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Please reinstall Dropbox to fix all your syncing icons!

This has been an issue for a while now. It's an issue on both my Windows 10 devices. I have tried different solutions from this forum, without luck. I'm running version 50.4.71, from the offline installer. Before installing I even deleted all remaining files and folders from my AppData folder, but without results...

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karnerkreativ

Hey, I'm good now! The problem was the ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers as you describe it here: https://help.dropbox.com/syncing-uploads/icon-overlays-not-appearing
I hadn't seen the "dropdown" for Windows when I was first reading that page. Windows must have updated something or whatever Dropbox ended up on rank 16 ...
That's really annoying digging around in the registry.
Anyway, they are back.

All comments

Elixir

Hi @LoveMyslf, can you please try the following:

1. Uninstall Dropbox.

2. Reinstall. In this time, right click the Dropbox installer (.exe or .msi) and choose Run as Administrator. If prompted, click yes or enter password.

Keep us posted if that works.

LoveMyslf

No, that did not fix the problem.

Jane

Hey @LoveMyslf, thanks for checking in with us on the Dropbox Community on this error, let’s have a look into what you’re experiencing together & we’ll take it from there, I hope you’re having a great day so far!

Just as a point of reference, are you trying to place Dropbox on a different drive by any chance? This can be done by allowing Dropbox to install to its default location during setup. Once you have completed the install you can then attempt to move the Dropbox folder to a different location.

Secondly, I’d like to point you towards third party apps that may be killing the updates in the background (eg. some users have reported that the application "Boxifier" blocks the installation from being carried correctly). To bypass this, could you disable any Security/Antivirus programs & give our offline installer a try?

https://www.dropbox.com/downloading?plat=win&type=full (Windows)

Once you do, please let me know of the outcome in your next post, so that we work on that as closely as possible. Thanks again & I’m looking forward to hearing back from you on this discussion!

LoveMyslf

I uninstalled, restarted my pc, deactivated Windows Defender, ran the offline installer as admin and used the default install location, but the issue has not been resolved. I still get the same message.

Jane

I appreciate the update here @LoveMyslf!

As an additional step, my suggestion would be to wipe all previous permissions & start afresh following the steps outlined here, in order to wipe any traces that may be obstructing the Updater.

If the issue persists, please do let me know here, so as to check back on your account details in more detail. Thanks again for all your cooperation!

LoveMyslf

I unlinked and quit Dropbox, I uninstalled, restarted my pc, deactivated Windows Defender, deleted the folders (as told in the guide you posted), ran the offline installer (not as admin) and used the default install location, but the issue has not been resolved. I still get the same message.

Jane

Thanks a lot for your cooperation @LoveMyslf!

I understand that you’d need some additional assistance on this issue & for that reason I’ve made sure to create a Support Request on our system on your behalf, so as to focus on that based on the info I have on my tools for your account & move forward together.

Whenever you find some time, please check your inbox for my email & I’ll make sure to promptly follow-up with you from where we’ve left off here.

Thanks again for posting on the Community & I’m wishing you a fruitful week ahead!

mcfc_4heatons

I have the same issue and also issues with stick on starting or indexing... Also soemtimes when oi try to access preferences dropbox carshes and closes:

I have tried unlinking and then setting up again

clean install as admin with offline installer (sevral times I tried)

selctive sync with just one folder and a few files to keep the sync small

Two months now with no sync

Walter

Hey there @mcfc_4heatons - sorry to hear about your syncing issue.

As I'd really like to help resolve this, I found your existing ticket on our system and relayed all the details of your problem to the technician that is currently handling it. They'll get back to you via email as soon as they have an update on this matter.

Thanks for your patience and have a lovely weekend!

vickispartypro

I am having the same issues and need help asap please.

Walter

Sorry to hear that @vickispartypro!

Could you try an advanced reinstall using the offline installer of our latest stable build of the desktop app ( 54.4.90 just got out ) and let me know if you're still getting this message?

Please keep me posted. Thanks!

Paul G.46

Same issue here. Probably because I have Dropbox on another drive, not C. Is always messy to get it there nowadays. As the installer nowadays doesn't directly give the option to choose the Dropbox folder location (as it did formerly which was perfect). It directly brings up the selective sync option instead, no way (I saw) to get to the setting of the Dropbox location first. And as my 0,7TB dropbox files don't fit on my C system disk, I unselected all files on selective sync, installing basically an empty dropbox on C. Then I could access the client and set the dropbox location to the desired place. And then update the selective sync. Unnecessary cumbersome and in addition now there's this 'please reinstall issue'. I just freshly installed! The previous time I had to set up a new PC and get my Dropbox files I recall it was also an issue, wasted me 3 days then, at least now i could find the location change quite fast. I don't understand why putting Dropbox in another location is not a question at the beginning of the install anymore and is made so troublesome. If my syncing icons seem OK I guess I'll not go and spend days to fix this error message.

Walter

Hey Paul (@Paul G.46), you should be able to pause the sync and move your Dropbox folder on the desired location - supposing it's on a supported format, or try using the "Advanced" option when re-installing our software.

Let me know how this goes ( and perhaps share a screenshot of the error you get if you're still getting it) and in the meantime, I'm also passing your comments along to our dev team for future consideration - thank you for this feedback.

Oh, and Happy Monday!

karnerkreativ

I got the same issue.
I had no more synch icons, reinstalled dropbox twice (normal installer and offline installer), nothing. Still get the message about reinstalling but no green check marks in the Explorer.

