Upload speed slow in the Dropbox desktop app, and after uninstallation

Hi Abrouss, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Do you have any proxy, VPN, firewall, security software, or even ISP/router settings that could be restricting traffic to the following Dropbox domains?

This will help me to assist further!

Hi Jay

No proxy, VPN, nor any special router settings, I checked the firewall, it seems fine, the only thing i did was installed the Dropbox app, then removed it because I did not want to link files., I reinstalled the app to look at the bandwidth  settings, but they were not selected.

at a lose here

Thanks

Al

Hey Abrouss, let me jump in here!

Would you mind clarifying if you're using the app, or our website when uploading your content?

If you're using our app, feel free to hover your mouse over the little Dropbox icon on your taskbar, next to your WiFi and let me know the version of the app that you see there. Did you notice when this first started happening?

If the app is uploading slowly to the Dropbox servers, then something could be throttling that connection. Are you certain that you have no other software that could be monitoring the Dropbox folder or app?

For instance, antivirus and security software can prevent the Dropbox app from connecting to the site, or preventing it from connecting at full speed. 

Hi Megan

First I would like to say thanks for your input

I prefer not to use the app, I normally use the website.

I do have the app installed again to see if it would help, but no it has not, app ver 219.4.4463

I thought maybe a program called CCleaner was causing the issue, but I told it to ignore dropbox. , I turned of my antivirus ( Malwarebytes ), stopped the Windows security, but still slow to up load

even with the app the upload is slow, if i use my other PC same home network, the uploads are 10 times faster, and it an older windows 10 PC

anything else you suggest I will try, I don't use a lot, but when i do the slow upload drives me crazy LOL

Thanks

Al

For the past few weeks, I've been struggling with slow upload speeds on the Dropbox Windows App. Oddly enough, download speeds are absolutely fine.

My upload speed is 140 Mbps, and through a web browser, Dropbox uploads at this speed without any issues. However, the Windows App is a different story—it simply doesn’t perform as it should.

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

• Bitdefender: Fully deactivated, including all its components—no improvement.
• AdGuard: Completely disabled—still no change.
• Dropbox App settings: No speed limits are set.
• Reinstallation: I've reinstalled the Dropbox App twice—same results.
• No VPN

I’ve contacted Dropbox’s help desk about this issue twice now. Unfortunately, the support I received was disappointing, to say the least. Both times, my tickets were closed with the explanation that Dropbox servers are in the USA, and the problem lies with my internet connection. But how can that be the case when everything works flawlessly through the browser?

I've been a paying Dropbox user since 2015, currently subscribing to their 3TB plan for €22 per month. Yet, I’m stuck with upload speeds of around 15 Mbps. To make matters worse, when I was in Vietnam, the speed didn’t exceed 5 Mbps, and in Malaysia, it topped out at 10 Mbps. This feels like some kind of artificial limitation, roughly 1/10th of my actual upload speed.

I’ve run out of patience. I’ve spent time researching, troubleshooting, and contacting support, but nothing has resolved the issue. At this point, I’m seriously considering switching to a NAS storage solution with my own cloud.

If anyone has faced a similar problem or has any suggestions, I’d greatly appreciate your input. This is my third attempt to address this issue, and if it remains unresolved, I’ll have to move on.

I have been waiting for a response to my query for some time while other customers get responses.

I am sorry to bother you, my friend :)
If that was free service, I understand that they wouldn't care that much... But If it's paid, and not the cheapest option, it's out of bounds to me :/

Mega is awesome. The only problem is that it doesn't have selective sync.
OneDrive also sucks now as they have a problem with share folders - they open as a shortcut in a browser.
Google Drive is terrible if you like to work a lot through file explorer.

If no one will solve it, I am getting Synology DS723+
Sorry, not sorry. I am working a lot on files. Now I've 700GB of video footage to work on and I can't stare to Dropbox App to see how it painfully uploads. 

Hey Sheba123, apologies for the delay here, something must have happened and we missed your reply; would you like to troubleshoot the upload speed issue on the Dropbox website or on the desktop app?

Can we send you an email, so we can investigate further?

As for you, TechManiacHD, sorry to see that you're having slow syncing speed issues.

Can you please give me the ticket number of your most recent communication with our support team, so we can check it out?

Hi. I've only this ticket in by bin as it was less than a month ago - #24921817

Your main PC, running Windows 11 with an Intel I9 CPU, is experiencing slow upload speeds to Dropbox, unlike your second PC on the same network.

This issue likely began after you installed and then uninstalled the Dropbox desktop app, suggesting that some residual files or settings might be causing the problem. Since you've already checked bandwidth limits and firewall settings, let's explore further.

Steps to Try

• Check for Leftover Files:

Look for any remaining Dropbox folders, especially in C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Dropbox, and delete them if safe (back up important files first).

• Verify Firewall and Antivirus:

Ensure Dropbox is allowed through Windows Firewall and temporarily disable antivirus to test upload speeds.

• Review Network Settings:

Check your PC's network settings for any upload speed limits and consider testing with a different network.

• Clean Reinstall Dropbox:

Uninstall Dropbox completely, delete any residual files, then reinstall the latest version from the official website (Dropbox Downloads).

• Monitor System Resources:

Use Task Manager to ensure no other apps are consuming bandwidth.