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My Mac files aren't syncing and they all have grey cloud icons next to them

I have recently upgraded to a M3 MacBook Air (Sonoma 14.4.1), I can see all the information from my Dropbox but nothing is syncing, every folder and every file has a grey cloud next to it unless I click on it to open and it then syncs. It should not be a memory issue as I am leaving most of my larger files in the online version only. The Dropbox icon in the menu bar tells me that my files are up to date... when they are clearly not. I have already re-installed Dropbox the simple way - no change. I then followed the instructions for an advanced re-install, with no difference. I've enabled LAN syncing, checked for firewall and network permissions - no change. I simply do not have the computer knowledge or the time to know what else to do now, I just need Dropbox to work so that I can get on with work. Any ideas on what to do next?

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Nancy

Thanks for clarifying, and thanks for the screenshot!

It looks like your files/folders have been set as online-only (for more info, you can click here).

If you select all of them and right click, do you see an option to make them available offline? If yes, this should download them to your hard drive once again, so that you can open them afterwards.

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Nancy

Welcome to our Community, @RamblingHen!

As a first, I’d like you to send me a screenshot of the cloud icons you see next to all of your files (you can attach it here by clicking on the small camera icon above your message box).

Also, when saying that you leave larger files in the online version only, do you mean they only show on www.dropbox.com after removing them with selective sync, or that you have them as online-only on the desktop app instead?

Let me know, and we can go from there.

RamblingHen

Hi Nancy, I am struggling to attach the screenshot, it seems to get stuck Screenshot 2024-04-30 at 10.35.25.png

RamblingHen

ha! just managed it but did not work out how to send a message with it. To answer your question, I used selective sync to leave the larger folders that I don't regularly need on the online dropbox version.

Nancy

Thanks for clarifying, and thanks for the screenshot!

It looks like your files/folders have been set as online-only (for more info, you can click here).

If you select all of them and right click, do you see an option to make them available offline? If yes, this should download them to your hard drive once again, so that you can open them afterwards.

RamblingHen

Hooray! This worked - thank you so much for your help!

Nancy

My pleasure, @RamblingHen! Give me a nudge, if you need something else.