New Dropbox files sync as online-only on Windows, even though I want them to be available offline.

 Right before they all populate?   They are thumbnails with clouds.  See attached.  Right now, I just opened this folder, it's one I haven't opened on this computer until now, and the files in it are all showing clouds, as you can see.  In order to get these to go to check marks I need to actually open each one.  So in this case, opening the folder wasn't enough to get them to download to this computer.  This isn't new, this has also happened before.

Synching status, right at this moment it is synching because I created a folder on this laptop in flight and it is now uploading those, however, as I was writing this it switched to up to date, even though there are folders with cloud icon files.

App version is 227.4.4774

Yes, the "available off line" circle is highlighted, unlike in your example. 

Thanks for that! The cloud syncing icons you see next to your files (in your screenshot) mean that they're online-only indeed, like Mark and Hannah suggested above.

To make these available offline, you need to open them indeed, so that the app can start syncing/downloading them locally to your device.

However, if you’ve selected new files to be available offline in your desktop app settings, then it's true that their default status shouldn’t be online-only on your desktop app. 

Can you reinstall the Dropbox app in the meantime and select new files to be available offline once more? I’d like to see if this will fix the issue.

"However, if you’ve selected new files to be available offline in your desktop app settings, then it's true that their default status shouldn’t be online-only on your desktop app. "

Exactly my issue!

I'll try reinstalling the app, however, I won't do that until I'm back at my office, I can't take a chance that I won't have access to any of these folders while traveling.

Not an issue at all! You can test this whenever you can, and get back to us then.

I haven't tried reloading DB yet, however, I did notice that in some cases photos in a folder won't get the green check even after I open the folder.  The DB icon on the lower right says synch us up to date, which is clearly not correct.  However, I have noticed from the start of this that each one I open individually does get the check, so I tried selecting all 700 photos in one folder, then hit rotate right, and all updated, I then hit rotate left.  So, doing this forces them to download to this computer.  A work around for now.

No!  That is the first time anyone has mentioned that option.  I just checked, after right clicking on a folder that option is buried under 'show more options'.  I clicked it and that has resolved the issue, the other folders with non-check marked photos are now downloading.  Thank you.