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Moving available offline folder to online only folder sync
I have a top level folder set to "online-only" within file explorer on windows using the latest dropbox client.
Nested under this top level folder are 2 folders - 1 (current project) is set to "ava...
Hey Walter, there's nothing else running that monitors files etc on these machines. They're all used for video production/conferencing so had a clean install last summer and only essential applications installed.
So if I create a file that's initially online-only then it will stay online unless I either move it into a folder that I've selected to be available offline on a machine - in which case that machine will start downloading it, or specifically select the created file/folder to be offline on a machine where it will start downloading of course.
There must have been a change perhaps on how dropbox client app receive a "this folder has been moved" message, and how it deals with it.
Previously if the client app was "sent the message" that someone has moved files/folders from within a folder that particular client app had been set to "fully sync offline" into another folder that particular client app had been set to "online-only do not sync" - it would then set the moved files/folders to "online-only do not sync" - which looks like it was respecting the settings of the new parent folder which is "online-only".
Now however, it seems that moving files/folders, the client ignores the settings of the new parent folder (online) and goes with the settings the moved folder previously had (offline sync).
So if we were in the same dropbox account, and I was working on files within a folder you had set to sync and be offline on your pc. I would then stop syncing on my pc (so I'm not offline effectively), work on the files, add 35Gb of video files etc to that folder then move it to a "completed" folder - which on your pc is set to online-only.
As soon as I tell my dropbox client to resume sync, the folder move would be reflected on both our file structures, and now your pc will be downloading 35Gb (and filling up your drive).
Whereas before, your client would briefly sync to acknowledge the folder move and be done - it would now be online-only for you as I've moved it to somewhere you've set to online-only on your client.
Does that make sense?
Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
Dropbox Community ModeratorThanks for the additional information there prior2that
The thing is that folders do not inherit their sync behavior when moved and this is not something that has changed recently.
Have you tried setting the desired sync status, be it available offline or online only, before moving the folder in question?
Hi Walter
I haven't, but I'll try and remember to try that at some point and see what happens.
It's just very strange how it worked perfectly in a way that made sense up until a few weeks ago, and has now since changed behaviour after no changes or intervention by me.
I'll be doing a complete OS clean install over the summer as part of routine maintenance, so will be interesting to see what happens after that point all.
Hi Walter
I just tried that, but there's no option to set the project folder to "online-only" either before or after moving, while the dropbox client is set to pause syncing.
Once I resumed syncing I could then set the moved project folder to online-only, but then dropbox clients on other machines still started to download the moved folder, despite it now being located in a folder which had been set to online-only on those pc's.
Something must have definitely changed somewhere for all the clients to suddenly change behaviour at the same time.
Are there any admin settings on dropbox.com that I should look into that might explain this? It's a dropbox business advanced account.
- Jay
Hi prior2that, there is this option for team admins to make files local or online-only. Could you check with your admin what setting they've enabled on the team?
Additionally, there is team selective sync, which could potentially affect this, if the setting has been changed recently.
Hi Jay
I dropped a note to the admin and he said the team admin is set to online-only. I also have all my clients set to not let admin manage sync settings.
He also confirmed that he hasn't changed any settings recently - selective sync or otherwise. Plus the documentation suggests my current settings on the clients would be overriding any admin settings anyway.
I think short of waiting till I run maintenance with a clean windows installation and see how the clients behave then, it'll be a mystery.
I've also got 2 other things to resolve with dropbox on the todo list, but they'll be for another thread. (slow up/down sync speeds, and how to use a NAS as local dropbox mirror)
