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Smart Sync and Quick Preview on Mac
Smart Sync causes my quick preview function (spacebar) to not function properly on my Mac. I can't preview thumbnails, or quick preview any videos or photos. Any ideas why this happens?
Likely because you're trying to preview a file that doesn't exist on your computer.
When you set a file to Online Only, the only thing that's left of that file on your computer is the necessary information to make it appear in the folder. Since there's no content in the file, your OS (nor any other program) is able to preview it.
Remember, when you set a file to Online Only, the file is removed from the computer leaving behind only a marker file. In order to access that file, whether it be to open and edit it or simply preview it, the file needs to be on the computer (Smart Sync doesn't allow you to open files directly from the Dropbox servers). When you open a file, it's synced back to your local drive and then opened as normal. When you're done with the file, if you want it to be online-only again, you need to mark it as such.
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Wondering if a resolve was ever discovered for this? I just had a chat with an online support person that went no where.
Hi Norah,
Were you ever able to pinpoint what could be causing this?
It's been a week since my last response, and it seems as if more and more people continue to have this issue.
While I'm not trying to be argumentative or points fingers, all documentation that I've been able to find on this issue seems seems to blame how Dropbox is handling QL in OSX. And so, for everyone else who continues to have this issue, I will continue to post here to keep search engines bringing this post near the top of results until we get some sort of explanation or a fix. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
How can you classify this problem as solved, when it clearly is not?
I have this problem too. Did they have a fix yet?
Norah - why has this forum been marked as solved? It clearly is not, and many of us have already been contacted by a DB rep which is also a dead end. Can we have this re-opened so that it is given some attention?
I'm having the same problem. The preview icons sometimes show up on files that are stored online-only, but most of the time not. I've found that deleting my finder preference file and relaunching finder works for about 10 previews, and then it's like it gives up and goes back to just loading the icon instead of a thumbnail of the image. And once it gives up, I can't see any images, including those that are only locally stored.
- Mark
Super User II
Leahlc - anybody is able to mark it as solved I'm afraid, so, even if one person found something that worked on here for them they can then flag that as a solution. Dropboxer's and Super Users dont mark anything as solved so its a third party person.
For everybody still having issues can you please log a ticket:
www.dropbox.com/support if you havent already done so. It may also be worth including a link to here.
You can then track at http://dropbox.zendesk.com I also had this problem, and fixed it temporarily with some terminal commands that were suggested on another forum. Now it is back again, and I am trying to find that information again so I can reset it again. It WAS a dropbox related problem.
I've been having the same problem occuring often since I activated Smart Sync. The temporary fix is to reset QuickLook in Terminal with this command:
qlmanage -r
I just hope this will be fixed soon, otherwise I'll switch back to the Plus plan because Smart Sync was the main reason why I upgraded to Pro.
im confused. My files are not appearing on my alternative computer at home. I save it to the dropbox file on my computer in the office but when i get home it is not here on this computer at home. For me, that was the point of dropbox so that i could share my files to both my locations. what am i doing wrong ? thanks Linda
