How can I completely disable Smart Sync?

omg yes. exactly.

All these companies come out offering a great product and an original idea, but then they get a taste of success and start this unquenchable thirst for 'growth' and then invent stupid ideas on how to promote 'new features' that we dont need.

Stop. Please. If you cant provide a solid, robust, simple product, dont attempt more.

I was doing fine with Selective Sync: I was running out of space and it was just what I needed. Then a while ago I noticed that folders which I had chosen for syncing were not actually syncing. One of the main apps I use would crash every time I tried to open a file which was apparently there (the app could see it) but in fact was only in the cloud. This happened even if I was connected to the internet. And, when I wasn't connected to the internet, I would sometimes find that a file which I thought was available offline wasn't. Perhaps I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but it has taken me WEEKS to work out what is going on. I never asked for Smart Sync, and when I heard about it I didn't want it. I now learn that Dropbox not only gave it to me anyway, but even made it as hard as possible for me to disable it. I don't think I'll be renewing my subscription next year.

Its nice to know i am not alone in repeatedly reporting that i dont want this. It has messed up my work and i have spent days trying to rectify it. I have switched off the extention so it keeps logging my pc out. I think we are approuching time to accept dropbox is no longer a reliable service. They need to either abandon smart sync or we need to find a replacement. 

Could not agree more with the above. Selective sync was working perfectly and I thought everything was fine and dandy until I tried to open a file that should be local, but wasn't anymore.

I am sure Smart Sync works fine for some users, but for me it is extremely annoying and can be disastrous when I'm offline. I feel I have lost control of my own files and don't know anymore which are online, which are local and which are both. Will have to look for other services. I guess Dropbox doesn't want my money anymore.

Hi mulko,

This worked for me:

https://www.​​dropbox.com/help/desktop-web/filesystem-integration#optout

It should be much, much easier to find, but it seems to work. I hope I'm not tempting fate...

Hi Wensleydale.

Thanks for your suggestion, but I don't want to disable the integration with the file system. I just want to be able to control which files are stored where.

I do not want Dropbox to say "Hey, this file hasn't been opened for a long time, I'll just delete the local copy and leave the copy on the Dropbox server". This is not helpful at all, and can cause serious trouble if I'm offline and need the file. Even if I'm online it can be annoying because I have to wait for the file to be downloaded again.

In short, I just want Dropbox to work just like it did before the Smart Sync feature was introduced, or at least a possibility to turn the feature off altogether.

It's  time to start calling it "Stupid Sync". Because it surely isn't smart when it causes SOOO much trouble & time wasting for we users".

mulko, I think one of us has misunderstood. It may well be me! But, fwiw, my understanding is that the instructions I linked to enable you to disable Smart Sync without disabling Selective Sync. I have had no further trouble since I did this.

Ok, I need to have a closer look at what the system extension actually does. I thought it was necessary for the interaction between Windows and Dropbox, but I may very well be the one who has misunderstood.

I'm probably going to switch to Microsoft OneDrive anyway. I have sufficient storage there included in my Office 365 subscription. I don't expect Microsoft to listen any more to their users than Dropbox does, but at least I won't be paying 120 usd extra per year.

Thanks for your help!