Windows 10 syncs only one direction

[Girard]

I use Dropbox on a Mac at home and a Windows machine at my office. I did not use my old Windows machine for 1.5 years because of the pandemic. I never used Dropbox again on that PC. I got a new office desktop 2 weeks ago, a Windows 10. I installed the Dropbox app, there are no security/firewall issues, all the right boxes seem to be ticked in Preferences, Dropbox is syncing with no issues or problems. Any files and folders I create at the office on the Windows machine upload to the cloud and down to my Mac with no trouble. However, *nothing* I have done on the Mac in the past 1.5 years will download from the cloud to the Windows machine. Can anyone advise? I am at home now, but will try fixes first thing when I go back to work tomorrow. I am wondering if the problem is SmartSync, which is only recognizing the files and folders on the Windows machine, not what is in the cloud.

[Walter · Accepted solution]

Hey @Girard, thanks for using Dropbox and sorry to hear about your syncing issue.

Could you please let me know if the desktop app on both devices is showing 'up to date' in your menu bar/system tray, or if it's still syncing?

If both are up to date, could the files that aren't showing up on the Windows device contain an invalid character in their names?

Let me know what you find!

[Girard]

Genius! Thank you. It is the file name notation (use of invalid characters) that seems to be the root of the problem. I did a couple of test files and folders, and they synced across all devices. So I am now trawling through my files on both machines to clean it all up. What a relief.

[Girard]

Genius! Thank you. It is the file name notation (use of invalid characters) that seems to be the root of the problem. I did a couple of test files and folders, and they synced across all devices. So I am now trawling through my files on both machines to clean it all up. What a relief.

[Walter]

Glad to hear it's sorted now @Girard 

Take care and see you around the Community!