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How to stop offloading my files?

When I click selective sync and then pick certain directories...I WANT MY FILES. I don't want to have to click on the little cloud all the time.....Please tell me how to always download what I select to sync. I have plenty of room on my drive. It is causing problems when it has to download missing files while I am working...What a horrible "Feature"....

Russell

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Chris_J

Hello Betazero,

Thanks for reaching out to us in the Dropbox Community.

Okay, the setting for Selective Sync feature is in the Preferences when you click on the Dropbox icon in your system Tray (Win) or Menu Bar (Mac). Click on icon and then click on Avastar on top right hand side and then Preferences. Then go the the Sync Tab

It sounds like you are talking about a different Feature than Selective Sync. Let me explain what Selective Sync does. When you go to Selective sync, you would be select which folder you want SEEN on your PC, the folders that are NOT selected will NOT be seen but only accessed in the Cloud (Dropbox Servers). That doesn't sound like what you have

If you look in the sync Tab, you will notice option for new files. Its the first section. Under default, its selected online-only. You need to select Available Offline.

That should fix your issue. It will take some time to do that if you have a lot of files

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Chris_J

Hello Betazero,

Thanks for reaching out to us in the Dropbox Community.

If you look in the sync Tab, you will notice option for new files. Its the first section. Under default, its selected online-only. You need to select Available Offline.

That should fix your issue. It will take some time to do that if you have a lot of files

betazero

Ok the offline thing is fixing it...wow that needs to be default. Been using Dropbox for like 15 years and never had issues with files being unavailable... Goodbye clouds geez..I would click one and it would pop back up....What a nightmare.

Also, by the way there is no option for Offline-only in the preferences. You have to right click on the Dropbox icon to find that. It really needs to be in the preferences though. The screenshot is Mac but It's the same on PC too. I do remember there being an option for that in previous versions.

Russell

Screenshot 2023-03-09 at 1.03.08 PM.png

Chris_J

That is strange. Do you have the latest Dropbox Client version?

you will find that info in General tab in preferences

here is mine

https://capture.dropbox.com/bEAYH3HPZhK3JOoe

betazero

I have the latest version. The one that moves the Dropbox folder to the new cloud location. Go to your Sync tab and send a screenshot.

Chris_J

Hmmmnm, my work Mac Dropbox App has the version you have. no feature listed in Sync tab. I guess my home Mac is different. My Work Mac is newer and newer OS but my home Mac is older with an older OS, but it has newer version of DB.. Thats strange.

Primarily, both work and home Macs are the same as far as Hardware is concerned. But one is 2011 (home) and 2012 (Work). interesting

THX1965

I am on the latest macOS Dropbox beta (v170.3.5822) and I also don't see an option to make "available offline" the default behavior - only the option for selective sync.

Also - this beta version of dropbox seems to be quite confused about which file is online or offline. I have entire folders showing both badges - the green circle and the download-from-cloud icon (despite showing the correct file size) - but all files are offline when I click on them.

I am waiting to be accepted into the beta chat group since this is clearly a bug.

Again - everything that has a green circle is in fact offline when I click on it

betazero

My current one did that but then started changing into just all green checks after right clicking and selecting the offline option.

Selective sync was the perfect solution that Dropbox pioneered. The whole cloud stored thing was made by other companies. Not sure why Dropbox decided to integrate it so heavily when they already had the perfect solution. Maybe they can evolve selective sync where you put a black check for the things you always want and put like a blue check in the ones you want online only. But really I don’t know if I would use it. I love keeping my Dropbox clean and sync just the things I need for now.

THX1965

Thanks for your feedback, betazero.

Right-clicking and selecting "available offline" doesn't do anything in my case. No reaction from the Dropbox app. I have to click on the cloud-arrow icon to start the process.

I guess the whole process is still a bit buggy.

betazero

Mine took some time to clear off the little clouds. Now it’s back to normal but really they need to disable this “feature” unless that’s what people want. I mean a 1 Terabyte SSD is like 150 bucks now. I don’t think people are that worried about drive space.

Chris_J

Thanks, Batazero for sharing your experience. The info will help others with same issues.

Good day and stay safe

ColinSutton

My files are already on my computer where I need them. If I upgrade to the latest MacOS version of dropbox I don't need to download 3TB to a new location. I need them all offline as I don't always have internet access while travelling.

betazero

Oh no you still selective sync but the pick all offline only applies to the selected folders you want.

It works the same way it always has but they hid the setting in the right click on the Dropbox icon menu. Not sure why….