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Need for DOS-command to know if files are already synched

Hello all,

For a specific situation I have need to check for each file in the local dropbox folder if it's already been synched with the cloud or not.

I can LOOK with my eyes and check the Icon, but this doesn't work for me, because I have thousands of files per day.

So I do need to automate this. I want to automate it by writing a DOS-script.

But HOW do I READ the "synched"property of each file using DOS?

It seems obvious that the property is available to Windows, otherwise Explorer wouldn't be able to show the file with a synched-icon resp. not-synched-icon.

Questions I have (a.o.):

What DOS-command(s) can I use to askout the value of the Dropbox property.
What properties and values are available to read?
Are there 3rd-party tools that can do this and that can be executed batchwise?
Is there a way to alter properties using DOS-command (not a priority, but would be nice to have)?

Thanks for any help.

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Accepted answers

Jay

Hi @Thrakorzog, those commands are only available on the CLI Linux version of the app, and not Windows or Mac, which don’t provide CLI versions.

There isn’t any way to view the sync status of a file programatically.

Hope this helps to clarify matters.

All comments

Rich

There are no such commands. Dropbox uses an encrypted database on the local computer to store its information. There are no commands or utilities that can be used to access that information.

jaap h.

Hi Rich,

Thanks for this information. A bit desillusional though, but understandable, seen from the viewpoint of Dropbox.

But tell me, if I can SEE in explorer the different types of icons, it looks to me that Explorer gets its information from "somewhere". As there is "an encrypted database" that is not accessible, how does Dropbox presents this information to explorer?

Grtz.,

Jaap

Rich

Best guess, the Dropbox application itself handles it, likely by calling Shell32.dll and requesting one of the overlay icons that are registered in the Registry.

That being said, Dropbox has never made that information available. You would need to ask Support, though I doubt they will have an answer for you.

jaap h.

OK Rich,

Clear that you are not sure about the way this is handeled by Dropbox, no problem.

Although, I already tried several time to get in touch with Dropbox, but everytime I got an automated reply to look for the answer in this forum. And I don;t know any other way aywmore to get in touch ...

As being a super user, you obviously must have additional ways to contact support.

Can you submit my issue with Support? If they don't have (or don't want to give) an answer, I'm sure they will let you know.

Thank you.

Grtz.,

Jaap

Rich

jaap h. wrote:
Clear that you are not sure about the way this is handeled by Dropbox, no problem.

Correct, which is why I said "best guess." What I am clear about though is that what you're looking to do cannot be done. People have even previously asked how to programmatically check the sync status using the Dropbox API, and the answer is always the same; "There isn't currently a way to query this information."

Can you submit my issue with Support?

No, I can't. You need to reply back to your open ticket and hope that it gets escalated.

jaap h.

Hio Rich,

Very surprising that even you, being a Super USER has NO ACCESS to the DropBox support staff ....

Even more surprising is the fact that help from support seems to be a tombola of some sort. I can agree with waiting for a while, but this kind of lottery is new to me, and I don't think I like it.

You didn't state when the last time was that the answer "There isn't currently a way to query this information." was givven. So maybe there was some development and now the answer will be "there is a way". Let's try to keep this positive.

So HOW do I increase my chances that SUPPORT will see this and will escalate?

grtz.,

Jaap

Thrakorzog

I have a similar need. I synchronize between boxes that are intermittently connected.

If the sync status could be read by a script, then I could launch my application with that script and wait for the sync to finish before actually launching my application so that I know it had the most up-to-date information in the file.

While this doesn't answer the question, I hope it gives a use-case as to why this is a legitimate ask.

p.s., it looks like it is available under linux:
https://www.dropboxwiki.com/tips-and-tricks/using-the-official-dropbox-command-line-interface-cli

Thrakorzog

Tried loading Python in Windows and running this utility to check the status, but I am certain it is looking to talk to dropboxd not dropbox.exe.

> Dropbox.py status
Dropbox isn't running!

Jay

Hi @Thrakorzog, those commands are only available on the CLI Linux version of the app, and not Windows or Mac, which don’t provide CLI versions.

There isn’t any way to view the sync status of a file programatically.

Hope this helps to clarify matters.

Thrakorzog

The previous answer seemed to indicate that this was not something that would be done... one had to presume for security purposes as no other reason was given.

Yet here is the functionality on Linux. Why Linux? Because it is the most common platform for Dropbox? Because no one runs servers on Windows or Macs? Because Linux has been treated as the red-headed step-child for so long, the programmers at Dropbox decided to give Windows and Macs the second-class citizen treatment as comeuppance?

So no... I am afraid that while the reality of the situation is clarified, the logic is not.

"Because we said so" is what your parents say when they don't want to be bothered with an explanation... I am not happy about being treated as a child.

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