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How can I completely disable Smart Sync?
How can I completely, 100%, disable Smart Sync so that Dropbox will always download all of my files?
The settings I have found all apply to NEW files and seem to have no impact on old files.
What...
Hey there Whatever2018 - how are you today?
I'm sorry to hear you would like to opt out of Smart Sync. Depending on the account you're on now you can do it following the steps mentioned below:
Individuals that no longer wish to use Smart Sync can do so with the steps found in the following Help Center article:
https://www.dropbox.com/help/desktop-web/filesystem-integration#optoutIf you're the Admin of a Dropbox for Business team and you'd like to opt all members of your Dropbox Business team out of Smart Sync, I'd also suggest to see the following Help Center article specifically under the section "Dropbox Business team admins: how to opt out your whole team from the system extension":
https://www.dropbox.com/help/desktop-web/filesystem-integration#optout
Also note that some of your team members may have connected a work and personal account. If you opt out your team from the system extension, team members won't be able to use Smart Sync on any personal devices (or personal accounts) where they're also signed in to their Business account.
I hope this information helps and please keep me posted on your progress!
Here's the issue I am having with DropBox in general. They keep trying to solve problems I didn't know I had. I need these files to all be local. I started having files that would not open with Adobe. They need to be local, at least in my workspace, to open without issue.
Even through I had the sync nonsense turned off after a bunch of flack trying to get me to use it. Well.... the new stuff doesn't go local. You have to right click or do other funny business. Dropbox used to just store my files. This is so frustrating and dissapointing.
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!
