Resolve a kDrive sync conflict

This guide details possible solutions when the kDrive app icon turns orange, indicating a conflict during synchronization.

What is a synchronization conflict?

“Conflict” files are created:

1. when a file is edited simultaneously on both sides, whether locally or on kDrive web (its size and/or date are different); the local file is then renamed to "conflict" and the kDrive file is uploaded
2. when files/folders are created/moved simultaneously on both sides with the same name in the same folder; the local file/folder is then renamed to "conflict" and the kDrive file is uploaded
3. when a file is edited on one side and one of its parent folders is deleted on the other side; the edited file is then moved and renamed to "conflict" in the root of the drive
4. when resolving a conflict involving moving a file/folder fails, this file/folder is then moved and renamed to "conflict" in the root of the drive
   

In cases 1 and 2, you can:

• keep both files locally, knowing that the "conflict" file is not synchronized on kDrive
• on the local disk, delete the "conflict" file if it is the less recent of the two
• on the local disk, delete the non-"conflict" file if it is the less recent of the two, then rename the "conflict" file to synchronize it online via the kDrive app
• on the local disk, merge the two files into the non-"conflict" file then delete the "conflict" file

In all cases, always ensure to keep the most up-to-date version on kDrive online.

Note that case one can also occur when the desktop app is uninstalled and then reinstalled while retaining the configuration and meanwhile changes have occurred on the drive. To avoid this, it is recommended not to uninstall the kDrive app while keeping the configuration (other recommendations are presented below).

How to view conflicts?

To view conflicting files:

1. left-click on the kDrive app icon in your computer's notification area (top right on macOS, bottom right on Windows, and a double left-click on the taskbar on Linux)
2. click the information button at the top
3. click on the listed event to see its details
   
4. conflicts and errors are displayed in 2 separate tabs allowing you to see unsynchronized data:
   
   
    
5. the first tab allows you to resolve conflicts:
   
6. you will then need to choose how to resolve the conflict by deciding to send the local version
   1. to the server (= synchronize)
   2. or to the computer's trash
      

Avoiding synchronization conflicts / blacklist

Recommendations:

• do not work on the same file simultaneously (unless you are working online on a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document).
• sync your offline changes before modifying the same files online
• avoid creating folders with the same name as folders you are not synchronizing on a device

A blacklist type conflict can also occur if problematic characters are among the names of synchronized files, such as tilde ~, slash (forward slash) / or backslash \, and certain types of files like System Volume Information and certain extensions like .idlk, .parms.db, .directory, ._* etc.

If necessary, to manually resolve certain synchronization conflicts that have not been automatically resolved:

1. open both files
2. compare the differences
3. retrieve information from the conflict file (the one with the exclamation mark) into the base file.
4. delete the conflict file that is not synchronized (the one with the exclamation mark and the conflicted copy mention).