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Solved
Dropbox icon overlays in File Explorer require manual refresh (F5) to display correctly.
Application Affected: N/A
Device: N/A
Operating System/Browser (if using the web): N/A
Dropbox App Version (if using the app): N/A
Hi Dropbox team,
I’ve encountered a consistent issue with Dropbox icon overlays in Windows File Explorer. When Dropbox is not running at system startup, synced files show incorrect brown box overlays (typically indicating “offline” or “unsynced” status). Once Dropbox is manually launched and sync completes, the file metadata appears to be corrected—but the icon overlays remain incorrect until I manually press “F5” in File Explorer.
This behavior has occurred across multiple sessions and folders. Pressing “F5” reliably corrects the overlays, suggesting that Explorer isn’t automatically re-querying the shell extension or refreshing its cache after Dropbox updates the file status.
Steps to reproduce:
- Boot system without Dropbox auto-launch
- Open a Dropbox-synced folder in File Explorer
- Observe brown box overlays
- Launch Dropbox manually
- Wait for sync to complete
- Press in Explorer
- Overlays correct themselves
Expected behavior:
Icon overlays should update automatically once Dropbox sync status changes.
Would appreciate confirmation if this is a known issue, and whether a fix or workaround is planned. Just thought you would want to know.
Thanks,
GREAT WORK to the team. Appears to be solved as no longer have the problem. PLUS, the status column in MS Explorer for dropbox files now have a circle with Check box inside, AN ADDED BONUS. Really appreciate your work...... Keep up the Benchmark Work. MS could learn from you.......
14 Replies
Great answer and all I was looking for. No ticket needed. If the problem is never resolved I am fine with that. Again, I just wanted you to know about it. The impact on me is to create a grin and ask myself each time, what caused that and then remember that I left Dropbox running. In fact, if I am the only one having the problem, Dropbox should spend no time on the issue.
I will probably not even check back.
Thank you Hannah for the superb response. Keep up the GREAT work....
GREAT WORK to the team. Appears to be solved as no longer have the problem. PLUS, the status column in MS Explorer for dropbox files now have a circle with Check box inside, AN ADDED BONUS. Really appreciate your work...... Keep up the Benchmark Work. MS could learn from you.......
