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andyyy's avatar
andyyy
Helpful | Level 6
8 years ago
Solved

Dropbox re-syncs 10,000+ files after every reboot

Dropbox re-syncs 10,000+ files after every reboot - files that I haven't touched, and it always looks to be the same directories affected, not the whole Dropbox.

This also seems to happen after I pause Dropbox for even 10 minutes, work on a handful of files (like literally 5 files), then un-pause - it needs to re-sync thousands of files.

Any suggestiongs as to how to fix/troubleshoot?

desktop
sync
  • Elixir's avatar
    Elixir
    8 years ago

    I am not sure what types of files you have, and how they are being modified, but I have seen posts where people had problems using Github and Dropbox together. In principle, if a file is not modified, it does not require to be re-indexed/re-uploaded by Dropbox. Note that even if you are not making any changes to those files, but some other program may be changing some meta information (like time/date stamp etc.) on those files. Are there symlinks present in your Dropbox directory? FYI, Dropbox does not support symlinks. Also, note that if you have more than 300,000 files, the performance of your Desktop app may degrade. I think it is better to move your working project directory out of Dropbox, and make manual backup (by copying, also you can reduce the file number by creating single zip of the whole folder having 40k+ files) in Dropbox if that is a viable option for you. 

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  • Jane's avatar
    Jane
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    7 years ago
    Hey Jeff (Jeff G.14), let me follow-up in a bit more depth on this issue; thanks for the nudge!
     
    For starters, can you confirm whether you’re facing this issue upon startup? Does the issue you’re experiencing match andyyy’s (meaning the OP's) description by any chance or is it different?
     
    If you’re seeing that the application on your system tray is syncing a large number of files without your input Jeff, then your best course of action would be cross-checking your syncing icons :arrows_counterclockwise:/ :white_check_mark: (i.e. the files/ folders with the blue arrow should be the ones syncing to your account online), as maybe an accidental drag & drop is the culprit. 
     
    From there, if you suspect that the app has been stuck on one filename or it’s not syncing as it should, I’d suggest unlinking & relinking your account on your desktop & rebooting once, as it recreates the local database. 
     
    Following, please have a look at this resource to generate a list of any existing Symlinks in your Dropbox folder Jeff. Kindly bear in mind we’d recommend avoiding their usage, as we’ve noticed performance discrepancies. 
     
    Once you find the time to check back on how these pointers work for you, please let me know of the outcome on this discussion here & I’ll make sure to check back with you asap. Thanks & happy Friday!
  • Martha R.9's avatar
    Martha R.9
    Explorer | Level 3
    6 years ago

    20200415. Macmini

     

    I'm having this issue in 2020, I don't have other processes using the files, they are all OFFICE documents and JPGs, nothing else. 

     

    160,000 files and it says it will tke 27 hours. I have not been able to work all day (I'm on a laptop). 

     

    I can't figure out why it's happening.

     

  • Lusil's avatar
    Lusil
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    6 years ago

    Hi there Martha R.9, thanks for nudging us on this thread. 

     

    It might be worth checking this article out which suggests a few reasons and ways to tackle what you describe. 

     

    Let me know how it goes or if this helps, and I'll make sure to get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks!

  • Mandy Xie's avatar
    Mandy Xie
    Explorer | Level 3
    6 years ago

    Hi Macmini,

    Did you fix the issue? I have the same issue as you described. I have tried all kinds of different things, however, nothing worked. 

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