Sync

I keep seeing a "To sync this file, give Dropbox permission to access it." error on my Mac.
Device MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) (Quad-Core Intel Core i5) Operating System/Browser (if using the web) macOS ****** Sur 11.7.10 Dropbox App Version (if using the app) 229.4.5197 Syncing Status 89 files are unable to sync Question or Issue Hi! I'm essentially having the same issue detailed in…
Why do some folders have the syncing icon when nothing is syncing on Windows?
Hi everyone, Since Dropbox updated the icon system, on my Huawei PC there are some folders that constantly show the two blue circular arrows, indicating continuous synchronization. This only happens on this specific PC, not on my other devices. The status says “All files are up to date,” and under “Issues” I see “No issues…
What is the best way to backup content from Dropbox to an external HD?
I’d like to backup the entire contents of my large Dropbox account to an external ****** drive. What is the best way to do this? Considerations: * I have a complex web of folders and files, some of which are online-only and not. I’d like to keep the current setting of which are online-only and which are not. Syncing down…
I used Migration Assistant on a new Mac device and it created a selective sync conflict.
Application Affected Dropbox Device MacBook Pro M4 Operating System/Browser (if using the web) MacOS Sequoia 15.6 Dropbox App Version (if using the app) 229.4.5197 Question or Issue So I've bought a new Mac and used the Migration Assistant to copy my old Mac to the new one. Having done that Dropbox just started to copy…
Uploading raw and large images usually takes too long whether I'm using the desktop app or website.
Hi everyone, I’m a photographer and use Dropbox to back up and share high-resolution images, especially those edited in the Hypic - Photo Editor and AI Arts. Lately, I’ve been encountering some frustrating problems with uploading and syncing my photos. I typically work with large files, like RAW images or high-res edited…
Backing up an NTSF drive attached to a Mac
I recently retired a Windows 10 machine that had a 12 TB NTSF drive of pictures, videos, and music attached that is 75% full. That drive was backed up to Dropbox on the Windows machine. I bought NTFS for Mac from Paragon so that the drive is writable on my Mac, and it works like a dream. Except where Dropbox is concerned.…
A 'rename folder' function that doesn't re-sync everything in that folder
Hi There, Renaming a folder triggers a full re-sync, which can take days—and if you use Dropbox daily, it often leaves fragments of both old and new folders. Surely it's time for a proper 'Rename Folder' feature that avoids re-syncing every file. Even if it's only implemented on www.dropbox.com - we’d take it! Cheers
How can I see every folder in my Dropbox account in my macOS Finder?
Device MacBook Air M4 2025 Operating System 15.2 (24C2101) I recently upgraded from an ancient MacBook Air and had to re-link Dropbox with Finder. There was a lot going on in the office that day and I thought someone said to just select the folders I wanted to "make available offline" - so I only selected a couple of my…
Dropbox options in context menu stuck loading on Windows 11.
Operating System Windows 11 Dropbox App Version (if using the app) 228.4.5567 Syncing Status Up to date Question or Issue All of my files are currently online-only. About 90% of the time, when I right-click my files in Windows Explorer, the spots where the DropBox options would normally be say "Loading..." No matter how…
Files added to a folder are only visible to the uploader
We use Dropbox as a file server for small 4 user company spready across the US. We have run into an issue where PDF's uploaded by one user are not visible by other users. We waited over the weekend and other users are still not able to see the file. The status icon displays as synced. The file name is "25-05-28_2070 Google…
Can't move or rename a shared folder on my account
My student shared a folder with me for a project, call it "StudentX". I want to move this to my folder of shared folders (so that it is at ~/Dropbox/Shared/StudentX". However, whenever I do this via the command line ("mv StudentX Shared") the folder almost immediately goes back to ~/Dropbox. The same thing happens when I…
How to sync changes only from my online Dropbox account to my Windows machine and not vice versa?
I accidentally messed up two subfolders in my Dropbox folder, and deleted them. Dropbox was not running. I still have copies of those folders in my Dropbox account. How can I stop Dropbox syncing the changes to the cloud, i.e. deleting those folders from my account, when I run the app on my PC? I'd like to download them…
How to make files "always available offline"?
Almost all my files are showing as "available offline" rather than "always available offline". How do I change this? When I right-click, the only options I get are make online only/ view on Dropbox.com/ manage ****** drive space. "Manage ****** drive space" lets me move files to online only but not to "always available".…
My Dropbox desktop app was updated on my Windows device. Now I can't tell if my content is synced.
