I suspect from your 3rd line that you think the backup software is including files in the backup that haven't changed ?
 
Windows 10 is still using NTFS.
Other features have been added to the OS - like ReFS, but most people (myself included) won't be using those features - outside of a commercial environment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReFS
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-resilient-file-system-refs-windows-10


1) What exactly is the problem you have with your backup(s) ?
2) Is the small time stamp difference causing you a problem ?
3) What backup application are you using ?

Please explain the problem simply and clearly - as it's not obvious to me what you real problem is ?
I suspect from your 3rd line that you think the backup software is including files in the backup that haven't changed ?

Sorry for not being clear.

I only explained the situation; so the problem is that the backup app identifies files as changed when they have not and, consequently, copies the same files all the time. TBH, it's not a real problem but I think it is a waste of time and resources to have the backup app copy unchanged files all the time.

I use GoodSync.
 
So this backup app has the precision of less than 2ms and NTFS has a precision of 2s. The backup app is too precise for the filesystem. Find another backup app that works or get a fix from the vendor.
 
Could something else on the system be touching the files enough to update the last modified date? Ex. A/V, syncing app, or something along those lines?
 
So this backup app has the precision of less than 2ms and NTFS has a precision of 2s. The backup app is too precise for the filesystem. Find another backup app that works or get a fix from the vendor.

No, the app uses 2secs a threshold and NTFS on my system has 3secs difference
 
Could something else on the system be touching the files enough to update the last modified date? Ex. A/V, syncing app, or something along those lines?
What is A/V?

In one of my VMs I heavily use, all the files are stored in that USB. Maybe VMWare touching the files but can't understand why totally irrelevant files change.

Could the mounting of the USB change the timestamps?
 
What is A/V?

In one of my VMs I heavily use, all the files are stored in that USB. Maybe VMWare touching the files but can't understand why totally irrelevant files change.

Could the mounting of the USB change the timestamps?
My confusing shorthand for antivirus. The slash doesn't need to be in there.
 
NTFS has a 100ns timestamp resolution, whatever they told you is crap.

Their software is clearly changing timestamps. Copy the file yourself from one drive to the other using Explorer to confirm the timestamp stays the same.
 
NTFS has a 100ns timestamp resolution, whatever they told you is crap.

Their software is clearly changing timestamps. Copy the file yourself from one drive to the other using Explorer to confirm the timestamp stays the same.
I don't know if THEIR software is changing timestamps. They also say that my drives are not REAL NTFS....whatever this means.

I recall I read somewhere that NTFS may introduce a 2sec timedifference and not 100ns as you write. Have you read it somewhere?
 
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