Synology’s troubleshooting example filters Drive Client Logs to unsynced events. Inspect the affected path and its actual reason before changing folder rules or recreating the task.
Manufacturer interface example: Drive Client unsynced-event logs.[1]
When Synology Drive says a task is current but a file is missing, trace that file through the source folder, Drive web portal and the actual client task. Start with its exact path, the account and the expected direction. Recreating the task first can hide the original evidence and create another round of comparisons.
This guide covers Drive Client sync on a DSM 7 NAS, using current official help and troubleshooting articles. It is not a ShareSync, mobile-app or SMB mapped-drive procedure. Keep the server and client builds in the incident record because client platforms and task modes have different limits.
Locate the first point where the file disappears
Ask the owner for one affected file and one nearby file that behaves correctly. Record the full source and destination paths, a recent change time, the user and the task. Compare the same item rather than two similarly named folders. If the owner still has unsynchronized edits, preserve a separate copy before changing the sync relationship.
| Observed state | First question | Useful next evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Absent from the expected source | Was it moved, deleted or saved elsewhere? | Owner confirmation and the actual source path. |
| In File Station but not in Drive | Is it an eligible item in an enabled Team Folder? | Supported type, folder state and server index evidence. |
| In Drive web portal but not on one computer | Is that folder included in this client task? | Client Logs, task path, direction and effective filters. |
| Listed locally but will not open offline | Is it an On-demand placeholder? | Local availability state and a completed download or pin. |
| Two different edited copies exist | Which edits and access paths produced the conflict? | Both copies, device identities and modification sequence. |
If the failure is actually opening an SMB share or presenting NAS credentials, switch to the Synology mapped-drive diagnostic. Fixing a mapped-drive session does not establish that a Drive Client task includes the file.
Read client evidence before changing the task
Open Synology Drive Client > Logs and inspect unsynced events for the affected path. Then inspect the task’s selected folders and File Filter rules. A server-applied User Sync Profile can also exclude files for that account. A successful transfer of one document does not prove a different folder, extension or size is included.[1]
Compare the exact file against the applicable client rules: supported location, filename, path, type and attributes. Do not rename a whole project tree or remove file attributes just because one item was excluded. First establish which rule applies and whether the business needs a supported alternative for that content.
Illustrative diagnostic case: two project PDFs are missing from a laptop. One sits in an unselected subfolder; the other is in the selected folder. Correcting the selection explains only the first. Check the second file’s log and filters rather than assuming both failures share a cause. This is a troubleshooting example, not a reported customer incident.
Separate permissions, local-folder faults and indexing
A read-only warning may be an intentional policy working correctly. If the business requirement is reference access, use the supported download-only task instead of granting write permission to remove the warning. If local access fails, establish that the configured folder still exists and the signed-in computer account can use it. Network drives and removable media are not supported local Drive task locations in Synology’s troubleshooting guidance.[2]
Where an eligible file is present in File Station but absent from Drive, indexing becomes a separate branch of the investigation. Synology publishes an administrator rescan procedure for this mismatch. Review it against the installed release and preserve logs before a controlled rescan; do not turn a version-specific administrative command into a repeating scheduled repair. The official article warns against repeated scheduling because of NAS load.[3]
Check the server’s workload and available capacity without assuming a universal user or file count. The supported scale depends on the NAS model, and the specifications distinguish server capacity from per-client limits. Reduce the investigation to one path before interpreting a large initial indexing queue as a permanent failure.[7]
Resolve conflicts with the file owner, not a filename rule alone
Preserve the competing files and ask the content owner to identify the correct work. Synology documents conflicts from concurrent edits, mixed SMB and Drive access, indexing-time edits, unsuitable frequently changing files and overlapping synchronization tools. A filename containing a conflict marker is evidence to investigate, not proof that the extra copy is obsolete.[4]
Inspect the client’s configured conflict policy. The current help describes keeping the latest modified version or the server version, with an option to rename the discarded version. A newer timestamp is not a business judgment about whose changes are correct. After the owner reconciles the content, agree how this file should be edited and which access path should be used.[5]
Do not describe ordinary file synchronization as automatic document merging. If a shared workflow depends on simultaneous editing or locking, confirm the exact application and supported server/client capabilities before recommending a different method. Keep unrelated sync engines out of the same working folder.
