Latest Windows Update casued DropBox confilt with Carbonite colored circle overlays

[PDW]

Carbonite says this has been a problem for a while, but the latest Windows update let Dropbox win.   All my Carbonite circles are gone!   I use DB to send large files to others and have been happy with it.  I have two more major projects to complete, than I may have to cancel DropBox unless MS or DropBox can get this resolved.  Carbonite has notified MS.

[Rich · Accepted solution]

There's nothing for Dropbox to fix. This is Microsoft's crappy implementation and limit of just 10 overlay icons (the max is 15, with 5 reserved for the system).

You can easily fix them yourself in the meantime. Just rename them to change their priority.

• http://www.itwriting.com/blog/9456-the-battle-to-own-windows-explorer-shell-overlay-icons-or-why-you...

[KarenMD]

I have been happily using both Dropbox and Carbonite for years.  I use Dropbox to share files with friends and I use Carbonite to back up my computer.   A few days ago, I discovered that I cannot see the green dots on my non-Drobox files so that I know they have been backed up by Carbonite.  After talking with Carbonite, they said that Dropbox did an update and added a few extra spaces and that it now uses all of my overlay slots, so my Carbonite overlay icons will no longer appear.

This is very frustrating!  I am about to delete Dropbox from my computer if I cannot figure out a way to see either both my Carbonite and my Dropbox overlay icons or, at the very least, my Carbonite overlay icons.   At this point, it is more important to me to know that my files are being backed up by Carbonite.

Can you help me?

Thank you.

[KarenMD]

Same exact problem! I'm going to delete DropBox if MS doesn't fix this problem. I understand DropBox put a few extra spaces in front of the name, that bumped them ahead of Carbonite.

[Mark]

Deleting Dropbox because Microsoft has a badly designed system isnt exactly going to force Microsoft to change anything....

[KarenMD]

Trying to post something now to Microsoft with the hope they will change something!

[PDW]

Sorry, this is exactly my situtation and I have no answer from anyone.  It just happend after the lastest Windows Update  I am running Win 7 so I am hopeful MS will put in a patch and resolve this.  (Not good enough to be messing with Regedit.)   I will live with it for now, but as much a I like DrobBox, once I finish my 2nd project (it is already completed), it is gone.. as I need my Carbonite circles (as long as I have Carbonite) more than I need DropBox.    Please post back if you have an answer.

[PDW]

Thanks Rich, I am running Win 7 not Win 10, plus I am not confortable playing with RegEdit.  Though I truly appreciate your help, I cannot afford to make a mistake and get shut down.   I can live with it for a while until my major projects are done, then I will just cancel DropBox if the issue is not resolved by somebody.     Hopefully it will be, as the Carbonite tech I spoke to the morning I called that he already had three calls that day for the same issue.    After all, it worked fine until now.

[UrBob]

My problem is the same, although it's TortoiseSVN which doesn't get to show it's overlays.
I did solve this temporarily by going into the registry and deleting most of the DropBox icon entries but they came back today.
DropBox has something like 10 icon overlays, which I can't say I have ever used, so they could do the same as TortoiseSVN and allow selecting which overlays you really need in their configuration settings.
I have just uninstalled the app and gone for the web interface, which doesn't install any overlays at all. My web browser remembers the tabs I had open previously and re-opens them when I launch it so this is as convenient as using the app for my purposes.
Incidentally, I notice most of the replies quote Windows 7. It's still a problem in Windows 10, so don't hold your breath for Microsoft addressing the issue properly.

[europeantechnic]

I too have this problem, and your solution works fine.  Many thanks.

I am furious with dropbox for doing this - taking all 10 slots for themselves when all they have to display is a single green tick!  I had been considering dropping carbonite and getting a subscription to dropbox to use for backing up, but with their tricks like this I won't, I'll stick with the free account for file sharing/syncing with phone and carbonite for backups