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Forum Discussion
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 backup with the message
Time Machine cannot back up because some Dropbox files have not finished syncing.
I've tried quitting Dropbox, taking it out of the login items and restarting, but it makes no difference. Before I just delete Dropbox (I only use it for a small number of files shared with others), is there anything I can try?
4 Replies
- Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
Thanks for the feedback on this and please let us know of any updates as well Gareth H.5
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.
- Jay
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!
Just to pre-empt obvious suggestions: there are no files to be sync'd as far as I can see.
