Child Item

After upgrading to Windows 11, I can't search for files within my Dropbox folder

Device

(Dell XPS 9320)
Operating System/Browser (if using the web)

(Windows 11)
Dropbox App Version (if using the app)

v234.4.5591
Dropbox Plan

(Plus)

Since upgrading to Windows 11 two days ago, Windows Search (Explorer search) no longer finds files stored in my Dropbox folder.

On Windows 10, I used to add the Dropbox directory to Indexing Options, and search worked perfectly — I could quickly find and open files among hundreds of thousands stored in Dropbox.

Now, on Windows 11:

The Dropbox folder does not appear in Indexing Options (the drive is listed, but not the Dropbox folder located at /Dropbox).

The Dropbox folder seems a virtual reparse point, which Windows Search ignores.

Expected behavior:

Windows Search should be able to index and find Dropbox files (at least those available offline) when Smart Sync is enabled.

Actual behavior:

Dropbox’s Smart Sync implementation seems to prevent Windows Search from indexing the Dropbox folder on Windows 11

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Comments

Jay

Hi @ghiggi, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Could you try reinstalling the Dropbox desktop application, without uninstalling it first, by using this link?

Keep me updated with any progress!

ghiggi

Hi @Jay . Reinstalling didn't solve the problem. It installed the same version.

Jay

Just for clarification, do the files which are available offline have the green sync icon on them like in this article?

ghiggi

Yes. Dropbox works well. Is located at /Dropbox.
But in the Indexing Options of Window Search the Dropbox directory does not appear:
You can clearly see the problem in this Screen Shot:

Jay

Thanks for the images, in order to look into this matter in more detail, I'd recommend contacting the support team directly for them to investigate further.

jvr1

We have the exact the same problem with 2 users at our company.
Ghiggi, do you have already the solution?

jvr1

We have exactly the same problem (also dropbox in d:) with windows 11 on 2 computers.
In the windows indexing we can choose d: gdrive but not d:dropbox!!!

In windows explorer we see in d: both gdrive and dropbox.

I did also the reinstalling advised by Jay.

Megan

Hey @jvr1, let's jump right into this!

When did you first notice this syncing issue? Also, would you mind clarifying which app version you currently have installed, along with the app's syncing status?

You can find both by hovering your mouse over the little Dropbox icon in your taskbar next to your WiFi.

One more thing: can you try signing out of the desktop app, and then sign back in? If you could also send me a few screenshots, I'd definitely appreciate it. I would like to see how it appears to be on your end.

Let me know more, and we'll take it from there!

jvr1

Hello Megan and thanks for your quick reaction.

Dropbox synced complete and app version is 236.4.5918.

See below 2 pictures.
Picture 1 is windows indexing option not showing dropbox
Picture 2 is windows explorer showing gdrive and dropbox

Walter

Thanks for the screenshots and clarifying the app's version for us @jvr1 - much appreciated.

Have you tried rebuilding the search index of your Windows device since you first noticed this by any chance?

DaveInSWPA

Same issue here.

The Dropbox folder in \users\dave is not available to choose in the "Change Selected Locations" window. Same as in jvr1's screenshot above.

File properties for the Dropbox folder thinks it can be indexed.

Note: Typing a search term in the search box of Explorer does work for filenames. If you want to search contents of the non-indexed folder use "content:[searchterm]" in the search box as a workaround.

Jay

Hi @DaveInSWPA, thanks for the info, in order to look into this matter in more detail, I'd recommend contacting the support team directly for them to investigate further.

FordPrefect

Did any of you actually get a solution? I just spent a week going back and forth with Dropbox support that ended with them telling me the problem is with "some other app or service on my computer" which they couldn't/wouldn't identify and therefore it's not their problem.

Walter

Hey @FordPrefect - thanks for joining the discussion here.

I was able to locate your existing ticket in our system and passed your comments on to the expert who's looking into your case.

They'll be getting back to you shortly, but please let us know if you have anything to add in the meantime.

FordPrefect

Thanks for trying Walter, but the expert just punted again. Said it's a Windows problem and suggested I open a ticket with Microsoft who, unsurprisingly, told me this was a matter to take up with "the vendor of the third-party software".

Again, if anyone on the thread ever gets an actual solution could you please post?

ghiggi

@FordPrefect @jvr1 Hi. I found a workaround to make Windows Search index the content of the Dropbox directory by specifying to index the entire volume. Of course then Windows Search will also index the other directories in ...but it will index also the files within Dropbox also if the Dropbox directory does not appear in the Windows Indexing Options.

FordPrefect

Thanks very much for the reply! A very good idea - I'll give it a try.

Thanks again.