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Forum Discussion
How to identify what files are "online only" and change them to local?
I hope someone can help. I have never intentionally turned on Smart Sync. I always want all my files and documents to be local as well as in Dropbox. After adding a 3rd Mac, last month when I laun...
Hi Lori:
I'm a bit confused about the alias comment, since I've been successfully using dropbox aliases for years on my desktop without issue.
The main Dropbox folder is in my Mac (Mac HD>User>UserName>Dropbox)
The alias of that folder is visible on my Desktop, as are certain other alias folders for other folders inside that main Dropbox folder.
This way I can drag and drop things I want into a folder on the Desktop of each of my Macs (like "Bills to Pay") and they are there when I am home or at work or on my iPhone. I've never experienced any issues with that and they still all work as expected. To be honest, its the main reason I use Dropbox instead of iCloud (and that iCloud forces you to use your AppleID and I don't like the idea of sending people links to anything connected to my AppleID.)
Re: Smart Sync
I never ever have anything set to online only, but what is still completely confusing about Smart Sync or "online only" is the language it has in the explanation that says that 'items you haven't used in a while Dropbox moves them to be online only and removes them from your computer to save space' (yikes). If it does that, you wouldn't see a little cloud because the item would no longer be in your Mac, correct? - which makes me presume that the only way you'd see this is if you logged into and looked at all your actual Dropbox items in the actual Dropbox online cloud, which would mean having to open hundreds of nested folders online to find some item with a little cloud. (LOL)
Rich
Super User II
Super User II
Edgemont wrote:
The alias of that folder is visible on my Desktop, as are certain other alias folders for other folders inside that main Dropbox folder.
Your aliases are outside of Dropbox, looking in. That's fine as Dropbox doesn't know they exist. Dropbox only knows about the actual folders inside your Dropbox folder. What isn't supported is when you have a folder located elsewhere on your computer and an alias inside the Dropbox folder looking out. In the past, Dropbox would sync the files at the other end of the alias, allowing you to sync folders and files that weren't located within the Dropbox folder. That behavior changed a couple years ago and is now no longer supported.
Thanks for that explanation Rich! That makes total sense. I never knew once upon a time DB could see an alias that the original wasn't inside its DB - that's wild.
Is there a way to identify and switch ALL online-only files and folders (without opening every single file everywhere)?
I don't normally use online-only, needed to last week for a limited period of time. Now I'd like to blanket-just turn everything back to "all synching all the time."
Help a brother out?
- Megan
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hi RogerCourville, thanks for posting today!
There's no way for you to avoid checking your folders for online-only files if you want to change their settings.
The best way would be for you to access the folder, select all the files, and change them to local.
If you have any other questions, let me know!
