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Online only files still taking up space on hard drive!

I'm trying desperately to clear out my hard drive (so Photoshop can open!) and have made tons of folders and files 'online only' sometime ago.

However, when I inspect the the folders and files (I'm using the app Folder Size) these STILL take up space on my laptop.

An example of one folder here is my 'Camera Uploads' which are entirely online only (the grey cloud icon), but still taking up 18gb of space. This is the case for all the folders that are 'online only'

Any idea what is going on here?

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TIA.

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Megan

Hey there, @Peter Marigold, let's jump right into this!

As a first step, would you mind clarifying your device's OS, the version of the Dropbox app that you're using and your app's syncing status at the moment?

Do you see the grey, cloud icon inside the folders too, when you look at the files?

Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there!

Peter Marigold

Hi Megan, thanks very much for the reply.

I'm using Windows 10.

I actually can't see how to know what Dropbox version I'm using!... I looked in properties - but it doesn't state this.

The files all have the grey cloud - and my devices are all syncing correctly. So files appear on each device via the cloud.

Megan

Hey @Peter Marigold!

You can locate the app's syncing status, and version by hovering your mouse over the little Dropbox icon on your task bar, next to your WiFi. Can you try that?

Peter Marigold

Aha!

205.4.5765

Megan

Thanks @Peter Marigold!

Would you be able to also send me a screenshot of the app's current syncing status, along with one more screenshot showing that the files take-up space on the device, please?

Peter Marigold

Okay - this is the status. It has issues with 9 files - but they're irrelevant programme files. All else is syncing fine across devices.

Next: if you look at 'London Met' for example, it shows it's taking up 12gb on the folder size app I'm using:

when I drill down into the folders - they are all there on my harddrive taking up the 12gb of space - even though they are all set to 'online only':

this shot shows inside explorer that all the folders (and files inside) are set to the grey cloud online only:

Help! 🙂

Nancy

Thanks for all the screenshots, @Peter Marigold! If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask for one more screenshot of the syncing icon you see next to the “LONDON MET” folder, as showing in your last screenshot.

Besides that, I’d also like you to right click on the folder, go to Properties, and send me a screenshot of the next window you’ll see.

Peter Marigold

So this is the icon - whited out tick (indicates online only):

and right click on folder > properties > says 12gb 😞

but double checking inside that folder - all icons are greyed out (online only):

Jay

HI @Peter Marigold, could you check that the entire folder to be sure that all files are online-only, since it seems that there is 236 KB of data in that folder.

Additionally, have you enabled the visibility of hidden files in Explorer, to see if there is a file or folder that isn't visible and is taking up space?

Peter Marigold

Hi Jay,

afraid it's going to be a bit clunky... I'll focus on one folder to start as there are loads in there!

So looking at the LONDON MET folder called '2.PROSPECT' it says there is 2.9GB inside...

Inside that is a folder called 'PROSPECT HM' - showing 1.89GB:

Inside that folder is a list of films. The Foldersize app I'm using indicates that those films are taking up space on the hard drive:

however when I open the same folder using the windows file explorer it shows all the same files with the grey cloud icon:

Also, just to be thorough, the 'Prospect HM' folder also has the grey cloud icon in file explorer if I go up a level:

Also, if I click on the properties of that folder, it shows that it is using 1.88GB

Thanks for your help!

Hannah

Hey @Peter Marigold, I hope you don't mind if I join the discussion!

I wanted to point out something very important about the size of your files.

If you go to the Dropbox folder in your file explorer and right click on an "online-only" folder and choose "properties", you will see the size of the folder, but if you take a closer look, right under "size", you'll see "size on disk"; that's the actual size of the folder on your hard drive.

And that is because you made the folder online-only.

If you were to right click on the same folder, choose to make it available offline, and follow the same steps, the "size on disk" number should show the same info as the "size" one. Can you confirm that's the case?