OK, so the day I dreaded seems to have finally come. Dropbox rolled out its "new appearance model" to production, bringing the end of the era of status icons overlaid on program icons and, instead, in their own neat little column carved out for themselves. Yes, my Dropbox updated today to version 227.4.4774. 🙄🙄 So, in the…
Sync failing from Mac to web to Windows11
Directory created on Mac uploads properly to web but breaks on syncing with Windows11. ls -ld on new Win11 folder shows: d--------- egb foldername where I am "egb". icacls egb /grant egb:(F) causes folder to disappear. Just started happening in July 2025. Anyone have any ideas what's going on?
My internet connection is blindingly fast. Why is Dropbox moving at the speed of a crippled slug?
Title says it all. My connection is wired. My UL speed is around 800mbps at this moment. It's taken **bleep** near a half an hour to upload a measly 2.79gb. Yeah so ******
Dropbox Backup migration to new computer using the same external drive
Hello, To avoid losing my data, I back it up to the cloud using Dropbox. I’m considering buying an M1 Mac mini to use as a server, so I can access my data from my MacBook Air and automate my backups. My question is: will I have to redo all my backups, or will simply connecting my SSD to the Mac mini allow Dropbox to…
How can I show online-only folders on my Windows machine?
I have a help ticket ongoing but maybe someone else has an answer in the meantime. I've uninstalled/reinstalled Dropbox on my laptop to opt out of the Windows update and try to avoid the conflicted folders it kept creating. It's created the Dropbox folder anew, with the few files in it online only, but since I selected all…
Setting and Preferences FAQs
Here are some of our most frequently asked questions. If you have a question that isn't covered by the FAQ's please create a new topic here. Can’t link/pair two Dropbox accounts I'm trying to add a second Dropbox account (e.g., personal and business) but receive an error. Quick Guide * Sign into one account via the Dropbox…
Option to disable “This shared file is already synced to your device” popup
Hi Dropbox team, Is there any way to permanently disable the popup that appears when viewing a file via the browser which says: “This shared file is already synced to your device. Access this file in the desktop app to prevent duplicates and seamlessly edit with native applications.” It shows every time I open a synced…
I keep getting an error that files are corrupted when trying to open them in my Dropbox folder
Hello, I'm experiencing a recurring issue when working with project files stored on Dropbox. Every time I try to open a project in Premiere Pro or other editing software, I get an error saying that the file is corrupted or unreadable. This has been happening frequently and is seriously impacting my workflow. The files are…
Is there a way to stop Dropbox from making all files local when I enabled it on Mac?
I recently got a new macbook and the version of Dropbox I downloaded has cloud icons next to the dropbox directory folders/files in Finder. I'm finding I accidentally hit this icon which initiates a massive download of hundreds of thousands of files from my company dropbox directory. Is there a way to stop this sync: 1.…
My desktop app keeps asking me to log in and it's not syncing my files.
After an dropbox update I keep getting the message 'welcome to dropbox', I answer the questions and nothing happens. I can use dropbox, but the files do not synochronize online/offline. This has been going on for days. How can I solve this?
Allow us to pair team and personal accounts and make files online-only on the Linux desktop app.
Many companies are currently in the process of transitioning to Linux. It is time for Dropbox to better support Linux distributions such as Ubuntu and RHEL. Please add support for syncing both a Business and a Personal account at the same time on Linux. This includes a solution for switching between the two Accounts.…
Pop up alert for duplicate file
When uploading a file to a folder it no longer pops up alerting me I’m uploading a duplicate file (which sometimes do by mistake if not deleted an email etc and forgot I’ve already done it lol!)…how do you turn this on again? Don’t know why it changed or stopped as I haven’t touched any settings. Thanks in advance for any…
Progress bar missing in the Dropbox desktop app on Mac
Hi, I use the Dropbox Desktop app on a Nov 2023 Macbook Pro running Sonoma 14.7.4 It always used to show me how long it will take for my files to upload. Now it gives me no information. This happened before a while ago, I spoke to support, they got me to reinstall Dropbox. After that it showed me a progress bar, but no…
Windows Explorer persistent red X syncing error icon next to my Dropbox files.
Hi, we use Windows Explorer to access Dropbox from our laptops. When opening Dropbox in Windows Explorer, I get a persistent red icon like this showing in the Dropbox root folder: I think this hints to a sync problem. However certain folders can be accessed, but others shows the same issue: In the status bar, Dropbox seems…
The app re-indexes all files after each restart on Mac.
Each time I restart my Mac, Dropbox goes through reindexing of (seemingly) all files in my folder. The Mac's CPU usage goes up and the fan kicks in - it makes the computer slow for at least 15 minutes. It does finally complete, but it would obviously be much better if this did not happen.
After the latest iOS mobile app update, my offline files have been re-syncing.
I upgraded to version 428.2 yesterday and now my Dropbox app always shows my offline files as queued for resync when I launch the app. I just tested it by syncing my files, then closing and relaunching the app and every entry in my offline list has that little blue circle with the white arrows. The files are still…

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