About a week ago, for some reason all my "online only" files in my dropbox computer app suddenly changed the file sizes from the actual sizes to "zero KB"... I have two different Mac computers running OS High Sierra, and it happened to both of them at about the same time. At my job I also have access to three other Macs, but they all still show the actual file sizes for "online only" files... so what is up with this "zero KB" on the two Macs that I use??? It makes it hard to work with online only files when I have no clue how large they are... online chat was unable to help me. here's a screenshot of what I see: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zhnt413jfrjyv4d/online-only-zeroKB.png?dl=0 The only way I can see the files sizes now is to download the files locally. If I then switch them back to "online only" the file sizes change back to "zero KB"

Hi @battiman, could you resolve this issue already? I have the same problem and I would like to know if there is a solution. Thanks,Chris

It’s been resolved but it was a total nightmare! I was bounced around between a couple of support agents, one more incompetent than the other, before having the issue escalated to the “advanced support team” or whatever it was called. They were slightly more competent but still I had to repeatedly explain to them that this is not “expected behaviour”. Extremely frustrating that I understood their own product better they did!Then, all of a sudden, the issue was resolved somehow on their end and despite having asked for an explanation I never got an answer. I am sure it helped that I have a Business account. I can look into the email address to the guy who resolved it but it has to be tomorrow.

Hey paulieb, thanks for joining our Community! This is actually how Smart sync works. When files are switched to 'online-only', they stop taking up space on your hard drive, so they become placeholder files, with 0 kB size. Only when the files are synced locally, will they show their physical (actual) size. Perhaps Smart sync wasn't actually doing its job before and your files were still taking up space on your disk? Did you see a change on your disk usage after this? Keep me posted!

Hi! I am having the same issue as of yesterday! Did you get it resolved?

Hey battiman, sorry to hear about this. Could you provide some additional information about the issue you're facing so that we can assist further? For example, did you enable the Smart Sync feature recently? Where exactly are you spotting the discrepancy? Any additional information is more than welcome!

"Online Only" files now show file sizes of "zero KB" ???

28 Replies

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Hannah
Dropbox Community Moderator
4 years ago
Hey paulieb, thanks for joining our Community!

This is actually how Smart sync works. When files are switched to 'online-only', they stop taking up space on your hard drive, so they become placeholder files, with 0 kB size.

Only when the files are synced locally, will they show their physical (actual) size.

Perhaps Smart sync wasn't actually doing its job before and your files were still taking up space on your disk?

Did you see a change on your disk usage after this?

Keep me posted!
battiman
Explorer | Level 4
4 years ago
Hi! I am having the same issue as of yesterday! Did you get it resolved?
Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
4 years ago
Hey battiman, sorry to hear about this.

Could you provide some additional information about the issue you're facing so that we can assist further?

For example, did you enable the Smart Sync feature recently? Where exactly are you spotting the discrepancy?

Any additional information is more than welcome!
battiman
Explorer | Level 4
4 years ago
I am having more or less the exact same experience as the threadstarter, I have been in touch with Dropbox support multiple times over the day and my case has been escalated to your senior department for further investigation. Believe me, all that can be checked and verified has been checked! I am very worried that I won't be able to fix this.
Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
4 years ago
Thanks for your speedy response battiman - could you share your ticket ID so that I can look it up in our system?
battiman
Explorer | Level 4
4 years ago
16055042
Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
4 years ago
Thanks for that battiman - I've passed your comments on to the agent who's handling your request so they're aware.

You should be hearing from our experts soon, but please let me know if there's anything else you'd like to ask in the meantime.
battiman
Explorer | Level 4
4 years ago
Thanks.

In the meantime, perhaps you could inform your co-worker Hannah (above) that she is wrong in her statement. Refer her to your own article about this:

Why do online-only files still appear to take up space?
brandy25
New member | Level 2
4 years ago
Hi @battiman, could you resolve this issue already? I have the same problem and I would like to know if there is a solution.

Thanks,
Chris
battiman
Explorer | Level 4
4 years ago
It’s been resolved but it was a total nightmare! I was bounced around between a couple of support agents, one more incompetent than the other, before having the issue escalated to the “advanced support team” or whatever it was called. They were slightly more competent but still I had to repeatedly explain to them that this is not “expected behaviour”. Extremely frustrating that I understood their own product better they did!

Then, all of a sudden, the issue was resolved somehow on their end and despite having asked for an explanation I never got an answer. I am sure it helped that I have a Business account. I can look into the email address to the guy who resolved it but it has to be tomorrow.