Child Item

Dropbox icon overlays in File Explorer require manual refresh (F5) to display correctly.

Application Affected: N/A

Device: N/A

Operating System/Browser (if using the web): N/A

Dropbox App Version (if using the app): N/A

Hi Dropbox team,

I’ve encountered a consistent issue with Dropbox icon overlays in Windows File Explorer. When Dropbox is not running at system startup, synced files show incorrect brown box overlays (typically indicating “offline” or “unsynced” status). Once Dropbox is manually launched and sync completes, the file metadata appears to be corrected—but the icon overlays remain incorrect until I manually press “F5” in File Explorer.

This behavior has occurred across multiple sessions and folders. Pressing “F5” reliably corrects the overlays, suggesting that Explorer isn’t automatically re-querying the shell extension or refreshing its cache after Dropbox updates the file status.

Steps to reproduce:

Boot system without Dropbox auto-launch
Open a Dropbox-synced folder in File Explorer
Observe brown box overlays
Launch Dropbox manually
Wait for sync to complete
Press in Explorer
Overlays correct themselves

Expected behavior:

Icon overlays should update automatically once Dropbox sync status changes.

Would appreciate confirmation if this is a known issue, and whether a fix or workaround is planned. Just thought you would want to know.

Thanks,

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ccjc4sub

GREAT WORK to the team. Appears to be solved as no longer have the problem. PLUS, the status column in MS Explorer for dropbox files now have a circle with Check box inside, AN ADDED BONUS. Really appreciate your work...... Keep up the Benchmark Work. MS could learn from you.......

All comments

Nancy

Hey @ccjc4sub! Thanks for posting on our forum.

Do you also have OneDrive running on your computer? I’m asking because it sounds like you’re seeing this icon.

If that’s the case, can you temporarily disable OneDrive and restart your computer?

Also, since you mention this is something you notice when the Dropbox app doesn’t launch automatically on your computer, have you tried changing this setting to see if the behavior persists?

Let me know how it goes.

ccjc4sub

I should have mentioned this in my original post. OneDrive and Dropbox are disabled at startup. I do not and have not used OneDrive which BTW is empty. Since your note I have verified these facts with TaskManager. The problem I described occurs only after I start Dropbox which I am now using to transfer files from my iPhone to Dropbox to PC. The changed overlays stay silent until I open Droopbox.

Megan

Hey @ccjc4sub, let me also jump here!

I'd love to have a visual of what you described. Can you send me some screenshots of the behavior you mentioned?

You can either copy and paste your screenshots here, or you can click the camera-like icon in order to attach them back to me.

Keep me posted!

ccjc4sub

I can not provide screenshot because of the proprietary nature of some information that would be included in any pic. I really just wanted to flag this to you all........ For me I can live with the problem.

By the way, my investigation before I sent the original post to you sure indicates OneDrive also has the problem. So the earlier ask for me to disable Onedrive was spot on. Again, I do not use Onedrive. It did test it again when I upgraded to Win 11 months ago, but leave it in a non started state. I only start Dropbox when it is needed and is not started at startup. Same for almost all apps at startup so startup is clean and fast...

Hannah

Hey @ccjc4sub, thanks for the reply.

I wanted to chime in and say that if you're having this issue while the Dropbox app is not running, it's probably another program that's causing this.

I'd suggest taking a look at this relevant thread, to see if you can find any useful info or troubleshooting steps.

ccjc4sub

I meant to say this earlier. Sorry. Normally both Dropbox and OneDrive are not used at startup (always). I only use when needed and never start Onedrive and have confirmed in all tests that Onedrive is not running (using TaskManager). FURTHER, I only see the problem a bit after starting Dropbox. The problem does not exist otherwise. I am now starting Dropbox several times a day for work I am doing and see the issue regularly just after starting. If I leave Dropbox running, my recollection is that it periodically reoccurs but that is not documented. Further, The issue affects all shortcut icons on the desktop and not just Dropbox. Hope this helps....

Hannah

Thanks for the update, @ccjc4sub.

If the issue affects other apps/programs and not just the Dropbox app and folder, this still leads me to believe it's not caused by the Dropbox app.

Are the icons you see the same ones as in the screenshots in the thread I linked in my previous reply?

Have you tried uninstalling OneDrive and restarting your computer, to see if that makes any difference?

ccjc4sub

No no no and no. THE PROBLEM ONLY HAPPENS WHEN DROPBOX IS RUNNING AND ONLY THEN. The other apps are not affected, only the other app icons' overlays (shortcuts) icons are switching from diagonal arrow (default) to brown box with a lid and sometimes to green circle with check mark. I can run seemingly for days without the issue and if I open Dropbox, the problem appears. Now, with that information how can you conclude other than it being a Dropbox problem. It might by some quirk be something else but I do not think so. BTW my earlier research on the problem sure indicated others have the same problem. Same behavior has also been associated with OneDrive which I have eliminated as a source.

With info I provided you should be able to duplicate.....

ccjc4sub

I simply wanted to let you know about this problem. If it is only me than just file my report. I really do not need this corrected as I only have the problem when Dropbox is running. Otherwise no problem, so most of the time Dropbox just does not run......

Hope this clarification is of value. Also note that This forum is the only way I could find to log the problem with Dropbox. Not an easy process to try to help.......

Hannah

I completely understand, @ccjc4sub.

Rest assured that your feedback and comments about this have been passed along to our team.

If you'd like to, we could open a ticket so we can look further into this and see if there's some way we can further assist, but I just wanted to assure you that I've personally passed everything along to the team.

Let me know if you need anything else.

ccjc4sub

Great answer and all I was looking for. No ticket needed. If the problem is never resolved I am fine with that. Again, I just wanted you to know about it. The impact on me is to create a grin and ask myself each time, what caused that and then remember that I left Dropbox running. In fact, if I am the only one having the problem, Dropbox should spend no time on the issue.

I will probably not even check back.

Thank you Hannah for the superb response. Keep up the GREAT work....

Hannah

Not a problem, @ccjc4sub.

If you need anything else, just give us a shout and we'll be happy to help!

ccjc4sub

Walter

We're happy to hear it's sorted now and thank you for keeping us in the loop too.

Let us know if anything else comes up in the future @ccjc4sub!