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Gareth H.5's avatar
Gareth H.5
Explorer | Level 3
6 months ago

Time Machine cannot back up because some Dropbox files have not finished syncing

I am running Dropbox on a MacBook Air M2 running Sequoia 15.5. When I opened up the Mac this morning, it prompted me to update the Dropbox app - which I did. I now find that Time Machine will not...
desktop
Mac
Third Party Integrations
Gareth H.5's avatar
Gareth H.5
Explorer | Level 3
6 months ago

Just to pre-empt obvious suggestions: there are no files to be sync'd as far as I can see.

Jay's avatar
Jay
Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
6 months ago

Hi Gareth H.5, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

In general, when it comes to third party apps that back up a computer, we don't recommend having the Dropbox folder backed up, as it could cause permission issues, corrupt information, or even data deletion.

Is it possible for you to exclude the Dropbox folder from Time Machine in order for it to continue backing up?

Keep me updated with any details!

  • Gareth H.5's avatar
    Gareth H.5
    Explorer | Level 3
    6 months ago

    Thanks for the suggestion: I'll try that as a temporary fix. However, I feel your suggestion misses the point.

    Dropbox is primarily a file sync tool, it is not a substitute for a backup system. Also, Time Machine is not a third-party tool; it's an integral part of MacOS. Dropbox should work OK with Time Machine enabled - it always has until this latest update.

    • Walter's avatar
      Walter
      Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
      6 months ago

      Thanks for the feedback on this and please  let us know of any updates as well Gareth H.5 

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