How can I completely disable Smart Sync?

[Whatever2018]

How can I completely, 100%, disable Smart Sync so that Dropbox will always download all of my files?

The settings I have found all apply to NEW files and seem to have no impact on old files.

What I would like is to set my Dropbox to behave as if Smart Sync does not exist or has ever existed.

[JB M.2]

OK - this is great - BUT WHEN WILL ALL THESE Smart-sync files start downloading back as "LOCAL".

I made the change and don't see thousands of potiential files comming down.

Guess it makes too much for DB to have allowed each user to decide if they wanted the "feature" As you said I didn't want it either - I control it with Selective sync myself!

[JB M.2]

 this change OK now after I made this change - 3 of my 4 PCs now are  "Waiting to be linked to an account"

All worked fine before I made the "turn off smart sync"!!!!!!!!!

Any help out there - wish there was aphone number for us PRO members! 

[Daphne]

Hey @JB M.2,

If you haven't already, can you restart your computers to refresh the app and your File Explorer to see if that resolves the issue with the message you see there.

If not, are you able to see the option to "Sign in" when you click on the Dropbox icon in your system tray? If you still see the "Waiting to be linked to an account" message on your desktop app, can you check your Security page here and let me know if the computers are still showing as linked.

Let me know what you find - Thanks!

[JB M.2]

Thank you Yes I booted and entered my sigin & psw - now thousands of files are indexing & uploading - not sure WHY there are so many uploading - expected thousands would be downloading. Going to gice it a couple of days and then do the signin on the 3rd PC and see what happens.

Enhancement - just more work & frustration for users.

Could have been bypassed with just some communication with users asking if we wanted this option! I do a lot of work ooff-line so I need the local copies that I CONTROLLED.

TOO BAD THEY THINK THEY KNOW MORE THAN A USER,

[Daphne]

Hey @JB M.2,

I'm glad to hear that it's sorted out for you now!

If you have any other questions about this then please feel free to drop us a message here. 

Cheers!

[Max M.18]

Yay! Finally! Was struggling with this problem for a while!
Weirdly both Google Drive and Dropbox started to rotten - the developers make stupid choices and the formerly solid product becomes a joke. I guess the original developers from MIT are long gone and the decisions are made by sales people. 

[cmcfau]

Thanks Ashley! I found this in the settings and if you click on the info icon next to it, it does tell you that this is what it does.

But you're right, its extremely weird that A. it's so  hard to find / unintuitive and B. the Dropbox moderators either don't know or won't reveal this simple answer to that exact question from so many users.

You know, I get that tech companies sometimes find that features which used to be their core value proposition turn out, years later after massive growth, to be expensive &/or a pain point for them to manage.

But what I can't stand is when they try to game their loyal customers by deceiving us and pretending they're doing it "because we want to improve your experience". Try treating us with honesty and openess instead of elitist contempt. Who knows, you might be suprised.

[Baboo85]

The problem  is not really solved.

Dropbox was always easy to use, fast and reliable. Recently became a shame and its price rised up too.

Why with OneDrive you can ACTUALLY DISABLE the "smart sync" on the client so it can function like the "old" OneDrive without the option on (no option in the right click menu, no problem at all, all the files you already set to syncing are really full downloaded), but Dropbox even if you turn it off and set the new files to "local" it won't change anything, the option with the right click persist and it mess up randomly with the "local" / "cloud only"? In particular there are some files that it just won't set to local. You click on it and it ignore the command.

If I add the fact that you raised the price and the space forcing users to have it and not adding another separate plan option, I'm wondering why I still have to be a paying customer...

To have problems? I'm already paying other cloud services to have those same problems already resolved months ago...

[Daphne]

Hey there @Baboo85,

From what I understand, you're having some trouble with setting files in your Dropbox folder to be local, right? 

So if you've changed the setting within the app preferences to sync new files as local, this will only apply to new files that sync to your account. As you mentioned, any files that are currently "online only" within the Dropbox folder will need to be changed by selecting them, right clicking and choosing "Smart sync - local" from the menu.

Is this the action that you're referring to that seems to be "ignored"? 

Let me know and I'll be more than happy to help troubleshoot with you - thanks!

[Max M.18]

A solution worked - to right-click on the top folder, smart sync - local.