WinSCP "Keep Remote Directory Up To Date" only synchronizes files once a minute

Question

WinSCP provides a feature, "Keep Remote Directory Up To Date". This relies on the modified local files' timestamp to appear as more recent than the remote servers', which will trigger an update to the remote file.

Over an FTP connection, the granularity of file timestamps is typically only at the minute level. Thus if a local file is saved twice in the same minute, only the first update will happen.

The log will show something like:

2:28:42 AM Change in '/local/src/dir/' detected. #first update
2:28:43 AM File '/local/src/dir/updated/file' uploaded. #file uploaded
2:28:45 AM Change in '/local/src/dir/' detected. #subsequent update, no file upload
2:28:48 AM Change in '/local/src/dir/' detected.

Answer 1

Unfortunately it's a limitation of how WinScp determines a file is updated, and the timestamp granularity that FTP provides. If possible, connect with SFTP which will provide second granularity.