Device iMac (M1, 2021) Operating System/Browser (if using the web) MacOS Tahoe Dropbox App Version (if using the app) 238.4.6305 Question or Issue My Dropbox folder is on an external 4 TB SSD. Yesterday I deleted the Desktop app and erased and reformatted the external drive. I reinstalled the Desktop app and reinitiated the sync via the web portal. Everything seemed to progress well. All of my folders appeared on the drive. and after indexing my files populated the folders. I have access to all of my files from the external drive. I have 2 questions. * Prior to yesterday's reinstallation my files occupied 2.76 TB on the external drive. As of this morning they occupy .33 TB. What could account for the size discrepancy? Are my file really on the external drive? * I completed the reinstallation, and all files were present on the external drive, at noon yesterday. Since that time the Desktop app has been updating. My sense is that something is wrong. It shouldn't take this long to update the files. I have purposely stayed away from making any changes to the files. Should it take this long to update? Thanks

Child Item

I reinstalled the Dropbox desktop app on my macOS Tahoe and have two questions.

Device

iMac (M1, 2021)
Operating System/Browser (if using the web)

MacOS Tahoe
Dropbox App Version (if using the app)

238.4.6305

Question or Issue

My Dropbox folder is on an external 4 TB SSD. Yesterday I deleted the Desktop app and erased and reformatted the external drive. I reinstalled the Desktop app and reinitiated the sync via the web portal. Everything seemed to progress well. All of my folders appeared on the drive. and after indexing my files populated the folders. I have access to all of my files from the external drive. I have 2 questions.

Prior to yesterday's reinstallation my files occupied 2.76 TB on the external drive. As of this morning they occupy .33 TB. What could account for the size discrepancy? Are my file really on the external drive?
I completed the reinstallation, and all files were present on the external drive, at noon yesterday. Since that time the Desktop app has been updating. My sense is that something is wrong. It shouldn't take this long to update the files. I have purposely stayed away from making any changes to the files. Should it take this long to update?

Thanks

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Accepted answers

Nancy

Is there a chance that you’re using any sort of antivirus or firewall on your device, @KJWSr?

If you are, can you disable it for a little bit and restart your computer? Is your desktop app stuck updating even then?

All comments

Walter

Hey @KJWSr - thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Can you please send me a screenshot of the Dropbox desktop app's exact status as shown in your menu bar at the moment? Is it 'up to date' or still syncing?

Is it possible that you changed your selective sync settings upon reinstalling the app by any chance?

Let us know more information and we'll take it from there.

KJWSr

I forgot to add this to my original post. It's about to hit 24 hours. I did not make any changes to my Selective Sync settings.

KJWSr

PS I just added a test document to a folder in a local Dropbox folder. When I looked online the file was there, so it appears to be syncing.

KJWSr

I just saw something that may be involved. One of my folders, "Bucket", shows on my local drive as "Not Downloaded". All of the files in the folder are downloaded. I've tried to initiate the download but it just returns to "Not Downloaded". I've also tried to reinforce "Make Available Offline". but that doesn't seem to change anything.

Walter

Could you reboot your computer and/or quit and relaunch the app and let me know how it goes @KJWSr?

KJWSr

I quit the Desktop App, rebooted my iMac and reopened the app. It still seems to be updating.

I wondered if there was something about the Bucket folder that was causing the problem. So I created a New Bucket folder and copied the contents from Bucket to New Bucket. I then deleted the Bucket folder. According to Finder all of the folders and files have been downloaded. However the app is still updating.

Nancy

Is there a chance that you’re using any sort of antivirus or firewall on your device, @KJWSr?

If you are, can you disable it for a little bit and restart your computer? Is your desktop app stuck updating even then?

KJWSr

Only firewall is native MacOS firewall. I was running. I turned it off and rebooted. All folders/files showed as waiting to download. It's currently indexing, (21%).

KJWSr

45 minutes after reboot all folders/files show as downloaded on local drive. App shows all files up to date.

KJWSr

FYI I turned the firewall back on and created a new file and saved it to a local folder within the Dropbox folder. It was available locally and on the web portal. It does not seem to have initiated the constant updating issue.

Nancy

That’s awesome to hear, @KJWSr!

Of course, if the same issue resurfaces, you can give me a nudge here, but it sounds like that did the trick.