Size of files on dropbox harddrive and dropbox.com not corresponding

Hey annapretorius! Welcome to our forum.

If you don’t mind, I’d like you to send me a couple of screenshots of what you see on your end (both on the Dropbox website and the desktop app). 

This way, we can compare both and take it from there. 

Thanks!

Why does the file size on my dropbox harddrive, and the file size of the same folder on dropbox differ?

Hi annapretorius,

Haha...😀 Very fundamental question... and there are many different thoughts about. There are 2 main/basic different measure conceptions for multiplication. One of them is, like most others measure units - SI based, multiple by 10 (i.e. 1kB = 1000B, etc.); the other is using power of 2 conception and as closed as possible to the SI standard (i.e. 1kB = 1024B, etc.). Of course many different "hybrid" forms can be seen. The difference you have seen comes from different measure unit concepts in use, most probably. The same file, on the same physical place, can be seen as different sized if observed through different file browsers that use different conceptions. I just made a test:

Here is the same file, as seen from different local file browsers. And here is the same file as appear on Dropbox web:

It's easy to see where what conception is in use. You can decide what's more correct to yourself. 😉 Just keep in mind the possible differences. In all cases the actual file size is the same!

Hope this clarifies matter.

Thanks I will send some screenshots. I am working on a mac. I dont know if this is the issue with size calculation?

 This is the file size as shown on my Mac.

When I go on dropbox.com and calculate the size of the same file it is smaller.

599.18gb on dropbox and file size is 643.11gb on my harddrive.

Hi again annapretorius,

Your scenarios is a bit more complex, cause it's matter of how the space is spread and result efficiency of used space in addition to measure conception differences - you are evaluating folder tree, not just a single file. If we self-restrict us to the conceptions only, it's easy to be seen - your Mac is using standard SI conception, but Dropbox is using more popular power of 2 conception. e.g. your Mac assumes 1GB = 1000x1000x1000 = 1 000 000 000B, Dropbox assumes 1GB = 1024x1024x1024 = 1 073 741 824B. 😉 That's it.

Bad thing here is that Dropbox doesn't represent the size in bytes also, together with the more convenient representation, so to be avoided confusion if/when are any doubts.

So do you think ALL my data is safely stored on dropbox although the sizes differ?

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annapretorius wrote:

So do you think ALL my data is safely stored on dropbox although the sizes differ?

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Although??? 🧐 Are they really differ? If they differ, your data are NOT safely stored, of course. I don't think they differ though 🙂, despite of can't be certain (only you have a look and can check; if I have to bet, you don't have any issue). Don't impose difference in the sizes from difference in measurement conceptions!!! One of them doesn't lead to the other and the only thing seen from your post is different conceptions used by your file explorer (Finder) and Dropbox web view. 😉 Relax.

Again, as a nudge to Dropbox representatives here, adding size representation in bytes (not only in kB, MB, GB, etc.) would be helpful for direct comparison. In such a case different measurement conceptions don't matter.

Good luck.