Taking a long time to open my Dropbox folders in File Explorer, after updating Win11

Welcome to our Community, benreed!

Are you facing the same issues even after a computer reboot? 

Also, to clarify, did you click on the Start menu from your taskbar, went to Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and the Dropbox app doesn’t show there at all among the rest of your computer apps? 

If not, which Dropbox app are you clicking on, so that it starts running again on your device? Feel free to send me a screenshot, too.

Ping me, when you’ve got more info.

Hi,

No, reboot makes no difference. When I go into Settings->Apps->Installed apps, there is Dropbox (195.4.4995, 3/21/2024) listed. I installed the latest a week or so ago trying to see if it would help. I did not remove the previous version as that option is not available.There are 3 dots and when I click there are two options: Modify (grayed out)  and Uninstall.  If I go to Start and select app to find Dropbox, it is there. I click on it to run it, hourglass appears and then nothing happens.  I was trying to delete the app - but instructions I found only specify  to run the app first - which I can't do.

Please advise, thanks.

Hi benreed, if you're not on a Dropbox Basic plan with more than 3 devices connected, could you try an advanced reinstall of the app using the steps in this link?

Hi, I am on Basic plan.

BTW, the instructions in the link: Click the Dropbox icon in your system tray, ...what system tray this refers to?  Anyway, basic plan or not - I should be able to uninstall the app with pout loosing data and then reinstall it, right?

The system tray is the icon near the clock. Could you try quitting all open applications and services on your computer first before attempting to uninstall the Dropbox desktop application?

OK, I had a setting not to show system tray icons and then it was on my other monitor. Once I made it visible I saw Dropbox app, quit it, uninstalled and reinstalled it. The behavior is the same and weird.  If I go the the folder directly - it opens up. If I run desktop shortcut - it takes quite  a while. If I am in the folder and click sub-folder to open in new tab or window, it opens immediately. If I just click on the folder - it takes quite a while to open. If I click on a file, .docx or .pdf it takers for ever to run MS WOrd or Acrobat or any other app to  open the file. If I open MS Word or Acrobat first  , search manually for the file to open, I can go through Dropbox folders easily. When I click on a file like that - the file shows up immediately, as it should. Quite weird and annoying.

Hey benreed, thanks for the additional info.

If you simply quit the Dropbox app, and perform the steps you usually do to open the Dropbox folders/files, do you get the same behavior?

Yes, it behaves same way.

Hey benreed and sorry to jump in here, but if the issue persists with the Dropbox desktop app completely closed on your computer, then there must be something else causing the lag when you navigate your folders. 

Do you happen to have any 3rd party app that could be monitoring, syncing or backing up your files somehow?  

While we're at it, a new version  of the desktop app just came out so you can also try installing it from this page.

Keep us posted with any updates!

Hi,

I have GoodSync Synchronizer  that backs up my drives and also files from my desktop. Dropbox folder is not included (I will double check).  Good Sync runs only per schedule, I have had it it for years, as well as Dropbox and all was well. This issue with the lag showed up few months ago after a Windows 11 update I installed. There is also new Win 11 update that I was hesitant to install, but could try.  I'll first uninstall current Dropbox app and install the latest one as per your link , just to see what happens, Then, I might install Win 11 update.  What may be the issue with the synchronizer/backup app? Would you want me to disable it or do something with it?  Thanks.