How do I prevent Dropbox using so much memory on my computer?
I already use SmarSync.
I meant RAM. Dropbox is usung a lot if RAM- about 350 MB and my computer runs very slow, and is difficult to use. Dropbox uses 5 or 6 times more RAM than any ither program, even after using SmartSync on mist if my files.
Jay, that page goes to a 4xx Page.
Thanks @tequejas, I’ve amended it now, we’ve recently changed the domain for the Help Center, so the link should point to the correct location.
Hi. Deleting files eventually seemed to help, but wierdly Dropbox in top bottom right corner app is telling me I have about 400,000 files, and I'm pretty sure I don't! Or at least, if there might be 1-300,000 hiding somewhere, how might I find them to consider deleting them? Thank you.
Also, logging in to post here took AGES for dpbx to respond!
Also, is it basically Synching EVERY file, EVERY day?
I need to keep a lot offline as my Internet is not always very reliable.
But I also have a lot of old files I draw on.
Is there only other option to have more RAM speed on the laptop?
Thank you
There's no oficcial solution. The App will drain all your RAM when synching. My fastest solution is:· If you have to upload many files, let the computer all night do so. · Use selective folders to Sync, that way your app will have less files to be looking for.
Get more RAM, Dropbox app LOVES taking it all RAM it can to upload files.
This is no solution. I can't even open pdf files because the QTwebengine process that Dropbox uses is utilizing all of my RAM & CPU usage. So there's no need for Dropbox to store my pdf files if I can't even open them!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi @gm2020, could you let me know if you tried all the steps in that article to see if it helps reduce the CPU/RAM usage of the Dropbox desktop application?
Keep me posted!
Step 1: I only sinc files one or two at a time.
Step 2: I do not utilize any third party apps that would need or use files in my dropbox folders.
Step 3: I have ran the command prompts per your website and apparently there were no incorrect file permissions.
Step 4: I only have 29,417 files in my dropbox client folder.
Step 5 & 6: My dropbox file is located on my C: Drive. (My Computer's Internal Hard Drive - The only one I have)
Step 7: No Symlinks - CMD Prompt states: Volume in drive C is OS, Volume Serial Number is ##E#-####, File Not Found
I am still having the same issues. I have double checked my processes and it is only the dropbox QT web engine process (several instances) utiliizing my CPU / RAM but are all from file location (Dropbox).
What else would you recommend?
In order to see if this is related to the actual installation of the app, if you’re not on a Dropbox Basic plan with more than 3 devices connected, could you try an advanced reinstall of the app?
Let me know how it goes!
I did complete all steps to reinstall and that worked for a full day. I have use a Dropbox Business Advanced account . Now today while working I could not open a pdf file only to see that the QTwebengineprocess.exe (file location in Dropbox folder) is utilizing 60,824 K for one process & another instance at 26,012 K of my memory.
And what is the solution to this?
because there is no solution....dropbox doesn't give a **bleep** t resolve the issue.
Just come out and say that there is no solution to this
look at how high the resources are being used
it's using as much resources as a full blown editing application.....
it doesn't make sense for what should be a simple SVN.....they have gone and complicated the software
so much with the stupid features of Paper....and this and that and smart sync....none of that is the issue
just make a more powerful SVN and versioning system, as well as cloud system, and we wouldn't even be having this conversation
to the extent of how. much Dropbox is making per year........none of the executives there want to make anything better for the public.....
the biggest thing that happened at Dropbox was the "rebranding" they did with some stupid sketches to make it seem like Dropbox is for creatives, and for this person or that person.....NONE Of the branding matters if the god **bleep** app doens't work in the first place
As a 10 year user of Dropbox, i know there are no other competitors to the software on the level that it functions and the features of app integration etc.......so it's just become conveniently an application that has enough of the features and enough of the operability that people are using it because there is no other alternative....but that doesn't mean that A) it makes the lives of designers and developers a living hell......it doesn't function simulatenously wih any serious applications, especially Photoshop.....etc....
the reasons are endless as to why until now, instead of the executives at Dropbox just getting rich and softening their seats......there should have been a massive overhaul to the whole software.....it's only gotten SLOWER and more daunting and draining......not less......it drains more resources today than it ever did.....and i am running a iMac Pro with 14 cores.....i can't imagine what the 6-8 core Macs are going through.
Please see below my resources through activity monitor.....this has just gotten worse and worse over the past 2 years........the very last update from Dropbox was probably one that slowed it down the most.......also see the specs of my computer so you don't say its my computer cuz i will laugh.
Hi there @websistant; I'm sorry to hear you're also facing issues with high CPU usage on your Mac.
I'd really like to help look into this matter so would it be OK with you if I reached out via the email address that's connected with your profile here so we can have a further look into this with all of my tools at our disposal?
Whenever you get some spare time, please let me know here and we'll take it from there.
While we're at it, have you consulted the relevant Help Center article which goes through the possible culprits? In case you did, what were your findings?
