If I drag a folder to Dropbox, will only the new changes in the folder update to the cloud?

Hi Bengt B.1, I hope you're having a good start to your week so far!

Just to make sure we're on the same page, can you let me know if you would be dragging this folder into the local Dropbox folder, or the Dropbox website?

Also, from what you've mentioned, an older version of this folder already exists in your Dropbox account, correct?

Keep me posted!

Hi Daphne,

I am trying both ways, it seems it is better to upload big files via Safari but it is also a bit puzzling that that web upload ignores some files, notably aliases (which I think are useful even if they don't link correctly as at least you know there is a file somewhere that you can search for) and files that are libraries for iTunes for example. Also if a folder contains a Logic project file it will not mark it with a cloud but only with a v that I suppose means done.

Say I have a 1 GB folder uploaded as online only. If I have it on my computer or a hard disc as well and I have changed some things on it then I don't understand what happens if I choose to upload the whole folder again, will it change only the updated or added files or will it upload everything again unneccesarily?

Thanks for getting back to me here Bengt B.1!

I'm thinking that perhaps the alias shortcuts are not being uploaded due to it not being an actual file, and just a link.

Would you mind sending me a screenshot of the icon that you mentioned seeing next to the Logic project files with the "v"?

Also, if you drag the content of one folder to another on your computer, the OS should offer an option to replace/overwrite any files that have changed made to them and skip any that are the same.

However, can you clarify for me, does the version of the folder you're editing have a local copy of all the files within? Or do you perhaps only have the files there that you edit on your computer?

Since the folder in Dropbox has the files 'online only' (and this is only a placeholder for the actual file), if you replace them with local copies then the app would probably resync the whole folder.

Let me know!

Yes, it might be the lack of content in aliases that makes them not upload.

Yes but if I drag files to the folder in Safari and not in finder it doesn't tell me if it will only update with newer files or if they do all of them.

I'm trying to keep these particular files non-local for reasons of storage space on the computer. I want to be able to see what files I have and to get them if I need them. So, no local copy.

Here is one screen shot where you see the Logic file that refuses to be online only, or at least it doesn't have the cloud-sign. This is the case with several Logic files, but there are also older ones that are online only with the cloud sign.

Best

beche

Thanks for the clarifications there Bengt B.1!

So from testing this out on my side to double check this, it seems that when you drag and drop the contents of a folder into the folder online, only the updated files are re-uploaded.

However, it does show that the files are "uploading" but there are no changes made to the files that are the same within the folder.

This should allow you to update the folder online without needing to make any changes to the local versions.

Now, for the file not showing the cloud icon in your Dropbox folder locally on the computer, does the sync icon remain the same even after right clicking and choosing "Smart Sync - online only"?

Does the icon change to the online only cloud icon but return to this icon after a period of time? Or does the icon not change at all?

Thanks for the clarification, Daphne, so I gather that Dropbox will not take all the time to re-upload content that is unchanged. Good.

When I do smart sync on a v-marked file it will briefly change to the cloud and then change back to the v after a few seconds. I wonder if the v might mean that it is uploaded but also kept locally for some reason? 

Hey Bengt B.1, thanks for getting back to us. 

If you see a green icon with a white check mark on it, it means that the folder or file is downloaded and available locally. 

However, if you see a folder with a white icon and a green tick, it means that some files are local and others are online only. We call this a mixed state folder. 

You can find more information and visual examples of these icons, here.

Having said that, could you clarify which icon you're seeing? 

Thanks again!

Thank you, they are white with a green tick all the way down to the Logic project file and when I look into that folder I find one folder called resources and inside that is ProjectInformation.plist and that one is green with a white tick, so obviously those are the files that Dropbox will not upload. Unfortunately, since when I take that file out it is not possible to start the project in Logic meaning that the Logic projects are not backed up properly unfortunately. Strange isn't it?

Thanks for checking on that Bengt B.1!

From what I could find, this file is a necessary configuration file for the Logic app. All the apps on the Mac will have a .plist file. 

This is most likely the reason that the file is being recalled locally on your computer when the Logic app is running. 

If it's just this file that is local, it should only be around a few KB. So it wouldn't be the entire 5 GB .projectx file locally on your computer. Even though the file is local, it will still be syncing with your Dropbox account.

For anything further than this, I'm afraid that I can't be of much more help as it's to do with how the Logic app is working specifically.

I could recommend reaching out to Apple Support to see if they can provide some more info on this and the available options.

Perhaps they can assist with the configuration or the library for the Logic app, so that you can keep the entire folder online only in the Dropbox folder.

Hope this helps!

Yes, I think this is as far as we get and as long as I'll be recalling the files from my computer all is ok but if I would have a crash and be forced to move all files from online to a new computer I will probably be in trouble since I have hundreds of Logic projects. Now this is very unlikely to happen so I'm not too worried but I think I will throw Apple a question and see what they say. If I find out something I'll let you know. Thanks again for your swift saving attempts.

Best 

beche

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