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slypapp's avatar
slypapp
Explorer | Level 4
8 years ago
Solved

Re: Smart Sync set to Online Only but still taking up storage on macOS 10.13.4.

Hello!   I am also having the same problem with smart sync, although I am using macOS 10.13.4. I have a folder set to online-only, but it is still taking up the free space from my SSD.
sync
  • Jane's avatar
    Jane
    8 years ago
    Thanks a lot for getting back in touch with me here with these additional details slypapp! 
     
    As itā€™s my understanding that thereā€™s a discrepancy when it come to the usage reported on your hard disc, Iā€™d like to send you a couple more details below & weā€™ll take it from there. 
     
    • Initially, do you see all your files in this folder being saved locally (despite your choice being otherwise) or some of your files in this folder? 
    • Can you also let me know some example file types, where youā€™ve noticed this behavior? 
     
    Incidentally, are there any applications that constantly or persistently look at your files (or monitor your Dropbox folder)? If so, please note that your files may be accessed in the background if you didn't recall them manually & for that reason these are saved locally anew. If this is the case, I'd suggest testing by temporarily quitting or disabling applications systematically until you see that the issue is resolved (i.e. once you set the folder to ā€œOnline-onlyā€ & this doesnā€™t change without your input). 
     
    Thanks again & Iā€™ll be awaiting your next reply with your findings here!
  • PhilipvS's avatar
    PhilipvS
    8 years ago

    And here's more GOOD news!  I just realized that on a Mac, at least, I can simpy use <command> i to get info on any folder on my (500GB) mac. The Dropbox folder is 942GB - that's what shows in Finder. BUT!!!  <command> i shows BOTH:  942,787,185,844 bytes (352 GB on disk) for 392,264 items This works at all folder levels.  - Voila!  Solution to MY problem. Hope that helps others.... 

crompsy's avatar
crompsy
Helpful | Level 5
8 years ago
Is this not a well know issue by Dropbox? I've had this problem since I started using smart sync. The online-only files still take up space. Is there still no solution?
Jane's avatar
Jane
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
8 years ago
Hey crompsy, thanks for posting on the Dropbox Community on this matter!
 
As I prefer to treat each Smart Sync-related case individually (eg. there may be a different setup/ settings/ permissions &c., therefore the troubleshooting steps may vary), Iā€™d like to ask you to describe what youā€™re experiencing in more detail. Where do you see a discrepancy? Have you tried to troubleshoot the issue youā€™re experiencing previously? What steps did you follow? 
 
Additionally, Iā€™d also appreciate a screenshot indicating the behavior here, so that we work on that together as closely as possible. Thanks again & Iā€™m looking forward to hearing back from you on this discussion. Welcome to our Forum! 

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