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Files do not get downloaded automatically on Mac

Files do not get downloaded automatically on Mac

MathewCross
Helpful | Level 6
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Hi there, 

 

I am experiencing an issue with files added by other users after installing the new Dropbox on MAC OS 13.1 (22C65). I need the files to be downloaded automatically to my drive instead of having to download them manually. This does not happen. I have Dropbox system extension as off. What else can be done?

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

Ben-KC
Helpful | Level 5
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I think a resolution may be to right-click the parent folder (DropboxFolder > YourFolder) and select "Make Available Offline".

 

When I did this, I got the green tick on the folder, then the files started adding the green tick, and then files created and placed in there form another source downloaded automatically. 

 

Test it and see if this works for you. It now works for me. Saves me a bit of concern too wit the visual prompt of the green tick. 

 

EDIT - you can also do this to the Dropbox folder. So that might be the better solution!

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33 Replies 33

Walter
Dropbox Staff
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Hey @MathewCross, sorry to hear you're having issues with this.

 

The issue you outlined is described in this Help Center article and all I can suggest for the moment is finding those files and making them available offline manually as needed.

 

I hope this helps to some extent. 


Walter
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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marktb1961
Helpful | Level 5
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I'm not sure that the linked article does help. I have what seems like the same issue (on both Mac 12.6.2 and MacOS 13.1) and I don't recognised the situation in the list of reasons why files don't get downloaded.

 

In my case, the issue appears as follows:

 

1) I am creating a file in the Dropbox location from a 3rd party app.

2) It is being created in a Dropbox folder shared by another Dropbox user.   I have not seen the issue when creating in one of my own dropbox folders.

3) If I manually upload the file to Dropbox (using the Web app) it will sync back and from then on, all is good for that file (I might get a second file appear with a "conflicted" file name, unless I remove the original file first).

4) The other Dropbox user's files are sync'g ok.

 

I also notice that the problematic file is not integrated at all to Dropbox when it is first created; i.e. none of the dropbox shortcuts appear in the file's context menu. This is resolved once the file is sync'g ok (step 3 above).

MathewCross
Helpful | Level 6
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Thank you for the reply, this reinforces my conviction that if something works fine do not update anything. Unfortunately I use dropbox for with with multiple files and downloading each of them manually is very problematic as I also use Forklift as a file manager and it does not cooperate with the new update either, of course...

MathewCross
Helpful | Level 6
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Thank you for the reply, this reinforces my conviction that if something works fine do not update anything. Unfortunately I use dropbox for with with multiple files and downloading each of them manually is very problematic as I also use Forklift as a file manager and it does not cooperate with the new update either, of course...

Hannah
Dropbox Staff
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Hey @marktb1961, can you clarify your issue a bit?

 

Are the files in question syncing to your Dropbox folder, just as online-only? Or are they not getting synced at all?

 

And is it happening to files that the other member of the folder is uploading? Or files that both of you upload?


Hannah
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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MathewCross
Helpful | Level 6
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Not sure if this was for me but anyway: the files show up in my folders but as online only, these files uploaded by other users sharing my folder.  The point is, I am working with Forklift and it does not download them automatically when trying to open the files. The system hangs so I have to go to finder and download them, which is laborious. What I need Dropbox to do it to work as it used to before the update, so download the files that come into my folders automatically to my disk... 

marktb1961
Helpful | Level 5
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@Hannah :-

 

Are the files in question syncing to your Dropbox folder, just as online-only? Or are they not getting synced at all?

The files that I create are not sync'g at all. Also, no Dropbox context menu items such as "Make available offline"

 

And is it happening to files that the other member of the folder is uploading? Or files that both of you upload?

Only to me. There are only two of us and afaik the other member is not using Mac.

 

So far, I can only replicate the issue in a specific app with the following steps:

1) I open a file in the shared dropbox folder that my collaborator has sync'd across (the file is a log file that the app "replays").

2) I step through the log file (until the end or not, does not matter - I suspect that the app still have the sender's file "open" once I exit this step).

3) I create my own log file in the shared folder and close it.

4) When I tried creating a second file in the same session, it did sync and had the expected dropbox menu items.

 

Once my file is created in step (3), simply moving the file out of Dropbox and back again does not fix the issue. However, if I create my file outside of Dropbox and then move it in, Dropbox does "adopt" the file and it does sync.

 

Jay
Dropbox Staff
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Hi @MathewCross, are you on the latest version of your OS? It sounds like you're on the new version of the Mac OS Dropbox app, on which files are defaulted to online-only.

 

@marktb1961, is this for all files on the site, or just certain files aren't syncing down? Do they have a compatible file name to allow for the download?


Jay
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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MathewCross
Helpful | Level 6
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yes, I am on both new Dropbox and MAC OS, does it mean I am not able to use dropbox as I used to?

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