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Add file stubs/placeholders so you can see your files but they don't take space on your computer.

Add file stubs/placeholders so you can see your files but they don't take space on your computer.

Mike M.2
New member | Level 1

I'm considering upgrading my Dropbox but I'm a bit concerned with my ability to sync selective folders. I understand the selective sync feature and this is great since my laptop hard drive cannot hold all the items I would store in Dropbox. But when I select NOT to download a folder to my laptop, that folder disappears from my Dropbox folder in my Finder window. I know it is available via the website but I don't interact with Dropbox via the website. I really enjoy and need to be able to work through the Finder. Is it possible for placeholder icons for folder or documents to be placed in the sync folder so I can at least see an index and have a reference for what is stored in my Dropbox account? Then, if I click on an item it can be downloaded. I tested this with my free account and certain files/folders simply disappeared. This doesn't work at all for my needs as it forces me to use the website. The whole point of my choosing Dropbox was due to the sync folder. Please consider adding this feature to selective sync so the desktop client shows undownloaded items. If I'm forced to use the website, then other services become better options.

Latest Update
Walter
Dropbox Staff
This idea has been closed as it has reached the end of the Share an Idea process.
 
Thank you for your suggestion, and if you have another idea to share, please do! 
Status changed to: Closed
24 Comments
SwanCobb
Collaborator | Level 10

Selective sync hides the folders & files on the desktop client, but iOS app let's you see all the files.

 Personally, I think its a bad idea to make files hidden by selective sync have a placeholder in the desktop client. Too confusing. You should know due to customer confusion, Microsoft is dropping the available offline feature going forward. Windows 8 will the last version that has this feature. 

Kathy M.35
New member | Level 1

I see a little grey  circle with a minus sign"(-)" sign to the right of the folder names that are selectively synched only to Dropbox - I am assuming means they are not on my hard drive any more, but available on Dropbox if needed.  (I did this to save space and remove a few older, bigger folders taking up a lot of room on my hard drive)  All of my other active folders have a little green circle with a check mark that I am taking to mean are actively available on both my mac and Dropbox. 

semi a.
New member | Level 1

Hi,

My Samsung 5 device is running Android 5.0, because of the lack of free disk space on internal storage, I started to move applications to my 64 GB SD-card. When I tried to move Dropbox application to the SD-card I noticed that move to SD-card option is grayed out. After some investigation it appeared that possible reason for that is the application doesn't support working on SD-card. This feature is a must as most of the users have GBs of data on their Dropbox account and it consumes most of the space on the internal storage.

Another option can be that the application will work from the internal storage, but will save all the sync data in to the external storage. If this option will not be available in the near future, I believe most of the users will stop using Dropbox.

 

thanks

 

Samir B.4
New member | Level 1

Looks like this can be done with Odrive

https://www.odrive.com/links/dropbox

Samir B.4
New member | Level 1
Mike C.50
New member | Level 2

Great to see that with Project Infinite this feature (HSM) has been developed, now hopefully they bring the feature to accounts other than business.  At least all paying accounts as a minimum.

 

MC

Pelsen
New member | Level 2

We use dropbox a lot and have all our work on there. We have synced and un-synced folders depending on the projects we work on. The un-synced folders are of course gone from your computer, but the overview is lost as well.

 

I am suggesting replacing un-synced folders with links to the corresponding folder online. And even better if this link could have "drop file here to upload" functionality to make it easy to backup stuff. This would not only make it easy to save space, but also give the real overview of the folder structure and make it easier to organize files online.

 

Fingers crossed this could make it to a future build.

 

Best, 

Pelle

Niklas S.
Helpful | Level 5

Just noticed that my wish has come to Dropbox, Smart sync!

Too bad I'm Dropbox Pro users and only one (freelancer) in my company and do not have access to it! Is there a poll somewhere or a better and correct way to send a request to Dropbox, would love and pay to have this feature!

/Niklas

Mark
Super User II

This is the place you do that Niklas 🙂

Gomboc
Explorer | Level 4

File stubs is a must have ...
We want to access all of our files directly on an explorer on every device. 

 

Be sure that this fonction will conquer many users, especially if there is an automatic archiving of files that we did not access in the last weeks or months.

 

Thanks,

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12 votes received Status: Closed