Where Does FreeFileSync Store Settings and Jobs?
FreeFileSync keeps global options in GlobalSettings.xml and each sync setup in its own portable job file.
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FreeFileSync separates the global from the per job. GlobalSettings.xml holds program wide behavior like file time tolerance and parallel operation counts. Each sync pair lives in its own job file, runnable from the GUI or the scheduler.
Job files are the portable half. A .ffs_batch file double clicks into a silent run or slots into Task Scheduler unchanged, which makes tested GUI setups deployable without reconfiguration. Global settings stay per user per machine, exactly where scheduled service accounts famously cannot find them.
Where FreeFileSync stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\FreeFileSync\GlobalSettings.xml
Global program options live here. Job files (.ffs_gui, .ffs_batch) live wherever you save them. Portable builds keep GlobalSettings.xml beside the exe.
~/.config/FreeFileSync/GlobalSettings.xml
Same file role as Windows. Scheduled jobs under other accounts read their own user's copy, a classic silent failure.
~/Library/Application Support/FreeFileSync/GlobalSettings.xml
Same file role as Windows. Find it with Finder Go to Folder since Library stays hidden.
Frequently asked questions
My hand edits to settings keep vanishing. Why?
Edit GlobalSettings.xml only while FreeFileSync is closed. The file loads once at startup and saves on exit, silently discarding hand edits made mid session. Same rule as Transmission and everything else that rewrites on quit.
What is the difference between ffs_gui and ffs_batch?
Both are XML job definitions you can double click, copy, and version control. GUI files open in the main window for tweaking, batch files run headless for Task Scheduler. One definition serves both uses.
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