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Forum Discussion
Viewing files locally is incredibly slow since the February/March 25 update.
Windows 11. Desktop app. Dropbox Plus
Prior to the February/March 25 update, my files (any type of file, but mostly PDF's and JPG's) would open either instantly or within a few seconds.
After the...
Thank you!
- My Dropbox app version is 219.4.4463
- I have 200k files synced in my Dropbox folder (Essentially all my creative work, photography, design files and a few website backups; 800gb of my 2tb allocation)
- Files outside of my Dropbox folder load normally/quickly
A couple of extra notes:
- Dropbox contextual menus also load incredibly slowly, displaying "Loading..." x3
- The Dropbox update has new icons to represent synced status. Only one of my folders has a solid green tick (always available), while the rest of my folders show a hollow green tick (available). With the new Dropbox system, it's not clear how to ensure a folder is always available or whether this will speed up local file browsing.
Rich
Super User II
Super User IIWith the new Dropbox system, it's not clear how to ensure a folder is always available ...
That hasn't changed. Right-click on a file or folder (or multiples of either) and select Make available offline.
I only see "make online-only" (which I assume means the folder is already available offline.)
My note was based on the assumption that the new status icons (available vs. always available) might be related to the incredibly slow Dropbox performance since the Feb/Mar 25 update.
- Nancy
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey d3fin3d! Can you please take a look at this Help Center article for more details on the sync icons youâre currently seeing next to your folders?
If possible, Iâd like you to open the folder thatâs highlighted in your screenshot and send me one more visual of a file that youâre having issues with at the moment (so that I can also check its current syncing status).
Hi Nancy,
I've done some troubleshooting and I've found an interesting anomaly regarding the view settings in a Dropbox folder:
- When I open up a Dropbox folder and set View to "Details", files open instantly.
- When the same folder has View set to "Large Icons", the spinning wheel of death happens while the folder loads thumbnail previews.
It looks like the extreme lag with opening files is directly related to the way thumbnail previews are generated in "Large Icons"+ view.- Prior to the Dropbox upgrade, PDF's would show the default Adobe Acrobat file logo.
- After the update, thumbnails are trying to load previews of their contents which is delaying file opening, particularly with folders that contain hundreds/thousands of files.
List view example:
Large Icons view example:Now the question is, a). Can file previews either be dramatically sped up, or b). can file previews be disabled as they were prior to the Feb/Mar Dropbox update?
EDIT:
I managed to find a work-around to this issue by going to File Explorer > Options > View and checking "Always show icons, never thumbnails".
However, this issue is probably worth escalating as it is directly related to Dropbox being active and the way it handles thumbnail previews when the "Large Icons" view mode is active.
