A way to uncheck all folders in the Selective Sync settings

[Doug N.5]

I have many folders and files in my main computer's dropbox. I have a laptop with a small SSD so I can't allocate much space for DB. I need to use Selective Sync to pick which folders. By default all folders are checked. It would be very helpful to have a "uncheck all" checkbox in the dialog box, so I only have to check the one folder I want to share. I also want to have a way NOT to sync the files in my root folder.

Using Mac OS 10.9

[Nancy]

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!

[Nicky S.]

+1 for this feature. I honestly cannot believe that such a simple piece of functionality is missing in the sync app. In fact, we're so fed up of having to de-select over 100 folders (shared company stuff) each time we set up a new user, that we've decided to move to Box.

[Alex N.4]

I'd go so far as to say that there is really no situation with a list of checkable/selectable items, on any website or in any application, that should ever be without select all/deselect all buttons. When has that ever been good UI design?

[Curmudgeon]

Selective Sync is a wonderful thing, but its performance remains one of the most annoying aspects of Dropbox. I suggest that ALL other enhancements or upgrades or development work of any kind cease until this particular problem is fixed.  It takes FOREVER to get the folder list to load (why a file hierarchy can't be cached and populated more quickly is a bit of an enigma to me).  I can build and pipe a folder hierarchy for my 47TB (yes, TB) file structure in less time than it takes Dropbox to fully show me the folder list to sync. And the lack of a "select/deselect all" capability is simply insane. 

[Simon T.24]

I've just had to uncheck around 200 folders on two different machines. It's disheartening (to say the least) to see that this thread was started in April last year and this remains unimplemented.

[Doug N.5]

I I have about 10 machines which each share the Dropbox. I have a machine with a smallish SSD drive and was running out of space  so I had to go in and uncheck a bunch recently created folders to reduce the impact of Dropbox on this computer. Would have been much faster to "uncheck all" and then check the couple of folders necessary for that particular machine's task.

[Harold G.]

This is how I replied to the study to make DropBox better:

Just work on this.

No study needed.

Selective Sync suggestion - way to uncheck all folders

14

22 comments

Doug N.

April 17, 2015 14:09

I have many folders and files in my main computer's dropbox. I have a laptop with a small SSD so I can't allocate much space for DB. I need to use Selective Sync to pick which folders. By default all folders are checked. It would be very helpful to have a "uncheck all" checkbox in the dialog box, so I only have to check the one folder I want to share. I also want to have a way NOT to sync the files in my root folder.

Using Mac OS 10.9

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votes

Dave C.April 17, 2015 18:08

The check/uncheck all was asked for years ago, seems like they cant master how to do it.
.
Unsyncing files in the root folder is complex, it would be better to move them to a subfolder and then unsync that.
If you MUST unsync a file in the root folder
1) Rename the file from FILE.EXT to FILE.EXT_
2) Create a folder named "FILE.EXT" (no quotes and keep the file extension)
3) Selectively UNSYNC that folder from the computer
4) Via the web remove the folder "FILE.EXT"
5) via the web rename the file FILE.EXT_ to FILE.EXT
.
You pretty much are fooling the DB app into thinking the file is a folder and not syncing it.

7

Chris D.April 30, 2015 13:47

Unbelievable this is still not an option. This is a disaster when you have a lot of folders and no means to deselect them all. I now have to deselect around 100 folders one by one.

6

Ryan C.June 11, 2015 23:50

why are both of these still an issue? I have a 32gb tablet, and I don't want to toss all the files in root to another folder. defeat the whole purpose of having the root folder.

and yes, uncheck all seems like a no brainer. for one of the more expensive options out there, simple things like this should not b an issue.

6

Itomic G.August 09, 2015 09:30

Yes please. This is an absolute must. Three times I've had to setup Dropbox on different computers and uncheck over 1000 directories ;(

Very annoying that such a basic feature is not available.

6

Steve M.October 17, 2015 18:31

It is unbelievable that this simple functionality can't be accomplished.  Whether adding DB to a new computer or just making wholesale changes to my sync, I'd like to be able to deselect ALL the folders in Selective Sync.  This is a PAIN to deal with currently. 

4

Harold G.October 21, 2015 01:56

Is anyone at DropBox reading these?

2

Ed October 21, 2015 03:41

Thanks all for the feedback. We're actively reading threads like this and your comments and thoughts are important to us.

We may not be replying to every single post but we're reading these, indeed 🙂

1

daniel s.January 04, 2016 01:53

I just spent 15 minutes unchecking every file I did not want to sync. I've never seen a piece of software that did not have a select all and deselect all option when presenting a list of items.

