New MacOs Problem due to default to Online Only Files

[bdharvey74]

Been having issues recently with terrible performance around video editing I was doing. The files were choppy and acted like they not fully entering the software. After digging digging and digging I just found out from DropBox support that with the new MacOs Monterey apparently when you add files to your Dropbox folder via Finder it first has to upload all the files to Dropbox then if you want them to also be on your hard drive you have to go to the file (or folder) and tell it to make them available off-line. Telling it to make them available offline means that it now has to download all the files you just uploaded. Usually not a big issue but...

If you do any video work then this SUCKS! For example, today I shot a bunch of 4K and Raw video so needless to say the files are quite large. So moving the files off my camera's SD card to put them on my hard drive (which is also a dropbox folder) kicked off the process of uploading the files to Dropbox. In my case it needed to upload almost 60 Gig of video which even with decent internet it takes a while, in some cases a couple hours. Also while the files are uploading it basically makes them unusable in any video editing software (for me Premiere Pro) because it appears they are having to download what is being uploaded verses just using what should be stored locally on my hard drive.

So what is the fix according to Dropbox Support? Well there isn't one so you have to upload first, then after they all upload you have to go back and set the files to Available Offline which at that point Dropbox then downloads the files back to your hard drive. Needless to say downloading 60 Gig does also take some time. 

I hate this and have been with Dropbox for over 10 years but going to have to change. If this change was caused by the new MacOs then why didn't the dev team at DropBox have this figured out already and before Apple released Monterey? 

Just annoyed that I spent hours and hours trying to figure out why I was having such bad performance issues while trying to edit video only to figure out there is a default to "On-Line Only" first. Ugg. So wanted to put this here in the community in the hopes that someone who is struggling with the same problem will find it and stop beating their head against the wall.   

[Walter]

Hi @bdharvey74, sorry to hear about this and thanks for your feedback!

I'm sure your post will help other users, so thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this. 

Let us know if you have anything else to add!

[bdharvey74]

Hey Walter,

Thanks for the note back.

From other discussions in the community it appears this might get fixed once Dropbox releases the new version of the software for the MacOs Monterey? Wondering if you have any update or insight into this issue. 

Thanks,

Brad

[Walter]

While I don't have anything specific to offer here, I can assure you that we’re actively working on full support for macOS 12.3 (Monterey), Brad. 

In the meantime, you can still access online-only files by double clicking them directly in Finder.  

[K gleiser]

So in escence problem continues until new release and no release date yet!! It’s been a couple of months now, would have hoped to have this issue fixed by now. Jogging files up and down is annoying.

[ProfessorT]

Amen. I have the same problem.

[styrk]

And now I'm in OS Monterey 12.6 and still the same problem. 

[sealbee]

Yes this is a frustrating issue that still hasn't been resolved. Supposedly the fix is being "rolled out" but still no fix as of October 2022 for Monterey 12.5 or above.

[ProfessorT]

The only thing I can say is, "let us pray."

[styrk]

If it helps - your not alone. It’s been like this too long. Im looking for other solutions.