The "Alternate data streams are not supported" error message indicates that you are attempting to synchronize files to a destination device that is not formatted with the NTFS file system. This error is common when synchronizing files from a NTFS source volume to a FAT, FAT32, or other non-NTFS destination volume.
This error occurs in these situations because non-NTFS volumes do not support alternate data streams. Windows and Windows based applications can use alternate data streams for a number of different purposes. For example, the summary information under Properties for a Microsoft Word document is stored in an alternate data stream.
This error can be addressed in three ways:
- On the "Options" tab of the Job (Relation in versions prior to v7) reporting this error, check the option labeled "Copy files with alternate data streams even if streams are not supported. (Some data may be lost.)" to allow the Job to run without the error. With this option, alternate data streams are not copied to the target.
- Use the Microsoft "convert" utility (see your Windows Help for more information or contact Microsoft for assistance) to convert the target device from its current file system to the NTFS file system. This option is not available for non-Windows volumes.
- Reformat the destination volume as NTFS. Remember that reformatting a volume erases all information so make sure you have a backup to restore before using this option.