Files and folders not syncing across and within devices

[bolehill]

I am using Dropbox basic (only 5.2% of space used) on version 53.4.67.

I have it installed for two users on the same desktop PC and also on an iPad.  I have had to change the PC recently, so I have re-installed DB on this new PC.  On my main account, I have unlinked the old PC (which no longer exists).  As both users on the PC and on the iPad, I sign in to DB with e-mail address and password.

None of the changes I have made to files in my Dropbox folder in the last 24 hours are syncing across to other users - not even between the two users on the same Windows 10 PC.

I know this becasuse, in the last 2 hours, I have, on the principal user device:

deleted one file - not been deleted on the other two devices;

added a new sub folder - not been added to the other two devices;

added a new file with a name different to any other file in the DB folder - not been added to the other two devices.

I use DB mainly to make changes to music related files, share them with the iPad, and then access them offline in remote locations.  I need to do this again within a week, so if this is not solved by then, I am stuffed.

Why is there no opportunity to do a 'manual' sync, or force a sync?

Given that DB is about sharing the latest same version of files between devices and it is not actually doing this, then it is currently totally useless as far as I am concerned.

Help!!!

[fogenna]

Hey,
There is a way how to turn on selective sync
To turn on selective sync:

Click the Dropbox icon from the system tray or menu bar.
Click the gear icon, and then select Preferences… from the menu.
Click Sync.
Click Selective Sync… (Linux and Windows) or click Change settings… (Mac).
A window will appear with a list of all the main folders in your Dropbox folder:
The folders with a check next to them are synced to your computer.
Uncheck any folders that you don't need to sync to your computer's hard drive.
Folders you uncheck will be removed from your hard drive, but will still be available on dropbox.com and on any other computers linked to your Dropbox account.
When you're done, select OK.

[Jay]

Hi there, is the Dropbox desktop application showing any error messages when you open it from the system tray?

Are there any green icons on the files in your Dropbox folder on either computer?

Any info you can find out would be great!

[bolehill]

I don't want to turn on slective sync, I wnat everything to sync.

I have previously looked at this anyway, and there's another part of the problem - not all the sub-folders from the Dropbox folder on my main PC are showing on that list.  Does that mean that not all my folders have even been uploaded to my DB storage space in the cloud?

[bolehill]

Hi Jay, thanks for responding.

Nope nothing like that.

The only item I have in the notification section (when I open the task bar icon) is that DB is updating the DB icon so now when everything is OK and synced, I'll now see a DB icon without any check mark  And there are no check marks showing.

And if I open the main dropbox folder on my PC, no, there are no green marks.

I have not received any error messages - it just isn't syncing.

And one other thing.  If I open the icon from the task bar via a right click, select Preferences and go to the Sync tab, the list of folders available for selective syncing is incomplete, it is not the same as the list of subfolders in the DB folder on my PC.

This suggests to me that it MAY be that changes made on the PC are not getting uploaded to my main DB space in the cloud, and hence not syncing from there.

Possible source of the problem?

Cheers

[Jay · Accepted solution]

The Dropbox icon in the system tray doesn’t have the green tick any more, so as long as it’s white, it’s considered ‘fully synced’.

The lack of green ticks on your Dropbox folder however is concerning. It could be to do with the 15 icon overlay limit in Windows, or it could mean that the app isn’t running correctly somehow.

Since the folders from one PC are not appearing on the Dropbox site, it means that it simply isn’t uploading any changes. Reinstalling the Dropbox software should fix this, and by following this link you can get the latest version.

One last thing to check out is what email is signed in on both accounts:

• On your computers, click on the small Dropbox icon in your menu bar or system tray. Click on the gear in the Notifications panel. Click on Preferences, then click on Account.
• On iOS, open your Dropbox app and tap on "Settings". 
• On the Dropbox website, click on your name in the top right corner.

If the emails are different, this would be the reason why changes aren’t syncing, since they’re different accounts.

Keep me posted!

[bolehill]

Hi again Jay and thanks for this next response!!

It's not the icon overlay thing - I have checked the Windows Registry and Dropbox icons are the first 10 in the list.

I am certain I am logging in with the same e-mail address, as I only have one DB account.  By the way, when I open dropbox.com, I don't get my name in the top right corner, so I cannot check it there (I have opened dropbox.com from the task bar icon, right click and clicked on the 'world' symbol which says open dropbox.com).

So I am about to uninstall and reinstall DB on my main PC/user account and hope for the best.  I will keep you posted.

Cheers!

[Jay]

Sorry, old habits die hard, try clicking the face icon (or your custom avatar) on the top right of the screen to see the account you’re logged into on the site.

[bolehill]

Thanks Jay - yep that's fine as well (the main DB account uses the same e-mail address, and I checked all the device log-ins as well).

OK, looks like I had a not-properly-installed-version of DB running on my PC.

I un-installed that then reinstalled using the link you gave me earlier - and now all seems to be running fine, thank goodness.

Thanks for your help.

Still baffled why/how it got corrupted or whatever, given that I only downlaoded and insatalled it about 3 days ago in the first place.

Still, I guess all's well that ends well!!

Cheers and thanks again for your help.

[Jay]

Oh happy day!

Have a great week!