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Dropbox keeps trying to download and sync files set to online only
I had this same issue with a particular folder when I first set up my new Windows 10 laptop, but closing and restarting Dropbox seemed to fix it. (Derp.) Today it randomly started trying to downl...
Dropbox was successfully downloading online-only MP3 files that I had not recently accessed, so I have no idea why it was targeting them. It was downloading so many of these, it was holding up my upload of e-books.
I found the folder these files were located in and first tried setting the individual album folders to online only, but they kept redownloading. Then just did the whole folder even though I hadn't planned to do that yet, since I'd added ONE new album folder today. This is all I can think of, this one new folder added to the online only folder. But this folder was still marked as local (so it didn't need to redownload), and everything else as online only, so why would it affect the other files? (For comparison, the local e-books I'm uploading today aren't trying to make the rest of the online-only files in that folder redownload!)
I opened a bunch of unrelated files like I did the other day to clear anything new off the recent files list anyway, including the one local music folder. That seemed to solve the issue--the main folder went online only, stopped trying to sync, got back to my e-book uploads.
But just as I was typing this, something from that folder started trying to download again and I had to cancel it. NO FILES FROM THIS FOLDER ARE IN THE RECENT FILES LIST! I JUST cleared it to make sure of that!
This is driving me crazy, what is left that could be triggering these downloads?
(EDIT, happened yet AGAIN when I opened up an unrelated folder in File Explorer. There is NO link to this problem folder in the lefthand side where it shows recent folders, and yesterday, that part of the screen didn't trigger anything anyway, it was only the Recent Files page. I'm not going anywhere near the Recent Files page. So I think it's still File Explorer triggering this but I just can't for the life of me figure out how or why.)
If simply opening a folder in File Explorer now triggers stuff to start downloading--how are we supposed to mark things as online only??
God I wish Dropbox hadn't gotten rid of the desktop app, that was my ONLY way to avoid this issue. 😢
Nope...it's not File Explorer. I closed it. And it started trying to download something again. EDIT: And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. (Each of these "agains" is a time it tried doing it over and I had to again stop it. I was NOT interacting with the folder when these happened, was just trying to watch the upload/sync progress in the Dropbox taskbar popup.)
By now I have to keep File Explorer open just so I can keep telling it to make this folder online only and try to stop the downloads, when keeping it open might be exacerbating the problem (though it's obviously not THE cause, since THIS HAPPENS WHEN FILE EXPLORER ISN'T OPEN, TOO). My upload is significantly slowed down because of all this.
So this theory, the Recent Files list being the culprit, is completely busted. I don't know what's causing this and it's extremely frustrating. This app is broken.
EDIT: Every time I have to make this unrelated folder online only, it RESETS MY CURRENT UPLOAD to start all over again! It is LITERALLY slowing down my uploads! 😡
EDIT: Finally finished my upload. Navigated to the folder the problem subfolder is in. Again, NONE of this stuff is in the recent file list, but as soon as I went into the folder in question, everything started trying to download again. I had to set it to online only over and over and over before it finally took somehow.
OPENING THE FOLDER THE PROBLEM SUBFOLDER IS IN TRIGGERS IT TO START DOWNLOADING. YET THIS IS THE *ONLY* WAY I CAN SET FOLDERS TO ONLINE ONLY. What is the solution to this?
An unrelated issue where a user is also suggesting some fundamental disconnect/incompatibility between Windows 10 File Explorer and Dropbox:
The only, ONLY, conclusion I've been able to reach about my current issue is that it started when I began using this computer...my first Windows 10 computer. Everything else is iffy/sporadic and can't be replicated right, but I do still believe it's connected to File Explorer...I just don't understand why it would still act up when File Explorer isn't open/active. It's like every time I find a way to avoid the issue, the issue adapts and finds another way to act up. Previously I'd avoid opening File Explorer while using Dropbox (even though that's not always possible)...now it acts up even when File Explorer isn't open!
I've made sure the folders in question aren't being indexed. Cleared the items in question from the Recent Files list. (Even the folder they're in isn't showing up there.) Turned off previews. Tried staying out of the folders in question while backing up other files (though I shouldn't have to do this, how else do I mark things local or online only??). Even tried avoiding File Explorer entirely, though much of the time, this isn't possible, for obvious reasons, especially since the desktop app was discontinued. Don't have any other third-party programs accessing the files, that I'm aware of. The files trying to download most recently are music files which I haven't accessed in weeks/months; previously, it was e-books. Only thing I haven't tried is turning off my antivirus software, which is NOT scanning at the time I do these things. I shouldn't have to disable my computer's protection to get Dropbox to sync properly, especially since this wasn't an issue before Windows 10. (The other threads I've read hint that this solution doesn't work, anyway.) I'm actually getting anxiety issues regarding when I'll next need to start up the program to back up my files because will it try downloading everything again?
I think I may need to restart this thread since I've been talking to myself in it for quite a while now with no further solutions; browsing all the similar threads I can find, I see nothing new that I can try (though I do see that those threads were posted around late summer/early autumn 2020, just like mine). I can't exactly disable File Explorer. 😕 I'm paying to use the service, so it could at least work properly.
- Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey Rachel L., sorry to hear you're still having issues with this.
Since you've done some troubleshooting on this already, I'd suggest getting in touch with our support team at this point.
They'll be able to assist further with account and device specific information.
You can also let us know the ticket ID in order to look it up in our system.
oh my, I totally FEEL your frustration. I have wanted to scream at this. But having spent like 2 years feeling like this, and doing what you've been doing (but you've been more creative in your experiments) , nowadays I've resorted to this: when I'm so fed up of a whole spate of downloading starting up (my heart sinks every time it starts), I just go and right click on "Dropbox" (ie the parent / umbrella / overall folder) and just make the WHOLE Dropbox "Online only". Then... peace! (for a while at least!) Then when I need something offline, I just go and "offline" that one folder
Oh, I'm so sorry I never noticed this thread earlier. You're not alone!
But I notice Dropbox seems to have fallen silent - no more Dropboxer has been replying to you for ages. Maybe since early 2022.
It's now Oct 2022. I'm still facing the issue. Maybe my issue started about the same time as yours - I think your thread has been since 2000? Mine may have been then or even earlier.
Please don't give up. I admire how you keep trying to explain your steps so clearly. I also don't know why no one else seems to be responding or having the same problem, or why Dropbox seems to ignore us.
- Megan
Hey all, I hope you're doing well!
I really want to thank you for your extensive feedback here. It has been very valuable and I will endeavor to make sure your voice is heard.
I see where you're coming from and I understand why this has caused some turbulence on your end.
If you wish, valtham, I'd be more than happy to look into your ticket numbers, from your communication with our Support. Feel free to share them with me here, in order for me to locate them on our system.
I will pass on your comments to the relevant departments so that we can further improve our support service and product, so that we can create a much better experience for you.
Thanks!
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