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Files take forever to sync from one Mac computer to another

I often (attempt to) use dropbox to transfer files from my laptop to desktop computer. Some days this simple process takes far too long. I just placed a simple 500k file in my laptop dropbox. The file says synced in dropbox. 17 minutes later in my desktop, the file still is not in my drop box which also says synced. I have looked at the trouble shooting guides and nothing applies or works. In my recent experience, the file will appear later today. Why is it taking hours to accomplish what should take seconds? PS_ This is a fairly recent issue this fall. All latest model Macs/OSX. After 19 minutes the file today appears in my Sync history on my Desktop Mac...yet I still can not access the file and it is not in my dropbox synced folder.

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Greatdane007

Hi Nancy, Thanks for the continued guidance. I deleted the two previous files. I uploaded files into both a folder within the dropbox folder as well as just my dropbox folder itself. I did this on both of my computers. It took 20 seconds or so to sync but now the files appear as they should on all platforms. Strange glitch in the matrix is all I can offer, as it seems to be working normally now.

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Nancy

Welcome aboard our forum, @Greatdane007!

After uploading a small file to your laptop’s Dropbox folder, can you immediately see it on the Dropbox website? I’d like to check which one of the two devices has this syncing issue, or if this occurs on both of them.

I’d also like to know the Dropbox app version you’ve installed on both your computers, as well as the name of the file you can’t see on your desktop.

Is there any chance the file is being added to a folder that's been selectively synced on your desktop computer?

Keep me updated.

Greatdane007

Hi Nancy, Thank you for your support.

I just added a simple 100k image file to my dropbox using my Macbook Pro laptop computer and the dropbox app itself. I immediately see the file uploaded into my Dropbox via web browser. On my laptop in my dropbox app folder, I do not see the file though I see it via web browser. If I "search" for it in the app folder, it appears. It does not appear in the complete file list. Image file name: "IMG_6738.jpg"

Yesterday I added a file named: "Supplies.jpg". Again, I can see this file via web browser. The file does not appear 24 hours later in the app folder file list on my laptop.

On my desktop Mac computer, the same applies. The file will appear if I search for it in the app. However, in the file folder both files do not appear.

If I go to the top of my screen and click on Dropbox, a drop down menu appears. On both computers I can see both files from yesterday and today under ACTIVITY. Both files appear on both computers under Sync History in drop down. However, when I select the Dropbox FOLDER icon, a new Folder window opens. On both computers, both files do not appear in the DB folder when it opens.

For some reason the Dropbox folder will not "show" in the files list on both systems. If I do a Search for either file in the open Dropbox folder, they appear and I can select the file as a single file. As soon as I go to the complete file list, the files do not appear.

Both computers are running Dropbox 190.4.6383

I do not know what "selectively synced" means.

Hannah

Sorry to jump in here, @Greatdane007.

Would you mind clarifying something for me?

You mentioned that you're adding files to your Dropbox, using the Dropbox app on your laptop and they appear on the website immediately, but then you can't find them in the Dropbox folder on the laptop nor the desktop, is that right?

I'm not clear on how the files do not show up in the Dropbox folder of the laptop, if that's where you're syncing them from.

Do they disappear from the folder after you add them?

Greatdane007

YES exactly as you described is correct. I just did a test by adding a new folder to my desktop dropbox folder. It instantly appeared on both computers in the dropbox folder. I then added two fairly large image files to the folder. Almost instantly both image files appeared on both systems.

Just like that....it is now working as it should. However, the other two small files I uploaded yesterday and today STILL do not appear in this folder!! Strange indeed.

Nancy

That's quite odd indeed, @Greatdane007. Can you try deleting the small files you uploaded yesterday to Dropbox, and then re-upload them? Can you see them properly on all Dropbox platforms now?

Greatdane007

Nancy

Glad to hear things are now back to normal! If you face similar issues again, I’ll be right here.