Jane

Hey @karnerkreativ, have you by any chance tried to follow Walter’s advice above? In other words, have you erased all previous permissions, so that you start anew? Also, have you installed Dropbox in the same drive as your OS or on a different location?

Please do let us know of these details, so as to make sure we’re following-up on the right thing. Thanks in advance!

karnerkreativ

See below.

I've removed the permissions for the PC that is affected. The dropbox folder is on another drive as it ist way too big to be stored on C. I then uninstalled the app, then reinstalled it with the default installer. No change. I uninstalled again and installed it with the offline installer. No change. I uninstalled again, deleted the Dropbox folder with my files, installed Dropbox again and let it synch all the files. No change.

I've had all the overlays until last week but as of today they are gone.

karnerkreativ

Jane

Thanks a lot for circling back to me with this feedback & keeping me updated on the progress @karnerkreativ!

I was glad to hear that it all works fine for you now & the issue with your overlay icons has been mended. As the behavior & the error message you received wasn’t fixed after resetting all previous permissions, I’ve made sure to Accept your last comment as the Best Answer, so as to surface to other users who may have the same question.

Thanks again for your cooperation & valuable contribution to this discussion & please don’t hesitate to post us again on our Community in the future in case you have more thoughts or questions. Happy syncing :white_check_mark: & I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day ahead!

VictorH

Same issue after I deleted Dropbox app and reinstalled 58.4.92 version... forever stuck in the indexing step

Jane

Hey @VictorH, as you’ve mentioned that you’ve already tried some initial troubleshooting on your own, let me have a closer look on your setup through our Official channel. In order to investigate having all our tools available, I’ve made sure to reach out to you directly via email on my end.

Whenever you find some time, please check your inbox for my email & I’ll make sure to promptly get back in touch with you asap. Thanks for reaching out on our Community & I’ll be awaiting your next reply!

Scott H.

Hi folks, Just letting you know I had this exact issue and karnerkreativ's fix worked for me. Thank you! Much appreciated.

Jane

Thanks for letting us know & upvoting the Best Answer @Scott H.! Happy Monday!

K B.

Hi, I noticed I'm no longer seeing files that I upload from my phone. It just 'happened' apparently a few days ago and I have no clue WHY it happened. I know that I don't like it because I often upload images or videos that I then go edit on the PC (windows 10).

I do not have enough space on C: so I installed it on and maybe that's the issue.

HOWEVER, I have the same message to reinstall to fix all my syncing icons. But that is very, very overwhelming to me.

First - if reinstalled, does that mean it could take another week to sync like it did before?

Second - all this stuff about %AppData% and whatever all that code means is very overwhelming. I can't do that stuff. I'm clueless. I can use stuff but don't expect me to fix stuff.... ???

Lastly - if I have to do all this, I will probably just move everything over to my Google Drive and not purchase dropbox again (I believe renewal is only a month away) because I just don't have the time, knowledge, or inclination. SO, is there anybody there who can help me and make me a really happy customer again?

And while I'm at it, I'd like to know if there's an easier way on my Android to get to the dropbox files, too. I have it installed on the phone but when I want to download or play a video, etc., that I have stored there, it gets cumbersome. Might as well fix all my issues while we are at it.

Thanks

Jane

Hey there (@K B.), rest assured that I’m here to help you on both the issues you’re facing as much as I can!

Now, as an initial troubleshooting step, I’d recommend following the steps outlined here to uninstall & re-install our application anew & I’ll follow-up from the results you’re getting on your end. It would be worth noting that your folderstructure will remain intact in your pc & you will not need to re-sync your Dropbox directory form scratch.

When it comes to the issue you’re facing on your android phone, I’m wondering if there are any pending updates. Can you check that you’ve installed the latest Dropbox app through the Play Store (120.2.4) & you’ve also updated your OS to the latest available version?

Please take your time to try my suggestions & let me know how you get on with these steps on this discussion. Thanks again & I’m looking forward to hearing back from you!

Tavo31

eI have the same issue; I try go to the solution in this post but the link is not open! Could you please help me.

karnerkreativ

Hi,
https://help.dropbox.com/syncing-uploads/icon-overlays-not-appearing#files

Open the 'Windows' drop down.
There you will find this text (if the link should change in the future):

>>Windows has a limit of 15 overlay icons that Windows Explorer can load, and the operating system reserves four for its own use. To find out how many overlays you have registered, you can check the registry:
Press the Windows key + R and enter regedit.
Navigate to the following registry key with this path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers

Scroll right for complete command line.
If the Dropbox overlays are in the first 15 positions, they will display; otherwise you'll need to make room for them. Please note that this requires you to delete or deprioritize other applications' overlays, so only proceed if you’re sure about what you'll affect.
If you decide to proceed, you can select individual keys and delete them by right-clicking on the desired key. If you don’t want to delete them, you can rename them and place a Z at the beginning to send them to the end of the alphabetically sorted list.
Quit explorer.exe and launch again from the Task Manager, or restart your computer.
Launch Dropbox, and the sync icons should re-appear.

nguenthanh

The same issue, anh it haven't fix at right now.

Jane

Hey @nguenthanh, have you by any chance had a chance to review the resource @karnerkreativ had posted us in the previous page here that did the trick for him?

If you haven’t been able to resolve the issue at hand after following this set of steps, would you mind pinging me back here? Kindly note that it would be best to work on that through our Official Support channel after this point, so I’d appreciate any update on your end. Thanks in advance!