all 'FILE EXPLORER' FILE icons flashing whenever dropbox is running

Edit:

Thanks to anonymous  I now use ShellExView to remove Dropbox's invasive buggy overlays.  Still awkward and annoying, and needs to be done every time Dropbox forces an update - but much better than ad hoc registry deletions. From their post:

Be sure that you only disable Icon Overlay Handler as shown below:

Then restart explorer with Ctrl+E to apply the changes.

---End Edit

It really is inexcuseable.

I finally discovered a way to hack into my registry and delete specific dropbox elements (icon overlays), which stops the problem, but every time dropbox updates, I have to go back in and do it again.

It's not for the faint of heart bc it involves deleting registry keys, but I am stuck with dropbox and suffering so it was worth it.

Here are the steps I take - I'm not recommending anyone do this - only posting this as an example of how HORRIBLE dropbox is that it requires a user to do something like this to simply use the product:

1. Launch Windows Registry Editor (type regedit in Windows search box to find it)

2. In regedit, navigate to this folder (I just saved this location in a file so I can paste it into regedit directly, or you can click through to it):

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers

Note the title "ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers" - this is the term for the annoying little check/etc icons that are rendered on top of the folder icon.

3. Inside this folder I found a number of Dropbox registry entries (I've deleted them already, but I think there were 5 or 6).

I deleted every Dropbox file in that folder - right click or press del key and confirm you want to permanently delete the key.

4. Restart Windows Explorer

May be other ways to do it, but I do it this way:

Launch task manager (ctr/alt/del)

In the Processes tab, under Apps, I usually see Windows Explorer listed - right click on it, select 'restart.'

After I do this, I have no more dropbox icons in windows explorer - until Dropbox updates and reinstalls the icons - then I have to do it over again.

I also noticed there are instances where I still see the icons - when a program opens explorer to find a file, for example.  I haven't bothered to try to find a simpler way to resolve every instance of the icons, or find a way to block dropbox from installing that component.

ANYWAY - like I said, I can't recommend this approach because it may break other things (so far hasn't for me but ???) - and yes, this is terrible and dropbox is terrible - at some point it will either resolve itself or I will change services, I don't know.

this is madness pepehands 

Same problem happening for many months, along with many others here.  Shimmering icons flickering around when something in the Dropbox folder changes.  Interferes with naming folders causing partly typed names to be accepted.

Why has this not been fixed?!!

Windows 8.1, approx 14GB in my Dropbox folder.

Hey everyone, thanks for all your ongoing reports on this, and sorry to hear that you're still having trouble. 

Out of curiosity, could you let me know if you've tried a simple reinstall of the desktop app? 

If you have, could you make sure that you have the latest stable version installed (99.4.501) by hovering over your Dropbox icon? 

Could you also check how many files you're syncing in your Dropbox folder?

Let me know what you find and I'll make sure to get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks again!

Hey CorradoBarbero, thanks for reaching out to us and sorry to hear about your frustration. 

Have you by any chance contacted our Support team so as to have a better look into this matter for you? 

If you have, could you let me know the ticket ID (eg. #1234567) associated with your discussion? 

Thanks again! 

You are certainly right.

After being plagued with this problem for more than a year, I finally decided to "quit" my Business Dropbox and use my OneDrive account.  Haven't had ANY problems and found many other benefits.  For example, the whole Windows interface (File Explorer and other apps) seem to be flawlessly intergrated with OneDrive so I don't have to really worry about whether something is on a cloud or on the local machine... just like it should be.

Best, Clevercrow

How can this still not be fixed, STILL icons flashing and shimmering every time I make a change to something in my Dropbox folder when the Dropbox applicaiton is running.  The shimmering does not occur when the Dropbox application has been exited.

Clearly not just a freak problem impacting a couple of users.  For me on Windows 8.1 with approximately 14GB of sync'd data.

I do not have time to uninstall and re-install the application.  How about Dropbox developers actually find out what is wrong and fix their software with an update.

@Dropbox, please response and let us know what you are actually doing about this?

Finally got time to make a clean re-install (uninstall + ccleaner + removing each dropbox remanent files & folders + removing each reference in the registry + reboot + install latest version):

Result: the same old flashing icon crap, that makes the explorer unresponsive.

