QUESTION :
I need a program that can do one-way synchronization of directories in Windows. The only feature I absolutely need is the ability to exclude certain files and/or folders from the sync (wildcard support here is a must). Any suggestions?
ANSWER :
I would highly advise you use Microsoft SyncToy, you can setup one way partnerships and it can do exactly what you want!
Robocopy is good –
e.g. to synchronize folders,
robocopy <source> <dest> /MIR
to see other options run robocopy /?
There’s also a UI wrapper called RichCopy – doesn’t seem to have much of a home, closest thing. More Info. Blog updates.
As Wil mentioned, SyncToy is a great GUI tool for this. If you’d rather a command line program which you could use in batch files and schedules tasks, take a look at robocopy. It is a command line robust copying tool and is built into Windows 7. It will only copy files which have changed, works over the network or locally, has wildcard support, can exclude specific filetypes, individual files, or directories, and can run in restartable mode for if it gets interrupted. A very powerful tool, and not too difficult to use. Run robocopy /? in the command line for documentation.
I have been using GoodSync to do bi-directional synchronization between two computers, so I am sure it could be used for one-way sync as well. Perhaps overkill for what you are trying to do, but a nice program to have around. Supports wildcards, and has many automation features. I have no connection with the company (they’re the same one that markets RoboForm); I’m just a happy user.