If I use File->Open File... to open a file outside of the project I am working in, changes to that file are not being picked up by Idea. To reporduce the problem, create a text file called /tmp/foo and then open it with Idea using the File->Open File... option. Then use another editor to change the contents of /tmp/foo, save the changes and exit the other editor. Idea still shows the original contents of /tmp/foo. Pressing the "Synchronize Files" does not cause the changes to get picked. If you close /tmp/foo and then re open it, the chnges still do not show up.