Prove the correction without widening access
Repeat the original action using a disposable test file and the same account, task and connection path. Check the receiving copy’s content, not just a green task icon. Keep one negative test so a correction to a filter or permission does not silently distribute unrelated files.
| Test | Expected observation | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Allowed file change | The intended content reaches the receiving device. | Paths, account, task direction and observed result. |
| Intentionally excluded item | It remains excluded under the approved rule. | Rule name and the reason it remains in place. |
| Reference-only user | Approved content downloads; an unauthorized upload remains blocked. | The accepted role and matching task configuration. |
| Required offline document | A completed local or pinned copy opens without the test network. | Availability state and offline-open result. |
On-demand Sync separates visibility from local availability. Check whether the item is online-only, downloaded or permanently pinned before declaring an offline failure fixed.[6]
For unresolved cases, collect the affected path, error, timestamps, builds and the diagnostic log through the client’s troubleshooting menu. Share logs through the approved support route; they can contain account and path details. Keep changes and observations in order so support does not have to infer what happened.[1]
Prevent the same incident from returning
Use the Drive deployment and permission acceptance checklist when an incident reveals an undocumented task direction, folder owner or role. If the right file was deleted or overwritten, move to the Drive file recovery decision rather than changing sync filters to search for data that is no longer current.
ALLMSP Synology Drive support can help review the source-to-client evidence, correct a supported configuration and leave a repeatable acceptance test. Bring one affected path, one working comparison file and the observed error instead of only a screenshot of the overall task status.
Frequently asked questions
What should I record first when Synology Drive files are missing?
Record one exact affected path, the expected destination, account, task direction, recent change time and one working comparison file. Preserve unsynchronized edits before changing the task.
Where can I find why a file was not synchronized?
Inspect Synology Drive Client Logs for the affected path and unsynced events, then compare the task’s folder selection and file filters.
[1]Can a server setting exclude files even when my client rules look correct?
Yes. A User Sync Profile applied to the account can impose server-side file filters. Check its applied users and effective rules.
[1]What if the file exists in File Station but not in Drive?
Check whether the file and Team Folder are supported first. If they are, investigate Drive indexing and use the official administrator rescan procedure under controlled change, not a repeating repair task.
[3]Should I grant write access to fix a read-only sync warning?
Only if writing is actually authorized. For intended reference access, use a compatible download-only task rather than widening permissions just to remove the warning.
[2]Can a USB or network drive be the local Drive Client task folder?
Synology’s task troubleshooting guidance excludes network drives and removable devices. Use a supported local location and confirm the actual client requirements.
[2]Does a conflict file always contain obsolete work?
No. It may contain valid edits from another device or access path. Preserve both copies and have the content owner reconcile the work before deleting either.
[4]Does keeping the newest modified version merge everyone’s changes?
No. A conflict policy chooses which file to retain; it does not decide the business correctness of competing edits or merge their contents.
[5]Why can a file be visible but unavailable without the network?
It may be an On-demand placeholder. Download or permanently pin the needed content and test an offline open before relying on it.
[6]What proves that a missing-file problem is resolved?
The original permitted change reaches the correct destination, intentional exclusions and access restrictions still hold, and any required offline file opens. Save those observations with the task and path.
Sources
- My files won't sync between Synology Drive and Drive clients. What can I do? ↩
- What are some common Synology Drive Client sync or backup task issues and how can I fix them? ↩
- What can I do when the file list in Synology Drive and File Station are not the same? ↩
- Why is there file conflict on Synology Drive and what can I do? ↩
- Synology Drive Client ↩
- What is On-demand Sync? ↩
- Synology Drive Technical Specifications | Synology Inc. ↩