5

Harold G.January 04, 2016 15:13

Thanks for the reply!

"Ed October 21, 2015 02:41

Thanks all for the feedback. We're actively reading threads like this and your comments and thoughts are important to us.

We may not be replying to every single post but we're reading these, indeed :)"

Heartwarming, indeed .....

1

Kesara P.January 05, 2016 15:18

THIS puhleeze!

I think Dropbox has come of age adequately that it needs a Advanced User Version (I'm willing to pay more for it) with all these features we so desperately crave. Those who want pure simplicity can have the existing version...

0

Rob S.March 14, 2016 16:53

Any updates? I just unchecked 100 folders.

2

daniel s.March 14, 2016 17:17

Not only that but if you have 100 folders it takes like 15 minutes to show them all.

Also someone said, just put your many folders into a few main folders.  I did that but dropbox still shows the same old folders. It did not redo the data structure.

I guess they don't know how to fix it.

1

Jeff H.March 29, 2016 14:01

Just went through it after setting up a new laptop and had to manually uncheck 200+ folders. I feel like I ought to get a discount every time I have to do this.

1

Big P.April 26, 2016 14:20

I also just had to do this over and over again. We resintalled on 3 different machines and it took forever to have selective sync work correctly. At least make the mouse press work while you hold it down and scroll. This would have been a huge timesaver. 

We have been using dropbox forever and this is such a flaw.

3

Kesara P.April 26, 2016 20:35

I've regrettably had to switch to a competitors product, which though deficient in many ways, does Selective Sync in reverse - ie: you check the folders you want when running the app on each new device. 

2

Tony B.July 14, 2016 14:26

It's a huge annoyance for me as well, every time I install Dropbox on a new system.  Normally, I won't complain when I'm using a free service, but this is such a small, GUI-only, feature to add.  

Please implement it?  Thanks!

0

Doug N.July 14, 2016 14:38

It is not a free service for me. I pay for it for myself and my company pays for it for their own use. Why Dropbox cannot implement such a seemingly simple request is beyond me.

0

radres o.July 16, 2016 14:10

temporary by-pass could be to dump all your files in one main folder, uncheck the main folder while you are setting up a new account then check the folders you want to be synced

0

daniel s.July 16, 2016 14:45

I tried that and it didn't work. It still remembered the old folder structure and I still had to uncheck them all.

0

Alex N.September 05, 2016 12:21

Still no update on this? Ridiculous. Doesn't matter how complex the backend is, this is a simple checkbox in an interface. A college student in Programming 101 could do the equivalent in one class period. I've got hundreds of directories and I don't want them synced on new computers (or fresh installs on my main one). TEDIOUS AS HELL to uncheck them all manually. It doesn't even work to use keystrokes to make it faster (such as down arrow, spacebar, down arrow, spacebar).

0

Nicky S.Today at 04:28

+1 for this feature. I honestly cannot believe that such a simple piece of functionality is missing in the sync app. In fact, we're so fed up of having to de-select over 100 folders (shared company stuff) each time we set up a new user, that we've decided to move to Box.

0

Alex N.Today at 07:11

I'd go so far as to say that there is really no situation with a list of checkable/selectable items, on any website or in any application, that should ever be without select all/deselect all buttons. When has that ever been good UI design?

Hi Harold, We're always trying to make Dropbox better. We'd love to hear what we can do to improve Dropbox for users like you. Take this short, secure study (5-7 minutes), and you'll be entered for a chance to win a $200 Amazon gift card!* Get Started Clicking 'Get Started' will direct you to our Qualtrics survey website. All information you enter will be treated in accordance with the Dropbox Privacy Policy. Dropbox will never ask you for your password or billing information via invitations to surveys or in surveys themselves. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, Harold. We really appreciate your feedback! Best, Dropbox Research *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Ends September 30, 2016 at 9:00pm Pacific Time. Must be 18+, have reached the age of majority in state of residence, and be a legal resident of the U.S. Sponsor: Dropbox, Inc. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Click here for complete rules.

[TAM+CZ A.]

That is a great reply Harold!  Let us know if you win the gift card, or better yet, get a decent response from Dropbox.

[yosefadest]

Same problem here. Would be great if there was a fix...

[nostradamuszen]

Two years later, 574 visitors to this page, and not one sign of any intelligible response from Dropbox.

Appalling behaviour. And pathetic programming, given the prices they charge. I'll be looking for another way to share my files.

Probably putting in a tasty review at TrustPilot.com as well.

[nostradamuszen]

(Although I did stumble upon a piece of functionality that makes it three times less unbearable: use the down arrow to select the next folder in the list, then the space bar to check/unheck folders to be synchronised/unsynchronised.)