The easiest way to stop DropBox from using around 1/3rd of a GigaByte of memory when it actually does nothing with it is...to simply uninstal it.
There are a large number of cloud providers (1&1-Ionis, Microsoft, Google, etc) whos apps steal far less memory for wastage when they are not doing anything - which, lets face it, is 99.999...% of the time!If DropBox can't be arsed to sort this TRIVIAL amendment to their code, then they don't really deserve to be a cloud-player anymore.
@BigAlUK99 I have just cancelled my Dropbox pro after many problems, like memory stealing, and when i send a link to my clients, they see first an invitation to join Dropbox before download the file... BUT I WAS PAYING FOR PRO TOOLS because i need something simple, open link-download a file, not promoting Dropbox to take my customers to join their business... Solution: change the last 0 from a link to 1.When i send a JPG file for printing for example, they see a "preview" and that confuses them, downloading the low-res version. After contacting support they suggested me to zip the file... OKAY.And the last one, while uploading a PNG file (transparency), and downloading on my iPhone it looses its alpha channel. Support said that engineers thaught that i't would be better to have PNG with NO ALPHA CHANNEL.I ended up using iCloud. Cheapper, simpler, faster.
The new app is horrible for memory and CPU waste. I have been with Dropbox since 2010 and never has reliability been this poor as this desktop application version. Problems started immediately after the latest major GUI and features change. The new desktop application is flawed for a number of users. I had to uninstall it from my work terminal today. Will likely have to do the same with a laptop as it too is being halted to a crawl when trying to use the software. I'll just use the browser for now and not have synchronisation I guess.
Is there any way to install the old, stable desktop software?
Dropbox team:
I am also experiencing high memory (RAM) footprint on the Dropbox app running on my machine (MacOS 10.15.3). I have less than 40% of my 2.0TB space used and the great majority of my files are remote (smart sync).
Yet, the Dropbox app is taking over 2.8GB of RAM on my machine!
Killing the Dropbox app helps but it ends up eating RAM again over time. Needless to say that this is a deal breaker, I cannot afford this kind of memory footprint on my systems.
Can you provide some guidance please?Thank you.
@eabeI moved to iCloud, is cheapper and if ur'e using a mac u'll see better results..
BUT... sometimes it freezes too while uploading many files, but less than DB.
and it's kind of harder to use due to sharing links, but i preffer to do some more clics but had a better service.
The big three cloud storage providers claim the right to look at your files, which is bad enough. I looked into using Microsoft and Google but they go to the extreme and actually claim the right to delete users' files. I wanted to switch my business to all Microsoft services when I read that in their terms. I can't risk client data being deleted by corporate bullies, "accidental" or otherwise.
Unfortunately, "wokeness" is more important than trustworthiness these days.
Moreover, the most profitable support is the Dogbert model of assigning customers increasingly difficult and inconvenient tasks until they give up.
Dropbox is a memory hog. If that is causing issues for you then
As an alternative to Dropbox, the only other cloud storage provider that I know of that doesn't explicitly claim the right to delete your data in its terms of service is box.com. Beware of changes to terms of service though.
I also have the issue and it's driving me crazy.
All the files on my Drop Box are Smart synced so nothing on my Mac but every so often dropbox starts to sync and the memory and CPU go crazy. Even when it's not syncing the memory and CPU is working with loads of resource to DropBox.
My Mac has a great processor 2.4 GHz Intel Core i9 with 32 GB memory. However, the majority of the resource is going on DropBox.
Before you ask, yes I have been through those steps.
As soon as I turn drop box off - everything returns to normal.
If there isn't a soultion to this soon I will just move everything to iCloud.
Or use Google Drive. I dumped Dropbox, it's a memory hog.
Tried everything but no joy from any of the recommended here solutions to prevent Dropbox from resource hogging my laptop. I had to uninstall the app eventually and resort to the on board -not very reliable- Microsoft OneDrive cloud, ...until Dropbox works out a solution to this problem.
....Thanks for the tip!
... Google Drive is waaaay better (faster & more intuitive) than MS OneDrive or Dropbox
... plus it gives you 15 Gb free (instead of 4 or 5)
Dropbox drives me crazy, I think it syncs everything from my computer, I just can't find where I can stop it! I can't find Customer support to help me, it's really bad! all I see is sales AD to ask for upgrade my dropbox. it's been a few weeks, I want to delete Dropbox. it's just so crazy, NOT convenient to use at all!!!
Hi, this is crazy that my Dropbox syncs everything from my computer, it fills up Dropbox, I want to stop sync!! it drives me crazy!! and I can't find customer help on this, all I got is sale AD want me to upgrade my dropbox, that's crazy!! Dropbox has no customer service at all!!
That's dropbox, still using 280MB memory while sync has been paused for several minutes. I guess the consensus from this thread is there's no fix and to choose a different provider. OK
