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Windows not syncing with ereader, phone, or tablet

I have Dropbox on my Windows PC, Android phone, Android tablet, and my Kobo ereader has Dropbox built in. They have all worked together to sync all this year with no problems. Today (11/3) I added 6 ebooks to Dropbox in Windows but they do not show up on any of my 3 other devices. Also today, I added an ebook to my Dropbox app on my tablet and it showed up right away on all the other devices, Windows included. Why is Windows not syncing things added to it with the other devices? Yet reflects items added to the other devices. I'm stumped.

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Accepted answers

lesleydd

It's fixed. I turned on my PC and saw a notification that there were a bunch of Windows updates needed to be downloaded and installed. After that was done, Dropbox was all updated. I see all Dropbox files everywhere now. Problem instantly vanished. If this issue happens again, I'll know one item to check. Thanks to all who tried to help!

All comments

Jay

Hi @lesleydd, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Are the files that you've synced from the Windows machine appear on the Dropbox site? Do the files in Explorer have a green tick on them?

What is the current status of the app when you hover over it in the system tray?

This will help me to assist further!

lesleydd

In Windows, the files are visible in the Dropbox app but show up no where else, ie no other devices. In Windows, I opened up Dropbox web site and the files are not visible there either. When I say "files", I mean only the six I added while in Windows on 11/3. I've added many similar files ( epubs) while in Windows throughout this year no problems and these are all visible and synced everywhere. It's only these six files that aren't syncing. There's nothing different about these six files...they're just epubs.

I don't see any green ticks in Explorer.

I open Dropbox app in Windows via File Explorer, then click Apps, then Rakuten Kobo to see my list of added epubs. So File Explorer is what is in the system tray. I'm using Windows 11 Home. I don't know what you mean by "current status".

Walter

Hey @lesleydd, sorry to jump in, but I just wanted to mention that the app's status would be the one shown when you hover your mouse over the Dropbox icon in your taskbar.

Is it 'up to date' or still syncing perhaps?

lesleydd

I'm not great at Windows, not any more. The only way I can open the Dropbox app is via File Manager. Is there another way? So I get File Manager in the tray, not the Dropbox app. I'm only using Windows to convert Kindle books to epubs and add epubs to Dropbox. It's been like 16 hours since I added those six epubs to Dropbox in Windows. The same day when I added an epub file via my Android tablet, it synced everywhere at once, including Windows. As I said, everything worked perfectly all year until yesterday.

I apologize but I don't know how to open Dropbox app so it's icon shows in the system tray.

lesleydd

Today (11/5), I've got Dropbox status in the system tray. Today-Yesterday-Last 7 Days. Everything I added from my Android tablet on 11/4 and 5 are showing. At the bottom it says updating 6 files - that would be the ones I added in Windows on 11/4. It seems stuck in updating mode. What do you suggest?

Megan

Hey @lesleydd, just wanted to check in with you, and ask if the app is still uploading these files, or if it's now showing as 'up to date'?

lesleydd

As of 11/7 before 11am, the Dropbox system tray says

Uploading six files (the same 6 files as before)

Downloading Thirteen files (I added 13 epubs via my Android tablet between yesterday and today - visible on my other linked devices already)

None of the six epubs I loaded to Dropbox in Windows a few days ago are visible on any of my other linked devices.

Hannah

Hey @lesleydd, sorry to jump in here.

If you click on that small Dropbox icon in your system tray, then on your initials/profile pic and then on "view sync issues", do you see anything related to those files?

lesleydd

It says. PERSONAL no issues

It's still trying to sync all these recently added epubs. No change there. Windows still hasn't synced those 6 epubs. It shows one epub I added via my tablet on 11/4 and two I added on 11/5.

I added a bunch via my tablet on 11/7 and they aren't in Windows either.

Hannah

Thanks for the update, Lesley.

Do the files possibly contain any of these incompatible characters in their names?

lesleydd

No. These six ebooks are Kindle books that I converted to epubs. Only the file extension was changed.

There is no change today. No files are uploading or downloading into Windows. It's all still stuck in progress. It limits what I planned to do using Windows but, thank god, Dropbox still functions with my android devices and Kobo ereader. It looks like I'll have to settle with that. Whatever is the problem appears to be my own little anomaly.

Hannah

I see, thanks for that, Lesley, and sorry for the delay here.

It does seem like the Windows app is having trouble syncing your files.

If you do wish to continue troubleshooting this, can you please try restarting your computer, to see if that helps?

Can you also quit the app and then relaunch it? Maybe that'll do the trick.

lesleydd

Every time I have posted an answer here has been after turning on my computer and opening Dropbox. I only use my PC for the purpose of converting Kindle books to epubs. Otherwise it is turned off. So, yes, I have already restarted Windows and Dropbox many times.

Walter

Hey @lesleydd, thanks for the clarification on this.

Can you maybe send us a screenshot of the desktop app's exact status as shown in your taskbar at the moment?

Is it still stuck at the same number of files?

lesleydd

Walter

Glad to hear it's sorted now, Lesley. Thanks for keeping us in the loop too!

Take care and see you around the Community!