We’re Still Here to Help (Even Over the Holidays!) - find out more here.
Forum Discussion
Windows quick search access to Dropbox files in the cloud
Hi so I´ve got a temporary laptop while my current one is being fixed. Loaded the DB app and told it to leave all my files in the cloud. The app did but a Dropbox icon in Windows Explorer on my new ...
Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
Dropbox Community ModeratorHi there marcok - thanks for using Dropbox and welcome to the Community!
You should be able to achieve what you had in mind with online-only files in Dropbox normally.
Could you clarify your computer's OS, and the status and version of the Dropbox app as shown in your system tray?
Thanks!
Hi and thanks for your message. Yes I agree with you -let me add a little detail and then answer your question: when I installed DB on the new laptop I was asked to check off which folder or files I wanted to keep locally on the Laptop. I didn't check any as I, for this laptop which is temporary, didn´t want to have anything saved locally. So I'm wondering if by doing that that resulted in this current issue?
So to answer you question:
I'm on Win 11 Home Edition Version 10.0.22631 Build 22631
DB Version: 208.4.5824
I´d love to insert a screen screenshot of what I'm seeing but it appears there's not way to do that.
- Walter
You should be able to add a screenshot through the camera icon within your reply's box marcok
Could you give it a go and let me know if it works for you?
As for changing your syncing settings now, have you tried adjusting them through the sync tab in the app's preferences?
Hi- Yea I thought the same but when I click on the camera icon it puts up a form that´s blank and the first line is "Image source" and it doesn´s let me click to upload anything. I tried pasting in a link to the image I want to show you from dropbox.com and when I did a "preview" of that, the screen was blank so I don´t think that´s working.. do you have an email address I could send the screen shots too??
Also fyi I´m currently in Europe so will be signing off now and will see your next reply tomorrow.
I´ve never had this issue before- so kind stumped.
One confusing thing is that when I look at my app preferences it says that I have chose to "hid" some files and when I press "manage" what I get is a list of all of my files on dropbox.com with none checked off as I indicated in my first message. However what this "manage" box says about that list is: "Selected folders will live on this computer. Unselected folders will appear only on dropbox.com." And that is what I want- I don't want any of my files to live on this temp pc as I said before, but I want to be able to see them in the File Explorer.
Thanks,
-Marc- Hannah
Hey marcok, thanks for reaching out to us.
How about dragging the screenshot to the reply box? That works for me.
However, from what I can understand, it sounds like when you initially set up your Dropbox and chose to not sync your files, you didn't choose to sync them in "online-only" mode, but chose not to sync them at all.
This is a feature we call "selective sync".
You can use selective sync, to remove entire folders from your Dropbox folder, but have them available on dropbox.com.
This means that the folders in question won't show up at all in your Dropbox folder.
If you want to see the names of your folders, you'll need to go through your selective sync settings and check the folders, so they can sync to the Dropbox folder.
Keep in mind that folders you sync back through selective sync, will sync as online-only, so no need to worry about them taking time to sync or taking up hard drive space.
I hope this helps, but let me know if you have questions!
