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No Option to "Make Available Offline."
Honestly, this seemingly late "bringing to the forefront" (I guess you'd call it) of the whole "Online Only" vs. "Make Available Offline" thing has been more of a headache than a help, if I may offer my opinion.
I purchased a new ultra-portable Windows computer which has a 256GB SSD on board, but I plan on using my Dropbox files with it, and I have well over 256GB worth of stuff in my Dropbox.
The thing is that I'm often in situations in which I need offline access to my files.
So I purchased a 1 TB microSD card, which will never leave its slot in this machine. Heck, I can't even retrieve it, it seems.
I mounted it so that it isn't considered "Removable Media" by the computer, and then I proceeded to install Dropbox on the computer, with the intent of using the 1 TB card exclusively for Dropbox content...offline.
I left my machine to sync overnight, and what do you know? Everything has a stupid cloud next to it.
I have no option to "Make Available Offline," either in the file/folder context menu or in the Dropbox application > Preferences > Sync menu.
If this is by design, it's a pitifully stupid design.
I'm going to whatever lengths I can to make this work the way I envision, but I'm going to be awfully disappointed if Dropbox doesn't respect use cases that might not necessarily conform to a narrow definition.
If it's an issue with a recent update to the application, then please bug the developers posthaste.
Not sure if this is okay to share but in the interests of keeping everyone in this loop up to date...
Update: My Dropbox context menus are back. This solution works. Fingers crossed it stays that way!!
I have been exchanging emails with a very helpful Dropbox engineer and he has stepped me through a few options. Most didn't work. This latest one does, but it's a step back to a previous stable version of the app.
I was told that Dropbox are working on an updated version of the app that will bring back the context menus as they are aware of the problem. However, this may take a week or more. In the meantime, he suggested I roll back to an older version of the app that still works with the context menus on the latest version of Windows 11. You can find the download link to the install file here: https://www.dropbox.com/downloading?build=158.4.4564&plat=win&type=full&arch=x64
Now, a few things to note:
1. You do not need to uninstall the existing app. Just click and install this older version on top of it. It will override the existing version.2. Give it time. It takes a bit after the install to click online. Check that the older version of the app has "taken" by hovering over the Dropbox app icon and checking the app version. It should be 158.4.4564.
3. After the install is finished, Dropbox will sync and will re-index all your local files on your hard drive in the Dropbox folder. That will take a while, depending on how many files you have and how big the total storage space is. Be patient.
4. Your context menus will slowly come back online in Windows Explorer when you right-click as each file and folder finishes syncing and indexing. If you right-click and the Dropbox context menu isn't showing, it probably means it is still syncing and indexing. Again, be patient. Once that's finished, your context menus should be back for all your files and folders in Dropbox.
5. VERY IMPORTANT. You need to DISABLE the auto-update for Dropbox until the new stable version is installed (when it eventually comes out) and you stay on this version. 158.4.4564. To do that: open Task Manager (CTRL+ALT+DEL) and go to the PROCESSES tab. Scroll down to BACKGROUND PROCESSES and keep scrolling until you get to "Dropbox Update Service (32 bit)" and click on that to highlight it. Then right-click and select "End task." That will disable the auto-update TEMPORARILY.
NOTE: if you reboot your computer, the Dropbox auto-update task will enable again, so each time you reboot, you will need to disable the auto-update process. Just repeat STEP 5. There is no real way to turn it off permanently, and there's a whole Dropbox thread about it. If you want to read about it, it's here. https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Apps-and-Installations/How-to-disable-DropBox-Update/td-p/199292 I wouldn't recommend it anyway because you do actually want the auto update to work, and it's part of Dropbox's policy. I wouldn't mess with it anymore permanently. If you are in contact with a Dropbox engineer via email as part of this issue, they will be able to turn it off for you on their end, but you have to ask.
Good luck.
Shout out to the Dropbox engineer helping me. He was super helpful and very responsive.
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It has reverted to not showing those Dropbox options in the context menu. I still have Early releases turned off. I tried toggling it back on then off but it still doesn't show those options.
- Rich
Super User II
TERRACE_87 wrote:
It has reverted to not showing those Dropbox options in the context menu. I still have Early releases turned off.
And are you back on a beta version of Dropbox as well? Check your version number again. If the middle number is a 3, as in v160.3.4611, then you're on a beta again.
I am on v159.4.5870
- Megan
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey TERRACE_87, it might sound trivial, but have you tried re-booting your device at all?
Yes, I have. As well as force close Dropbox and re-open it.
For what it's worth, I am on Windows 11 version 22H2.
- Megan
Thanks for the added info TERRACE_87!
Do you notice this behavior for all of your files/folders, when you right click on them?
Yes, I do. I tried different folders and file types. All the same thing.
Before you tell me to uninstall and reinstall Dropbox, know that I have over 116 GB of space on my PC through Dropbox alone. I've done that before and it takes forever to re-sync.
- Jay
Hi TERRACE_87, is the Dropbox desktop application running, and with syncing unpaused, when you're right clicking files to see the context menu from a file directly in the Dropbox folder (and not via a search window)?
Hi, this has been happening intermittently and usually reappears upon a reboot but this time, it does seem to be the case. The Dropbox menu options when I right-click in Windows Explorer on a file or folder is missing, so I cannot share or copy the Dropbox link, etc. I am using the Dropbox app version 159.4.5870. Windows version - MS Windows 11 Home, version 10.0.22621 Build 22621. Would appreciate some help in resolving this so that the menu comes back permanently. Thanks. Please see image below for example of missing menu options for Dropbox.
Hi, an update to my post above. I've done more googling and learned that what I'm missing are the Dropbox context menus. There seems to be a lot of fixes for older versions of Windows, but I could not find anything for Windows 11. I would really appreciate being able to restore my Dropbox context windows into Windows 11 because not having them in Windows Explorer is extremely inconvenient. Kind of completely defeats the purpose of having the Dropbox app installed on my computer. Thanks.
