Add option to disable icon overlays in Windows Explorer

[StopMessingWithOverlayIcons]

Please add an option to disable Dropbox icon overlays. It is so frustrating to remove Dropbox Shell Icon identifiers from the top of ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers list after each update! 

It is disrespectful to users to decide for them which overlays they need. 

I'm using TortoiseGit and I really need its overlays, they are useful and important for my work. Every time Dropbox updates I can no longer see status icons and have to go to Registry editor and remove newly added and USELESS Dropbox overlays.

I've seen dozens of feature requests from Dropbox users for many years but Dropbox pretends everything is fine!

UPD: 

I had patience to open a thread and communicate with Dropbox team on this issue. After almost 2 years, more than 100 upvotes they have just thrown my idea away suggesting me to edit Windows registry. I've heared your answer, that's how you treat your loyal users.

So long Dropbox!

[Stargx]

I've finally found a solution to this. Here's how it goes for SVN users:

Go to TortoiseSVN->Settings->Icon Overlays->Overlay Handlers and click on 'Start registry editor'

Delete all the dropbox crap if present.

(Might be a good idea to save a copy of your registry before proceeding)

Right click on 'ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers' and 'Export' to save a back up.

Then right click on 'ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers' -> permissions -> advanced.

At the top left, click on the 'change' link near where is says owner.

Copy this into the box 'NT Service\TrustedInstaller'

Press OK and you're all set. This should stop any program from altering the overlay icon settings.

Here where I got this info from: https://superuser.com/questions/1271755/prevent-a-change-to-one-or-more-windows-10-registry-keys

I did this last week and so far so good, DropBox hasn't been able to mess with my icons. And it's so nice to have them back for SVN.

I'm still annoyed I have to do this. DropBox users should not have to mess with registry settings to stop this from happening.

[luckyluke007]

Hi Stargx,

what I experienced with your solution is that on the next update of the dropbox software, you will loose your right click context menu in explorer. There seems to be a link between both these things (I was informed on this by Dropbox support staff after complaining about the context menu dissappearing). So keep an eye open on that. If you don't need the right click context menu to copy a dropbox link, then you're fine.

I certainly need this capability and the connection between both makes it even more annoying because you have to choose between the overlay icons or the context menu....

[Mark A.49]

This x100!!!

[Stargx]

@luckyluke007

Thanks for the heads up. I'll keep an eye on that. Luckily, I don't use that feature very often.

[klepp0906]

I'm gonna try the registry ownership-to-lockout "fix" as I dont anticipate adding any new software that will use the overlays at this point.  I imagine between linkshellextension, the cloud providers i use, and tortoisesvn/git that covers it.  Anything newer would potentially be moving away from them and using the method onedrive uses that does not "cost" an overlay spot.   Since the number of overlays alotted is evidently a major job to fix, microsoft deemed it easier to change the way theyre handled and I'm assuming software developers are aware and will follow suit.

The new icloud software from apple uses the new system as well.   AKA, dropbox either needs to make it possible to stop the leapfrogging or change to the new system.

I use "some" of the dropbox overlays, but when you have a total of i think 14 usable, taking up 10 every update is obnoxious.  A checkbox checkbox that says dont modify that registry key after the initial install is probably easy as can be to implement. 

[jonobo]

I'm getting ready to buy a Dropbox work account for my company. In general, I've been happy with Dropbox, but this one issue is almost a deal breaker. As others have said...the status of SVN folders is much more important to me than Dropbox folders.

They obviously must employ many coders so they have to deal with this themselves. How can this not be fixed by now??? 

Dropbox...PLEASE get your act together and take care of this.

[noiasca]

it's not a feature request - it is a BUG.

Nevertheleess i pressed the vote button.

Please, fix it.

[bcgirton]

I find the little green checkmarks intrusive, also.  We don't need to see anything when a file or folder is synced.  Most files are synced most of the time. It's sufficient to show an overlay when a file is not synced.  Even a not-synced overlay should be something that can be switched off.  You provide an app that is an alternative to File Explorer which can instantly provide that metadata if someone is managing their file system intensively.  Day to day, showing green checkmark overlays in File Explorer is worse than useless.  It's annoying.  Here's something you don't seem to get.  In my book, Dropbox has one job: storing my files in the cloud.  I do not want notes, a password vault, document signing, or any of the other fun toys you and other cloud services keep shoving at us.  I already have other apps for all of those tasks, and I am happy with them as they are.  You just need to do what you do as well as possible.

[Bryan Valencia]

Bottom line:  I must uninstall Dropbox until this feature is included.  I use TortoiseSVN and I absolutely MUST see my Tortoise overlays to do my job.

I will access my dropbox from the web site until they change their evil ways.

Also: changing the names of the dropbox overlays in the registry only works until there is an update.  They will re-create the 15 _______Dropbox overlays every time.  I would imagine that if you use more spaces than dropbox it probably keeps adding spaces until they are first.

Way to piss off 50% of your users, DropBox.

[FatDog1]

Hello all,

I have a question about how many Icon Overlay Handlers Dropbox needs to function. I have Dropbox Ext1 Class all the way up to Dropbox Ext10 Class. My Windows Explorer is slow as heck. Which of these can I safely disable to see if this is the problem?

I appreciate the help.

Have a great day,

FatDog1