Dropbox desktop application is stuck on indexing

[Fillis]

Hi, has anyone ever had their dropbox stuck on 'Indexing'?

My dropbox hasnt updated from my laptop for a few days now with the above showing on the desktop icon (Windows 10 64 bit)

I have tried restarting the app, selective sync etc... and nothing works

[Jay]

Hi there, how many files do you have in your Dropbox account or folder?

If there are a lot of files, then it can take time to index. Are you still experiencing this issue on your end?

[Fillis]

I have over 200,000 files in my dropbox.

I also have three computers connected to it which doesnt have the same problem

When it says 'indexing' there is no number files it is indexing, and it said it for over three days without any file updating

I have deleted the software completely and re-installed it, it is now indexing the 200,000 files, but this will take a long time beofre knowing it has fully been resolved.

[Jane]

Thanks a lot for the additional details Fillis!

As an initial troubleshooting step, you could have a look here for some tips to adjust your bandwidth locally (this will help you speed up syncing a bit) when it comes to files uploaded/ downloaded via the desktop application. 

Following, as you’ve mentioned that you have more than 200.000 files on your Dropbox account, it may be useful to you to utilize our Selective Sync feature, which lets you select only the folders you want to be synced locally on your computer, so as for you to sync down your files in smaller batches.

If the behavior persists after applying the tips above, could you please include a screenshot (omitting personal info) of the “Indexing” message you’re getting in your next message? 

Please do keep us updated on how the steps above work for you in your next message & we’ll make sure to check back with you more closely. Thanks again!  

[Fillis]

Hi, my computer spent all night downloading the 200,00 files.

It basically downloaded them all expect 4 files remained in the desktop icon.

It now sticks on 'indexing' again, despite doing all the above.

I have since done a selcetive sync, and it still sticks on 'indexing' despite the number of files being reduced to less than 5% of my dropbox.

Is there a settings within Windows that could have changed?

All my other computers work fine. Exactly the same setup.....

[Jay]

Do you know which 4 files are syncing? Can you see them in your account with the blue icon?

If so, what kind of files are they? Are they being constantly updated by another program?

Could you try clearing the Dropbox cache folder on your computer to see if this helps?

[nelc]

I have the same problem. 

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@Jay  escribió:

Do you know which 4 files are syncing? Can you see them in your account with the blue icon?

If so, what kind of files are they? Are they being constantly updated by another program?

Could you try clearing the Dropbox cache folder on your computer to see if this helps?

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[Walter]

Hey there @nelc - sorry for the tardy response. Are you still having issues with this?

If so, please send a screenshot so we can have a visual as well to make sure we're on the same page. In the meantime, you can also try our lookup tool for problematic file names and have a look here for a list of incompatible characters  across OSes that might be causing your problem.

Let us know what you find and we'll take it from there. Thank you and have an awesome weekend ahead!

[CaliFranz]

I have the same problem.  Dropbox is stuck syncing the same 482 files for weeks now.  I have uninstalled and reinstalled several times and its still the same problem.  The files causing the problem are in my photos folder and I can't find what files are the problem.  

MacOS v10.13.5

Dropbox v52.v.60

[Jane]

Hey CaliFranz, thanks for posting us here on this syncing issue, let me send you some tips below & we’ll take it from there! 

#1. As you’ve already mentioned that you’re running the latest Stable Dropbox version on your Mac & you’ve made all OS updates, could you have a look at the Dropbox icon on your Menu Bar? There should be a message indicating the syncing Status. What does it read?

#2. Is there any slight chance you may have dragged & dropped your My Photos library in Dropbox? If so, you may keep in mind that such an action will create a Symlink in the Dropbox folder, which should ideally be avoided. If you’d like to undo that, you may have to drag & drop the folder back on your desktop. 

Please let me know if any of the above is relevant to the behavior you’re experiencing (I’d also appreciate any visuals or additional troubleshooting you’ve done on your own), so that we work on that together as closely as possible. Thanks again & happy Monday!