Child Item

Desktop app shows a "couldn't upload this file" error but I can't find the file

Device
Dell Alienware
Operating System/Browser (if using the web)
Windows 11
Dropbox App Version (if using the app)
230.4.8797
Syncing Status
Sync issue with 1 file

Question or Issue
Dropbox is complaining about a file it can't sync. When I click view file it just displays the desktop but it doesn't exactly point to the file. I don't see this file on my desktop. Dropbox doesn't give me the exact path to the file so I can't find it. Could this be a corrupted cache issue?

Find more posts tagged with

Desktop

Sync

Windows

Insightful

Closed - Partially Delivered

Delivered

Accepted answers

Megan

Hey @frank479, let's try something.

Can you try signing out of the app, and then signing back in? Do you notice the same behavior after trying this?

All comments

Hannah

Hey @frank479, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Can you try searching for the file from your files explorer's search bar?

Also, is there any chance the file appears in your Dropbox account online?

Let me know what you find.

frank479

I tried searching the entire drive looking for a rocket icon like that but nothing came up. I don't even understand why Dropbox is showing me my desktop (when I ask it to show me the file) being that I'm not even syncing my desktop. It should be pointing to some area in another drive where my Dropbox folder resides. I searched for it in my online account but if it can't sync it there, then I wouldn't expect it to be there anyway. What I really don't understand is why is it not telling me exactly which file it is.

Hannah

Thanks for the update, Frank, it's indeed pretty strange.

Can you check out the info on here, to see if any of the suggestions help at all?

frank479

Well the vast majority of those suggestions assume you have this file but it's jut not syncing but that's not my situation. Personally, I don't think there's a file. I think something internal is corrupted with Dropbox. I did run sfc on my C drive (Dropbox is on my E drive but since it was opening up my desktop folder... might as well run it there): "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations." I then ran chkdsk /r on my SSD where Dropbox resides: "Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems." And I did search the entire SSD for that rocket symbol. Nothing. I checked another computer I have and there are no sync issues. Which tells me that the files Dropbox SHOULD be syncing within the Dropbox folder are ok (both are offline available). So, what's different with this computer? Does Dropbox have a debug mode? Are there cache's or temporary data I can delete? Do I need to reinstall Dropbox and clean up any of its residual data? Any other ideas? Those rockets I see displayed... was that the full path to the file or just a filename? What does it normally show on that line?

Jay

Hi @frank479, are you using any other apps or services to back up different folders outside of the Dropbox folder somehow?

It's also possible that this file could be a temporary name for a file which is constantly being accessed or edited by another program.

frank479

Yes, I do have other backup solutions. I have files in OneDrive. I also back up folders on the Dropbox volume that are outside of the Dropbox folder but I'm struggling to understand the connection between that and my problem with Dropbox.

And, even if it was true that that file was a temp file for some other program, I still would need Dropbox to tell me what the file is and it's not doing that. It's not giving me anything useful to help me debug the problem. And why would it be pointing me to the desktop when it's not syncing anything from there?

Megan

Hey @frank479, let's try something.

Can you try signing out of the app, and then signing back in? Do you notice the same behavior after trying this?

frank479

I'm speechless. Who would have thought that a simple log out and back in would work?! 😀That is so crazy. Thank you all so much for hanging in there with me. Just as an aside, I setup Dropbox over 3-1/2 years ago on this PC and I've never logged out (there was no reason to). I guess reinstalling would have worked but would've been overkill.

Megan

Hey @frank479! That's what I like to hear (or read in our case)! 😇

Happy to see that your issue is now resolved! If you need anything else, give us a shout.

Theresa

Hi there @frank479 and welcome back to the Dropbox Community. I’m really glad to hear things are working properly again and thank you so much for coming back to update us 🤗. It’s always helpful when someone takes the time to share what worked, especially with tricky upload errors like this (even if it may seem simple a log in and out really does the trick sometimes 😉)

By the way, I’m Theresa 👩‍💻, one of the community managers here at Dropbox HQ. Since you’ve been working through this on the desktop app, I’d love to know... how do you usually use Dropbox in your day to day? Whether it’s for personal projects, work, or something in between, I’m always curious to hear how people make Dropbox fit into their routines.

Looking forward to hearing more,

T 😺 (Dropbox Community Manager)

frank479

I use Dropbox probably like most people. I have a single HD with all my data (personal projects mostly) that I sync to the cloud. It's nice to know my data is safely backed up all the time. I have lots of pictures, videos, coding projects, e-books, language learning lessons, etc. And being able to access it from my mobile devices is key. Many of the apps I use work with DB so I like the seamless integration across all platforms.