"Make online only" option is missing, but "make available offline" option is available

[wearpants]

Hi,

I am struggling to make files "online only" on my laptop running in Windows 11 Pro (Version 10.0.22000 Build 22000). I have tried installing the Dropbox App with (with help from IT department) and without admin rights, both leading to the same issue that I am required to sync selected folders in my Dropbox Plus account. I was hoping to be able to view all the files in Dropbox and these files are all available in "online only" mode. Right now I am forced to sync some folders which are smaller in size such that they will not take up too much space on my laptop.

When I right click a file, which I had hoped to make it online only, Windows File Explorer's Dropbox menu gave me the following options:

> Share...

> Send for signature

> View in Dropbox

> Copy Dropbox link

> Make available offline

> Version history

> Send with Dropbox Transfer

There is no "make online only" option available and yet the file has obviously been synced and is occupying disk space in my laptop.

This issue only occurs on my work laptop in Windows 11 Pro. The "make online only" option is working fine on my mac at home, and my previous work laptop which ran in Windows 10.

How can I activate the "make online only" functionality in Windows? Any idea how to resolve this issue?

Cheers

[Jay]

Hi @wearpants, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Just to check, the other devices, is the Dropbox desktop application installed with admin privileges which gives more context menu options?

This will help me to assist further!

[wearpants]

Hi Jay

Thanks for the prompt response. For the previous systems where "make online files" function are working, I installed Dropbox App on my mac using admin account but not on my company's laptop in Windows 10. 

This time on Windows 11 Pro, I first installed Dropbox without admin right before finding the "make online files" function is not working.  Then I asked IT to help me reinstall the Dropbox App, as I could see the warning "Please reinstall Dropbox to free up hard drive space" in Sync History within Dropbox App. Nothing seems to have changed after reinstallation using IT's admin account though. This warning message still remains at the top of Sync History to this point.

Note that when IT installed Dropbox App for me, they remote connected to my laptop and enter their IT admin account name and password when the admin right requirement was prompted by Windows. This is pretty standard corporate IT procedure though so this note might not be useful.

[Jay]

If the context menu item is still missing, then there could be something else device-specific that is affecting its appearance. If the Dropbox desktop application is installed with admin privileges, then all options should be available.

Is it possible there are some other security measures which could prevent the option from loading. Although this is old, could you try the suggestions in this thread on how to resolve this.

[wearpants]

Thanks Jay - I followed some of the suggestions in the thread you referred to but none of them would work. This includes installing the older version of Dropbox (158.4.4564) as suggested in one of the replies but then the app did not even get installed properly.

Our IT is very helpful but I will need to tell them what functionality, registries or access rights will be required to enable the "make online only" function for Dropbox.

[Calvin2DBX]

Hi @wearpants,

Hope you don't mind if I jump in here.

If you haven't already, please have a look in your Dropbox account settings on the web, too.

Check if the Dropbox system extension is disabled, which is what allows for that online functionality.

Try selective sync (from the app preferences) to save space for now.

Let me know if the right click option comes back, or if you still get any error message after you do that.