Its a shame that there is still no official response from Dropbox, no workaround, and no admitance of the problem.

I certainly will convince my boss to change to another paid cloud service.

gabriel_g, thanks for the update and sorry the pain of uninstall-reinstall didn't work!

Well the good news is that it doesn't look like it is caused by some peculiar Dropbox state that is hard to re-create, if it still does it even after a full clear out and re-install.

For me the symptoms persist on both a Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 computer with the same Dropbox account.

@Dropbox, need some answers please.  I am a software developer myself and willing to assist with demonstration of symptoms and looking into anything you want me to check.

Same here.

• Uninstalled Dropbox
• Restarted
• Deleted my whole (huge) dropbox folder
• Deleted all Dropbox APPDATA
• Fresh install of latest version
• re-sync overnight
• Same buggy, flickering icon BS

Clearly radio silence from Dropbox.  Probably because it's a hard one that can't be fixed by uninstall install.  The developers actually have to pull their fingers out and do some work :laughing:

I've been dealing with this for months/years. Something just finally made a difference -- it turned out my battery health was bad on my laptop (a Dell Precision 5520). There is some absolutely bone-headed setting where the computer will reduce its performance if the battery is having problems, even when plugged in. Turns out my laptop has been performing at 25% capacity for months.  I took the back off and disconnected the battery from the motherboard for a few seconds and reconnected it (this resets this idiotic BIOS setting or whatever it is). Now my laptop is performing literally 400% better and I don't even notice the icons flashing any more.  I also uninstalled the Intel Thermal Framework drivers, which I think may also contribute to this stupid situation. There is also some dumb Windows 10 setting where Windows reduces your performance if you're on battery and it seems to take on a life of its own and also doesn't reset when you're connected to power. It's under the little battery icon in the system tray...

Hi All, thanks for all your reports on this!

As we'll need to look into this matter with device specific information at this point, I'd recommend that you contacted our support team providing as much information as possible.

Should anyone of you face any troubles doing so, please let us know here so we can reach out via email to the address that's connected to your Community's profile. 

Thanks for your ongoing patience and cooperation!

Thanks for the response but I cannot see how to open a case.  The options are Chatbot or Community.

The same symptoms are occurring on two devices of mine, one running Windows 10 and one running Windows 8.1 using a free Dropbox account.  Remember this is not our problem, it's a significant problem with Dropbox software and it is impacting many of your users.  As a software devleoper I am more than happy to help you to get this fixed, so please help me to help you.

Thank you for the quick response megawhite.

As promised, I just reached out via email so we can look further into this.

Whenever you get the chance, please take a look at your inbox for my message and we'll take it from there. 

Thanks again! 

Please send me a magic link too... BUT just don't expect me to click it.

I've already raced round and round the "tech support" tree for days on end with ever increasing time consuming requests to "stand on my head and spit nickles" without any real help.  

Jeez, this has been reported by dozens of users and probably affects hundreds of users and has been experimented on by tech support with NO PROGRESS since first reported.

Are you going to tell us poor suffering end users that you have actually fixed ANY user's problems with blinking icons in all the years it's been reported?  If you have, then POST THE SOLUTION HERE... and otherwise, how about tech support SOLVE THE PROBLEM inhouse, and then post the product with necessary improvements to ALL USERS who have wasted hours and been frustrated by this DEFECT for month after month after month.  

clevercrow1 Thought you moved to OneDrive 4x weeks ago? Or was that clevercrow ? I so, why do you keep on posting here using CAPITAL LETTERS that some people can interperate as SHOUTING?

I use Dropbox and Dropbox Business on 3x different computers. All the latest versions of Dropbox (Beta) and Windows 10. No Explorer icons flickering. Did it occur to you that it could be related to the hardware you are using? My Surface laptop is 2 years old, the HP one 8 years old and the Desktop 1 year old. But all work just fine. Sounds like an incompatible driver issue or something. 

Just my 2 cents. 

Regards

Casper

Many thanks Walter, I have just responded to your email.  I look forward to assisting diagnosis.

Andrew

Hi CorradoBarbero

Thanks for the email. :-)

All is good. Been a hectic few days and I may have misunderstood the note. 

Regards

Casper