Real folder size won't show in Finder

[Lageole]

Hello,

I am looking to resolve an issue I'm just experiencing now for the first time.

When I do a command + i to see the size of a dropbox folder on my finder, the finder now just show me the size that the folder take locally. Before I could see the size of the full folder + the local size.

For example, I have a folder of 20 go with 5 go of it accessible offline :
Before the finder was saying "20 go (5 go on the local disk)"
Now the finder show me "5 go (5 go on the local disk)"

Here is a screencaps that illustrate the issue :



To the left I have the folder "PLAN 1" in the dropbox via finder, it indicates 25 ko for 551 elements
To the right I have the exact same folder on my back-up hard drive, it indicates 42 go for 551 elements (the real size of the folder).

So my question is, how this feature suddenly disapperead and how can I make it come back ? It is an essential part of my business to be able to check precisely the amount of data I have !

For info, I'm running Ventura 13.6. One of my attempted was to update de MacOS because the problem started when I was on Monterey.

Thanks a lot ! 🙂

[Jay]

Hi @Lageole, thanks for messaging the Community.

In general, the size on disk would be the files physically stored on the computer using the available offline option, and the size would be the logical size (if all the files were local).

As you're not seeing this, are you certain that none of the files have changed on the Dropbox site?

This will help me to assist further!

[Lageole]

Hello Jay,

Thank you for your answer !

Before this problem occured (this week), I was always seing the full size of the folder (and in parenthesis the space it is taking localy). It was a really great things as the finder and folders were acting as any other folder of my computer. It was also really helpful to understand the size of folder even if they are not offline and also to perfom clone backups.

Right now, on the example / screencaps I showed, I guess it is acting logicaly (25ko) as all the files are online. There has been no modification from the dropbox site. My struggle is that I would want to see the real size of the folder, wether it is online or offline (as that was the case since I'm using dropbox).

I don't know if it is clear, I'm sorry this is a really abstract problem to describe !

[Jay]

What setting do you have on this page for Online-only files on Mac?

[Lageole]

Ok my page is in french but I supposed we are talking about this : 

"Online files on the Mac
In the Finder on the Mac, files stored online will display "zero bytes", making it easy to spot files that are taking up space on the hard disk."

If yes, I have it disabled !

Should I activate it ?

Thank you !

[Jay]

Yes, please could you activate it to see if this helps with the display.

[Lageole]

Ok I try to disabled it, waited like 5 minutes and then restart the application but it didn't change nothing.

Now I reactivated it to see it change something but I don't have trace of improvment so far !

[Lageole]

But what this option is describing is actually the core of my problem ! But even thought the option was disabled (so supposed to show the full size of the folder online), the feature was not working 😕

[Jay]

Could you try reinstalling the Dropbox desktop application, without uninstalling it first, by using this link?

[Lageole]

Ok I followed the link, download and install (even if it was saying that the app was already installed and the computer), and the app restarted. I still have the issue (I waited that the sync process was finished) 😕