How about a force sync/refresh button - revisited

[Darshovits]

The thread "How about a force sync/refresh button" has been closed. It was sumptupus thread and I could not read all of it. What I got from it, is that people want it and they dont get it.

Here is what we want -- a little button with easy access that will force refresh of my dropbox on this platfrom. I just worked on the other platfrom and now I wait for the magical sync to start.

Duely noted, it can take a variable amount of time that is surely related to cloud traffic at the cloud.

Sometimes I wait too long, and get impatiant. After all I swap my files from PC1 to PC2 in my space.

So where is that little button thart will tell DBX I am impatiant and please start syncing me?

[Rich]

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@Darshovits wrote:

So where is that little button thart will tell DBX I am impatiant and please start syning ...

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It's not needed because Dropbox will sync automatically.

Most times, if you've made changes on one computer and they aren't appearing right away on another, it's because those changes haven't finished syncing up to Dropbox. Once they do, all of your other linked computers will start the sync process.

[Darshovits]

This is not true. After the first one ended syncing, a variable amount of time lapses until the second one gets it. This could be 10-15 minutes or 30 seconds. I think this has to do with loads on the server but I am not sure. This is why the button is good idea.

[Rich]

Dropbox will sync a file immediately as long as it has access to the file and it's not otherwise in use (i.e., if another application has a lock on the file, Dropbox can't sync it). There is no delay in syncing. If you're seeing a delay, then it's likely something specific to your computer/installation, and you should contact Support so they can help you troubleshoot the issue.

[Darshovits]

I must repeat what I said. There is no delay in syncing up to the cloud from any station. The delay is in the downward update to another station, which takes variable amount of time. Maybe you should contact "Support"?

[Jay]

I’d prefer it if you kept your tone with a dash less sarcasm.

@Rich is correct in that syncing occurs automatically, be it uploading from PC1 and then downloading on PC2.

Of course, PC2 needs to detect that the changes have been registered on the Dropbox site first. Even a single file would get downloaded the moment it appears there.

The Dropbox desktop application doesn’t have a manual option to ‘start syncing’, because it has a constant live connection to the site, so if I had to give it a time, I’d say it would check every second for file changes, which is suitable for all users in my opinion.

I’ve never experienced any issues on my end, and in any instance when users have had delays, there was always something wrong on their machine in some way.

If that’s not the case on your second computer, and you have to wait for 15 minutes, then you have an issue with your own network connection. Are you sure that your firewall or antivirus is allowing the desktop app to run without restrictions? Are you behind a proxy or VPN? Have you contacted your ISP to check about any speed limits or router issues?

Provided that the following Dropbox domains are not being restricted, there should be no issues. 

Is the desktop app even running throughout this period? Do you have a sleep mode on your device that closes apps or the machine if nothing is running?

Try reinstalling the app to see if that helps.

Also, I'm moving this to the desktop forum, since there isn’t a need for a ‘force sync’ button.

[Darshovits]

My Goodness. There was a thread of 7 pages about this and it was closed.

We all know that DBX is syncing automatically. We love it and depend on it, because there is nothing else that comes even close to it. All the others are crappy closed systems.

I have a Mac and PC. I wish it was every second that they would check. Both work well for years, no worries about a thing, and my network is 500Mb full duplex.

If indeed desktop DBX checks every second with the cloud, I would love to enjoy it as well. It takes variable amount of time, that could be 5 to 600 seconds. Thats why a button would be nice to have on desktops, but I am afraid my thread just like the other one are destined to be closed for unkniown reasons.

The funny (and unsecure) (and sad) side line, is that Apple and Microsoft are midgets when it comes to sycing files en tandem, on my local LAN, without any clouds.

[Jay]

Well, this is why we can help look into why syncing takes so long to start!

Firstly, you mentioned two different computers, are they Windows or Mac devices? Are they on the same network or in different locations or subnets? Are any of them on a virtual machine in another location?

Also, you can check to see that the bandwidth speeds for the Dropbox desktop application aren’t restricted on your end.

Let me know more so we can get to the bottom of this!

[Darshovits]

One is Mac. One is Windows. They are on the same LAN and I can open Mac folders on Windows and vice versa. One is directly ethered and the Mac is on WiFi. I never changed any of DBX bw variables. Why is it so hard to admit that cloud has lots of traffic and it can not be super natural? It has limits and variable deltas of response. I was not saying I am not happy for my free service. I am happy. Sometimes I have to wait. I hear you that I may be among a very small group of people.

I would be even happier to have some local DBX server on my LAN. I think I must write this software. Many have used check-in-out software for years. They must be happy to not check in and out so much anymore. So it is done automatically.

[Jay]

Could you try doing an advanced reinstall to see if this helps with the time it takes to detect changes on the Dropbox account?

The only kind of ‘traffic’ that could be experienced would be a reduction in speeds using the ISP, or as mentioned if it’s routed through some restrictions. 

Since you’re on the same LAN, you could also check to see if LAN sync is enabled and setup correctly on your home router and firewall.