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Windows quick search access to Dropbox files in the cloud

Hi so I´ve got a temporary laptop while my current one is being fixed. Loaded the DB app and told it to leave all my files in the cloud.
The app did but a Dropbox icon in Windows Explorer on my new laptops desktop (the folder icon on the taskbar) but when I click on it I don´t see my files, just a bunch of what looks like install files and cache.

I´d like to avoid having to download all my files to this new temp laptop for security reasons and also my DB is quite large.
I´d like to have access to the files from Windows Esdplorer and also when working with MS Word and Excel to be able to retireve and save the
docs or spredsheets to the DB Cloud. There is a beta for adding DB to MS Word but you have to get an invite.

On-balance it would be ideal if I could somehow link to the DB files in the cloud via some kind of link or shortcut in Windows Explorer?

Thanks,

-Marc

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Walter

Hi there @marcok - thanks for using Dropbox and welcome to the Community!

You should be able to achieve what you had in mind with online-only files in Dropbox normally.

Could you clarify your computer's OS, and the status and version of the Dropbox app as shown in your system tray?

Thanks!

marcok

Hi and thanks for your message. Yes I agree with you -let me add a little detail and then answer your question: when I installed DB on the new laptop I was asked to check off which folder or files I wanted to keep locally on the Laptop. I didn't check any as I, for this laptop which is temporary, didn´t want to have anything saved locally. So I'm wondering if by doing that that resulted in this current issue?

So to answer you question:
I'm on Win 11 Home Edition Version 10.0.22631 Build 22631
DB Version: 208.4.5824

I´d love to insert a screen screenshot of what I'm seeing but it appears there's not way to do that.

Walter

You should be able to add a screenshot through the camera icon within your reply's box @marcok

Could you give it a go and let me know if it works for you?

As for changing your syncing settings now, have you tried adjusting them through the sync tab in the app's preferences?

marcok

Hi- Yea I thought the same but when I click on the camera icon it puts up a form that´s blank and the first line is "Image source" and it doesn´s let me click to upload anything. I tried pasting in a link to the image I want to show you from dropbox.com and when I did a "preview" of that, the screen was blank so I don´t think that´s working.. do you have an email address I could send the screen shots too??

Also fyi I´m currently in Europe so will be signing off now and will see your next reply tomorrow.
I´ve never had this issue before- so kind stumped.

One confusing thing is that when I look at my app preferences it says that I have chose to "hid" some files and when I press "manage" what I get is a list of all of my files on dropbox.com with none checked off as I indicated in my first message. However what this "manage" box says about that list is: "Selected folders will live on this computer. Unselected folders will appear only on dropbox.com." And that is what I want- I don't want any of my files to live on this temp pc as I said before, but I want to be able to see them in the File Explorer.

Thanks,
-Marc

Hannah

Hey @marcok, thanks for reaching out to us.

How about dragging the screenshot to the reply box? That works for me.

However, from what I can understand, it sounds like when you initially set up your Dropbox and chose to not sync your files, you didn't choose to sync them in "online-only" mode, but chose not to sync them at all.

This is a feature we call "selective sync".

You can use selective sync, to remove entire folders from your Dropbox folder, but have them available on dropbox.com.

This means that the folders in question won't show up at all in your Dropbox folder.

If you want to see the names of your folders, you'll need to go through your selective sync settings and check the folders, so they can sync to the Dropbox folder.

Keep in mind that folders you sync back through selective sync, will sync as online-only, so no need to worry about them taking time to sync or taking up hard drive space.

I hope this helps, but let me know if you have questions!

marcok

Hi- Yes I´m very familiar with Selective Sync but only in the case where the files started out on my hard drive and then as the drive got full I used that feature. In this case, all the files are on dropbox.com but I still want to access them from Windows explorer and as well when I do "save as" from MS office apps.

The issue here is that when I go to "Sync Settings" on my preferences, I see a list of all of my files and it says "Selected Folders will live on this computer. Unselected folders will appear only on dropbp.com"

Well I don´t want any of the files to "live on this computer" for the reasons previously stated. So I checked off none of my folder in that list.

Further down there is a choice for "on-line only" but that´s only for new files. There´s no "on-line" choice for existing files that are on dropbox.com in this "Sync" choices under Preferences and same for when I install- I get the same list and the same message about files "living on this computer" which isn´t what I want.

I tried draggin the screen shot and nothing happens. When I click on camera I get a form with several blanks to fill out and the first is "source" and I tried to past a link to the spreadsheet and the form ignored it. Whatever you are using for this communication is lacking a proper attachement function.

Can you give me an email address to send the screen shot to?

Thanks,
-Marc

Walter

Have you by any chance tried another web browser to attach a screenshot in your reply, Marc?

As for getting in contact with our support team via email, you can reach out to them via this page.

marcok

Hi- great suggestion and I just pasted it in. So the highlight section is the thing I referred to in my last message- I don´t want the files to "live" on my Laptop

Walter

Have you tried syncing a sample folder from this window to see how it goes, Marc?

marcok

Hi-sorry don´t understand- what "sample folder" are you speaking of?

Walter

Any of the folders shown on your screenshot, Marc. A small one would do the trick to test things out.

marcok

Hi and thanks- and ok I did that with my "screenshots" and it has the expected behavior: I can see it now in my Wondows Explorer list of file but it has the green check mark which means its now living on my laptop which is what I didn´t want. Of course I can right click on it and choose the Dropbox option to "make on-line" only. That´s fine for a single folder but I don´t want to have to manuall do that for each and ever folder I have- that would be very time consuming .

It seems that´s the only way though? The install procedue does not allow me to have both the files living on dropbox.com and also appear in Windows explorer without doing this manual process for each one after the install take a tone of time to put all my folders on the harddrive??

Jay

Hi @marcok, do you see this option in the Dropbox desktop application for new files syncing from the site to be marked as online-only?

Have you tried selecting all the folders in the selective sync window, and then marking the Dropbox folder itself as online-only?