Synology Drive Sync Errors: What Causes Them and How to Fix Them
Why Problems with Synology Drive Sync Are Important
People often use Synology Drive to sync files between devices, teams, and locations while keeping the data on a central NAS. When synchronization works well, it makes it easy to work together and keeps files safe. But sync errors can slow down backups, mess up workflows, and cause version conflicts that make people less productive.
Businesses can keep their file synchronization reliable and protect important data by knowing the most common Synology Drive sync errors and how to fix them quickly and easily.
Things That Often Go Wrong with Synology Drive Sync
Problems with the length of the file name or path
One of the most common reasons for sync failures is using file names that aren’t supported. Synology Drive sets limits on:
- Length of file and folder names
- Characters that aren’t supported
- Deep folder structures
The easy answer is to shorten file names, get rid of special characters, and stay away from directories that are too deeply nested.
Not enough permissions for the user
When users don’t have the right permissions on shared folders or files, sync errors happen a lot. The Drive client might not sync if access rights change.
Check the read/write permissions in DSM and make sure that users can get to the right shared folders.
Limits on storage space or quotas
When NAS volumes or user quotas are full, synchronization stops on its own to keep the system stable.
A simple fix is to check how much storage space is available, increase the volumes if necessary, and check the user quota settings.
Conflicts between versions and editing at the same time
If you change the same file on more than one device at the same time, Synology Drive may make conflict files or stop syncing.
Easy fix: Turn on versioning, teach users how to lock files, and look over conflict files to make sure changes are merged correctly.
Problems with connecting to the network
Drive clients may not be able to keep sync sessions going if their network connections are unstable, their VPNs go down, or their firewalls block access.
Simple fix: Whenever you can, use reliable wired connections, whitelist Drive ports on firewalls, and if the problem keeps happening, test sync behavior outside of VPN tunnels.
Problems and Solutions on the Client Side: Old Synology Drive Client
- Older versions of clients might not be able to fully use the latest DSM or Drive Server updates.
- The easy fix is to make sure all endpoints have the most recent version of Synology Drive Client.
- The Local Sync Database is broken.
- If your local cache or database is broken, syncing may fail over and over.
To fix the problem, you can either pause syncing, restart the client, or rebuild the sync task by re-linking the local folder.
Not enough space on the local disk
Drive clients need local storage to keep temporary files and different versions of files.
Easy fix: Make sure the endpoint device has enough free disk space.
Problems and fixes on the server side
- Synology Drive Server Not Updated
- Drive Server must work with both DSM and client versions.
The easiest way to fix this is to update Synology Drive Server through Package Center and restart the service if you need to.
Tasks for background indexing or maintenance
After DSM updates or big file changes, indexing tasks may make sync slow down or stop for a short time.
Simple answer: Let background tasks finish and don’t do heavy sync operations during maintenance windows.
Resource Limits on NAS
Backups or other services that use a lot of CPU, memory, or disk space can slow down Drive.
Simple fix: Keep an eye on system resources, plan heavy tasks for off-hours, and upgrade hardware if the need for sync grows.
How to Avoid Sync Errors in the Future
To keep your Synology Drive working properly:
- Make sure everyone uses the same rules for naming files
- Keep an eye on storage space ahead of time
- Update DSM, the Drive Server, and the clients
- Use snapshots and versioning to get back to where you were
- Teach users how to work together to edit
These steps help avoid sync problems and make sure that files are always available.
When sync errors point to a bigger issue
Repeated sync errors could mean that there are problems underneath, such as:
- Wrongly set up network
- Problems with the health of the disk
- Wrong models of permission
- Too much load on NAS hardware
In business settings, problems with syncing that aren’t fixed can hurt the reliability of data and collaboration.
Epis Technology is a company that
Epis Technology offers enterprise IT infrastructure, data protection, and Synology consulting services that help businesses set up and keep up reliable file synchronization environments. The company is an expert at optimizing Synology Drive, tuning NAS performance, making secure backup plans, and keeping an eye on systems. Epis Technology makes sure that Synology Drive stays stable, safe, and in line with business continuity and data protection goals by fixing sync problems at both the infrastructure and user levels.