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Forum Discussion
Files automatically shifting to cloud only
Greetings,
Many of my files keep automatically shifting to an online only setting. I've re-downloaded them and then a few days later they are only in the cloud again. I've been using Dropbox since...
Jay
Dropbox Community Moderator
Dropbox Community ModeratorHi DrAJP, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
What device are you using currently, and what version of the OS and Dropbox desktop application is running?
Have you marked the files as available offline, or online-only, when right clicking them?
This will help me to assist further!
Thanks for the reply!
Everything is always 100% up to date on my computer. I work from my 16-inch MacBookPro with the M1 Max Chip—version 13.2.1. I have the DropBox App-version 169.4.5684.
95% or so of my files have been on "available offline." (I need quick access to them.) As reported in the initial message, shortly after the latest DropBox update that moves where/how files are stored on the local drive, most of my files went into an "online only" mode automatically. I changed these to "available offline" (as they were before), only to have many of them automatically switch to "online only" again.
My hard drive currently has 750 GB available and a capacity of 995 GB. Prior to these DropBox changes/glitches, I had roughly 820 GB available. DropBox seems to have duplicated some of these files someway, but I cannot find them, do not have access to them, and they do not come up in any kind of search of the computer. Additionally, DropBox files no longer show up under the first set of displays within the "manage storage" options. I have run CleanMyMac several times, that does not fix anything, including the clear purgeable space settings.
Thank you for your help.
Another issue is that the file search functions no longer work/no longer open files. This update is proving to be very annoying and disruptive to my work. I have thousands of documents, articles, reports that I work with and use the search function all the time. I've been a DropBox customer for a decade but will have to move on if functionality doesn't return to what it was. DropBox has been so good for so long.
- Hannah
Hey DrAJP, what you're describing does sound like expected after the update of the Dropbox app to the new Dropbox for macOS version.
You can read more about that here.
As for the search function are you referring to Spotlight?
If so, can you follow these steps, to see if they help?
- Open the Dropbox folder in Finder, wait a little while, then retry the Spotlight search.
- Since the Dropbox folder was moved to a new location with the new macOS update, it needs to be re-indexed. Opening the folder can prompt this.
- Another reason is that the entire disk might need to be reindexed.
- Note: The help article mentions the Documents folder, but you need to use the Dropbox folder instead.
- Also note: In some cases the entire hard disk may need to be re-indexed.
