Cloud Save Sync Conflict & State Overwrite Protection Guide

Interactive Syncthing Conflict & .stignore Rule Generator

Select your handheld ecosystem and emulator cores to generate the optimal conflict-free synchronization ruleset.

Handheld Sync Ecosystem

Save State Handling Mode

Syncthing Versioning Strategy

Data Corruption Risk:NEAR ZERO (0.1%)

Conflict Resolution:Automated Rollback Safe

Generated .stignore RulesetSave as .stignore in ROM/save folder

// Syncthing Ignore Rules for Safe Retro Saves
(?d).sync
(?d)*.state*
(?d)*.auto*
(?d)*.rtc
(?d)*.bak
(?d)*.tmp
(?d).DS_Store
(?d)Thumbs.db

Bulletproof Setup: By ignoring volatile save states, both consoles exclusively sync native battery SRAM (.srm, .sav). You can play on Miyoo Mini, shut down, and resume on PC or Retroid seamlessly without core crash errors.

The Anatomy of a Cloud Save Disaster

Save collisions occur due to three compounding factors in modern distributed filesystem synchronizers:

1. Offline Play Race Condition

Player advances 5 hours of Final Fantasy offline on an airplane with Device A. Meanwhile, Device B connected to home Wi-Fi updates its timestamp. Upon reconnecting, Syncthing flags a conflict or overwrites Device A's newer game progress.

2. Save State Trampling

If "Auto Save State on Exit" and "Auto Load State on Startup" are enabled, an old save state from yesterday will automatically load on boot, overwriting the in-game SRAM cartridge save that was just synced.

3. Architecture Mismatch

32-bit ARM (Cortex-A53) and 64-bit ARM/x86 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 / AMD Zen 2) compile emulators with different memory padding. Loading a cross-platform save state causes memory corruption and instant segmentation faults.

Enabling Syncthing Staggered Versioning

To configure continuous 365-day save rollbacks:

Open the Syncthing Web UI (port 8384).
Click on your retro saves folder and select Edit.
Switch to the File Versioning tab.
Select Staggered Versioning. Set maximum age to 365 days.
Syncthing will now automatically save snapshots hourly for the first day, daily for the first month, and weekly for a full year.

Emulation File Synchronization Safety Matrix

Verified cross-platform compatibility, hazard ratings, and synchronizer rules for retro game files.

File Extension / Type	Sync Recommendation	Cross-Platform Match	Overwrite Risk Level	Synchronization Protocol
Battery SRAM (.srm, .sav)	Safe & Recommended	100% Universal	Low (With Staggered Versioning)	Sync bi-directionally between Android, Linux CFW, PC, and SteamOS.
Save States (.state, .state1-9)	Extremely Hazardous (DO NOT SYNC)	0% Compatible	Critical (State Crash & Corrupt)	Core versions, compiler architectures (ARM vs x86), and RAM offsets differ, causing immediate segmentation faults.
Real-Time Clock (.rtc)	Hazardous	Low	High (Pokemon Clock Inversion)	Always add to .stignore! Overwriting RTC desyncs berry growth and daily game events.
RetroArch Config Overrides (.cfg)	Do Not Sync Globally	Device Specific	High (Resolution Lockout)	Device display resolutions differ (640x480 vs 1080p); syncing CFG breaks video scaling.
Auto-Save State on Exit (.state.auto)	High Collision Risk	Zero	Critical (Automatic Loop Overwrite)	If auto-load state is enabled, old states overwrite freshly saved battery SRAM upon boot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:Why should I never sync Save States (.state) with Syncthing across different handhelds?

Save states are raw dumps of the emulator core's internal CPU registers, memory buses, and hardware buffers. If you run Snes9x on an ARM64 Android handheld (Retroid Pocket 5) and try to load a save state created by a 32-bit Linux CFW handheld (Miyoo Mini) or an x86 PC (Steam Deck), memory address alignment and core revision differences will cause the game to instantly crash, corrupt the memory buffer, or erase your save data. Always sync battery SRAM (.srm / .sav) instead.

Q:What is the recommended .stignore pattern for retro handheld Syncthing folders?

To prevent state corruption and sync conflicts, create a file named '.stignore' inside your synced saves directory containing: '(?d).sync', '(?d)*.state*', '(?d)*.auto*', '(?d)*.rtc', '(?d)*.bak', and '(?d)*.tmp'. This ensures Syncthing exclusively transfers clean battery cartridge saves (.srm, .sav, .mcd) and ignores volatile emulator states.

Q:What should I do when a '.sync-conflict' file appears?

A sync conflict occurs when two devices save a game before an active Wi-Fi connection syncs them. Check the modified timestamps and file sizes of both the original file and the '.sync-conflict-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS' file. The larger file with the most recent timestamp is almost always your latest game progress. Rename the conflict file back to the primary file name (e.g., 'Pokemon Emerald.srm') to restore your progress.

Q:How does Syncthing Staggered Versioning protect against accidental overwrites?

Staggered Versioning keeps replaced versions of your save files in a hidden '.stversions' folder for up to 365 days. If you accidentally overwrite a 60-hour RPG save with a fresh 0-hour new game on another handheld, you can open the Syncthing Web GUI, browse previous versions, and restore the exact save file from 2 hours ago with 1 click.