File types that should not be synced to Workplace

IMPORTANT  The following files types will not be synced to Workplace under any circumstances: ~$*,*.tmp,~*.idlk,.ds_store, and all hidden files.

Files that are simultaneously accessed by multiple people (such as databases or accounting software) or are frequently updated outside of the control of the user (such as email repositories) should not be synced with cloud services like Workplace.

Due to the nature of cloud services and these file types, syncing such files will result in unexpected consequences and potentially data loss.

In a scenario in which multiple users are simultaneously accessing the same file, the mechanism that controls which file is the master file will create duplicates to ensure the changes made by the other open editing sessions are not lost. The end result is that, within a short period of time, dozens (potentially hundreds or even thousands) of near-duplicates will be created, each containing the alterations made by the individual users...none of which will contain all of the entries.

In a scenario in which files that are updated out of the control of the user, every time a change occurs to a file that is syncing with the Workplace service, the file is re-synced with the service. In the case of these automatically updated repositories, due to the frequency of updates and that they are often quite large, they can clog the syncing process causing the the Workplace app to continuously re-initialize the upload of that file and potentially never complete, because the upload of the file keeps restarting before it finishes.

IMPORTANT  The best practice for these file types is to store them on a locally accessible drive and then use the Workplace backup function, if desired, purely as a disaster-recovery option. For detailed information on backups, refer to Workplace app Backups tab.

Specific file types to avoid syncing

NOTE  We suggest that you check with the software developer concerning what to expect when using FSS services like Workplace in conjunction with your applications. This article, for example, discusses some expectations with regard to Autodesk Revit files.

To avoid issues, we strongly recommend that you do not sync the following file types:

  • Outlook data files (.pst and .ost)
  • All Sage accounting software files
  • All QuickBooks accounting software files
  • All database files. See the file extensions under the DATABASE HEADING ONLY in this article: Database File Extensions