Couln't download. Remove incompatible characters from the filename

[Dimples]

Recently all of my computer with Dropbox have started showing a sync error "Couln't download. Remove incompatible characters from the filename. e.g. emojis, /\"<>:|?*"

The problem filename isn't shown, the "Go to File" link just takes me to the root directory of my drive, and I obviously can't search for those bad characters.  How do I find this file to solve the sync issue?

[AlexSzatmary]

I'm having this same problem. I'm changing from an Intel Mac running macOS 12.6.3 to an Arm Mac running macOS 13.5. Dropbox synced the files to the new machine. I then pushed a button to change the storage location from home to CloudStorage, so the File Provider API is now being used. I had not noticed these sync issues earlier and the old Mac is not reporting any of these sync issues. I wonder if the issue is tied to the File Provider API.

Some sample "incompatible" filenames include,

• .mainrel.f.swp
• Schedule 2017-fall.graffle.sb-75449bd4-4pTIjt
• ratchet.py~

None of those should be "incompatible;" it's fine to end a filename with a ~ or have multiple .'s in a filename.

[Walter]

Hey @AlexSzatmary, sorry to hear about this.

I just wanted to mention that periods should not be used in file names as they could result in errors or they won't be synced at all. For more information, you can have a look here.

I hope this helps a tad. 

[AlexSzatmary]

Hi Walter, I mean that those are ordinarily legal filenames. I recognize that Dropbox does not currently handle them but I think it should. I routinely use filenames like confection2-decay_F-vary_gamma_E-r_L0.1phi_E1.00gamma_E1.00e-01.pdf and that particular file even does sync properly on Dropbox.

[Walter]

Thanks for your feedback on this @AlexSzatmary - let me know if you have anything else to add. 

[Arkadiy K.]

I am a developer, and one of the programs that I use requires me to have filenames like ".pve-ignore.ifcfg-eth0" (the program required me to add a ".pve-ignore." prefix to the files that should be ignored by the program).

Dropbox normally uploads and downloads these files from my computer, however, they are still showing up in "Sync issues".

What is the problem here?

[Walter]

Hey @Arkadiy K., thanks for joining the discussion here.

Those dots in the filenames must be the culprit here. You can have a look at this Help Center article for more information about naming your files in Dropbox. 

Hope this helps!

[nomadism]

I've basically given up on this issue as if feels like dropbox support doesn't seem to really understand the issue here. I - among others who have raised this issue - are fully aware of what dropbox recommends to put and not put in file names. I really wish dropbox could stop leading us to that same help article. 

What I want to know why dropbox says there are "sync errors" when there are not. Maybe initially there is an issue - hence the sync error message - but in the end, dropbox DOES upload those **bleep** files. So why is dropbox sending "false" sync errors messages, when eventually there isn't such an issue? 

[Mark]

@nomadism 

because there is a sync issue - it may not sync to other devices and/or stop syncing on those devices. There is a reason they are detected and its to stop data loss and corruption not just on your machine but any others connected to it including shares. 

[Arkadiy K.]

Hi !

I believe that the error message should be adjusted. Instead of “could not download” (which is incorrect, as the file did download to my computer), there should be a warning instead - “this file might not correctly sync to other devices, but is still stored in your Dropbox account”

[nomadism]

Um, no. Your comment, @Mark, indicates that this issue is not fully understood by many people here. 

The screen shot that we - people who are raising these issues - are very specific "sync errors" even though they are simply labelled as a broad "sync error." The error message says that dropbox could not download (or in my case, upload) the file(s), but in the end the files are uploaded / downloaded without errors. 

So the sync error isn't simply saying that there might be a problem, as your comments suggests. The error message specifies what the problem is, but in the end the stated "problem" doesn't occur and actually self-corrects. 

That's why I had given up even raising - Dropbox repeats the same answer without addressing what the real issue is.