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My Windows desktop app got updated and my files are no longer available offline.

My Dropbox (Essentials) recently updated to v219.4.4463.

After the update, it started syncing or indexing a large number of files, even though I didn’t change any of my settings.

Since then, the sync icons for files and folders in Windows 11 Explorer no longer make sense.

My default setting is 'Always available on this device', which should display the green circle with a checkmark, but a lot of old files now show the 'Available on this device' icon (white circle with a green checkmark).

Additionally, many folders display the 'Sync pending' icon (blue arrows in a circle).

However the taskbar status shows 'Your files are up to date', and there are no reported syncing issues.

'Save hard drive space automatically' is turned off, and the default setting for new files is 'Available offline'.

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Accepted answers

vladgasan

Hi @Rowo,

Thanks for reaching out! It looks like your Dropbox desktop app was recently upgraded, which introduced some changes to how files sync and appear. As part of this update, a resync of all your files was triggered—this is expected behavior and nothing to worry about.

Additionally, file icons are now controlled by Windows OS in this new update, which is why they may look different. You can find more details about the new icon system here: Dropbox Sync Icons Explained.

More info about the update here: Expected changes with Dropbox for Windows update.

Let us know if you have any other questions!

All comments

Rich

Rowo wrote:
My default setting is 'Always available on this device', which should display the green circle with a checkmark, but a lot of old files now show the 'Available on this device' icon (white circle with a green checkmark).

I would restart the Dropbox app. If that doesn't change anything, highlight all of your files and manually mark them as Available Offline. Wait for it to finishing processing and see if everything is up to date again.

Geeta Sadashivan

How do I manually mark my folders as "available offline"? When I right-click there are no options for syncing available.

Jay

HI @Geeta Sadashivan, are you right clicking the folders in the Dropbox folder on your machine?

Could you attach a screenshot showing what you're seeing when you right click a folder?

Geeta Sadashivan

Here is the screenshot--attached image.

Nancy

Hi from me too, @Geeta Sadashivan! From your screenshot, you don’t seem to have the small Dropbox icon in your system tray (at the bottom right corner of your screen, next to your clock settings); this means that the Dropbox app is most likely not running, which is why you don’t see the Dropbox options when right-clicking on your files.

If you click on the little arrow in your system tray instead, can you see the Dropbox icon then? If not, I’d like you to go to your Start menu, open your Programs from there and restart the app.

Do you see the option to make your files available offline after that?

Geeta Sadashivan

Hi Nancy, I don't see the dropbox icon in my system tray and there is no little arrow there either. I typed "programs" into my start menu, went to the dropbox app and then clicked on it so if there was a "restart" option. All I can see is one option: "Uninstall." I guess that makes things super clear.

Nancy

Thanks for checking, Geeta! The little arrow I was referring to is the one in your system tray, next to the OneDrive icon and your language settings at the bottom.

Geeta Sadashivan

Yes, I checked the arrow to make sure there were no hidden icons in the system tray. There are none.

Jay

Hi @Geeta Sadashivan, from the screenshot, it looks like you're running the new Cloud files interface for the Dropbox desktop application, as you can see by the sync icons.

As you're still not seeing the context menu items, in order to look into this matter in more detail, I'd recommend contacting the support team directly for them to investigate further.

vladgasan

Let us know if you have any other questions!

Rowo

Thank you for the clarification of the resync after the upgrade.

But I still don't understand why suddenly half of my files are marked as 'available on this device' and the other half as 'always available on this device.'

Additionally, why do most of my folders have the 'sync pending' icon, even though the taskbar says 'all files up to date' and there seems to be nothing syncing?

Is there still some kind of background syncing happening as a result of this update?

Rowo

'Marked as solution' but not by me because it is only half of a solution.

It took a while, but everything seems to be 'updated' now.

However still half of my files are marked as 'available on this device' and the other half as 'always available on this device.' Confusing.

vladgasan

Glad to hear that everything is updated!

> However still half of my files are marked as 'available on this device' and the other half as 'always available on this device.' Confusing.

This due to the changes introduced by the update. Windows OS controls the icons, hence, they look a bit different from what you're used to. Some of your files are marked as 'implicitly local' while others are 'explicitly local' by the OS. It could take some time to get used to the new icons but rest assured that files in both categories are available offline.

Let us know if you have any other questions!