Why are new files marked as online-only with Smart Sync?

[mediafp]

I like that Smart Sync will automatically push older files to online only. That makes sense and is indeed "smart."

What I don't understand is why new files are pushed to online only? That is the EXACT opposite of what I would want. If it is a new file, I'm likely still working on it. I would want that kept on my HD for offline use and once it gets old enough, then pushed to online only.

What am I missing here? Smart Sync is only getting half of the sync correct? Older files that haven't been touched in months can certainly be sent to online only, but the most recent files and especially brand new ones should be kept in both places and NEVER online only. IMHO, that is.

Is the option I'm seeking available in preferences perhaps? This is an absolute deal breaker from me using Dropbox if it isn't an option with Smart Sync. Lastly, is Smart Sync still having issues these days? How reliable is the service?

[Jay]

Hi @mediafp, thanks for posting on the Community!

Smart Sync allows files to remain online-only by default if they are added on the web or via another device.

You can change this setting using these steps in the Dropbox desktop application.

If you need any further assistance, please let me know!

[mediafp]

Hi Jay,

Thanks for your response. I'm a Mac User. When I click on the desktop app, it opens a web browser window which I interpret as meaning Dropbox is forcing all interactions to the web. Or am I missing something?

Is a non-web event when I save a file using my Mac and place it into the Dropbox folder using the Finder window that appears during that save? So are you saying, that in that particular case, those files will NOT automatically be saved as online-only if I have SmartSync turned on to Auto? So if I used the Finder window on my Mac to move files into Dropbox, they will remain local. But if, for example, I save something on my iPad into Dropbox, that file will be online only, unless and until I try to access it on my Mac.

Am I understanding SmartSync correctly? Thanks for your help. I've read almost everything I can find about SmartSync and this clarification was never spelled out clearly. You might consider adding a note to explain the above a bit more clearly.

[Jay · Accepted solution]

That would be the Dropbox desktop application you're seeing there, since it shows the files that would be visible in Finder.

Any changes made on your local machine, adding or moving a file into the Dropbox folder, would make the file local. Editing a file in the Dropbox folder would keep the file local, until you mark it as online-only, or the app does it automatically after a few months.

New files added onto your account from another machine, or via the website, would appear as online-only on your computer.

[Noelle7]

I've got about 3 TB of footage I need to backup to our company's Business Dropbox.  We supposedly have unlimited space, but I kept getting "disk too full" messages.  I found out that dropbox was saving everything locally, so I changed my preferences on my desktop to 'Online-only', as well as changing it on dropbox.com as well.  However, when I try to upload things via my desktop app, everything still automatically uploads locally.  I do not have the space for the footage, and I do not have the time to sit here and watch each file, waiting for it to finish uploading to make it online-only.  While uploading, I'll right-click all of the files and set smart-sync to online-only, however, when they finish uploading, they are local again and I need to change it all over again. 

Please help this is driving me crazy :'( 

[Rich]

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@Noelle7 wrote:

We supposedly have unlimited space, but I kept getting "disk too full" messages.  I found out that dropbox was saving everything locally ...

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"Disk too full" is referring to your local hard drive, and not the amount of storage you have in your Dropbox account.

If you're putting files in your local Dropbox folder, you need to have enough disk space, at least initially, to store those files on your local drive. The Dropbox folder, even when set to Online-only, isn't a network or cloud-only folder where you're bypassing your hard drive. It's a regular folder like any other.

You're still saving files locally, and after they've finished syncing to your Dropbox account you can set them to Online-only to save space. If you're trying to upload 3TB of files using your local Dropbox folder, you'll need 3TB of disk space until the files are done syncing.

[Noelle7]

Thank you for your explanation!  Yeah, I've figured out that I'm just going to have to keep backing it up folder by folder with the space I've got.  But I'm glad that it's not a bug on my end, but rather just how it's supposed to be.  Glad I'm not doing anything wrong *phew*

Thank you for your reassurance! 

[DJ-Angelfish]

Hi Jay,

"Editing a file in the Dropbox folder would keep the file local, until you mark it as online-only, or the app does it automatically after a few months."

Can you advise the actual time period that elapses before the system will automatically make unused files online-only? Is this configurable?

Many thanks,

Dan

[Jay]

Hi @DJ-Angelfish, this is mainly referring to the older version of Smart Sync, which no longer applies.

This article for sync icons on Windows should help further on the various states a file can be in.