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Forum Discussion
Dropbox is stuck syncing after an update, what can I do?
I have the "Dropbox Plus" subscription and I run the client on 4 computers.
Yesterday (Monday, 13-Jan-2020) I signed onto my desktop (which is always on) and has a full local sync of my dropbox...
I switched from Google Drive to Dropbox 16 months ago, because Google Drive maxed out my CPU, duplicated folders and files, took forever to scroll files, and more. The particulars are at https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Google-Drive-so-slow-for-downloading-and-uploading
Dropbox was a breath of fresh air. Low CPU use, fast uploads and downloads, fast indexing, fast scrolling through many files online. I was very happy to pay double the cost per terabyte at the time.
Now, I wonder if Dropbox is starting to move away from developing smaller-scale online backup like Google Drive did. If so, from a few decades' experience with software, the only solution I know of would be to move to a new company who wants new customers needing good backup solutions.
FOR Anyone witrh the NEW relase that is now STUCK syncing/restarting/limbo
OK what appears is the database DB uses to monitor your files was "updated" and the process requires a reindex. For reasons unknown thios doesnt seem to work anywhere near well enough.
Here was my solution to get around it.
1) UNLINK the PC, restart
2) rename the DROPBOX folder OLDBOX
3) LINK the PC, during signup, select to selectively sync NOTHING!
4) Once upto date (with no files present), change your settings to what they used to be, like save space settings etc, and apply
5) Once upto date (should be near instant), change the selective sync to what it used to be, and apply.
6) shutdown the DB app
7) move the content of the saved folder OLDBOX over top the the current dropbox content
8) start the DB app again
9) await it to sync/check/update (takes a while but is a **bleep** load faster now)
Its STEP 5 that I think helps, when you have cloud only files I expect you get all the reindex data sent to you from the dropbox servers as you dont have the files so cant reindex them. Then when you replace those with the original files and restart the app, it sees a real file and compares the content to the index data, and finds it the same so moves on. This appears alot quicker than reindexing the original files and then comparing it to the dropbox servers index data, its likely just a timing or bulk activity thing, that you get sent all the index data at once when you change the selective sync rather than fetching it yourself form the file then comparing that to the servers one file at a time.
I just got a server with 2+TB in 700k+ of files back up.
While it was processing a few files were updated rempotely and the syustem dealt with them as they appeared, likely on a sperate execution thread.
Hope this helps someone at least!
It helped me! Woohoo! @Server_Align you are the man! Thank you so much.
It is syncing now, will need a couple of days it seems, but I am unstuck!
For reference, I was stuck in "Syncing..." status for 13 days. No crashes, No CPU or Memory consumption, it was just sitting there "Syncing..."
Server_Align 's trick did the job. I do not see extended double files or anything, new files from the cloud are downloading and my "stuck" files are being uploaded, all seems fine.
Thanks again!
Ditto - who is that superhero behind the mask of Server_Align? Dropbox seems to be working better after doing the 9 steps exactly. Instead of 32,000 + files, it got stuck at only 918 files. I rebooted and we'll see if it finishes.
*** Update ***
Rats. Dropbox is still stuck syncing 918 files. These files are older and synced just fine before.
That solution works but only until you restart your PC. Well, another proof that the issue is not on our side, but Dropbox **bleep**ed up.
I'm starting to wonder if this is a memory adressing bug.
The DropBox app is listed as a 32 bit app on Windows 10 and I've noticed that while 'Starting...' or, if I'm lucky and get to 'Syncing...', the memory usage climbs up and up until it gets to the high 3GBs.
A 32 bit app can't address more than 4GB of memory as I undertand it so I'm curious if the crashing happens as the OS attempts to allocate more memory than the DB APP can actually handle.
Just my thoughts.
- Fiona
Dropbox Staff
Hello again everyone.
PatWard I located your case and it is no longer with Daphne, this is why you don't have a response. The case is escalated from what I see and I just added a note with feedback and raised the priority. You should have a response soon. Keep me posted.
Server_Align Thank you for your participation.
AngstromZA I believe this article will help you understand more about this issue you are reporting: Why is the Dropbox desktop app using so much memory or CPU on my computer?
Any progress on endless syncing, high CPU & disc usage? Not even Fix hardlinks is working now. Are you still gonna blame your paying users or finally admit that the latest two versions are buggy? Why there is not option to block auto update so we can install older version and have a working Dropbox?
Just wanted to send you thanks. You're sollution worked great. All back up and running.
Thanks for being a polite presense and trying to help. I appreciate this isn't always a happy place given why we come here.
Pat
An update from my side: Progress has been made with @Server_Align @AlignAdmin solution, but the problem is not solved yet, from just seeing "Syncing..." with no other info, I am now in a state that I am seemingly syncing, but very slowly (if at all, I can not tell, the number of pending files to be "downloaded" and "indexed" remain very high as you can see on the screenshot attached).
Any ideas on how to go back to normal syncing speeds? (or unstuck, not sure if I am syncing at all)
@S34WOLF - I was in the same boat as you and documented the solution (for me) on page 12 of this thread: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Files-folders/Dropbox-is-stuck-syncing-after-an-update-what-can-I-do/m-p/392419/highlight/true#M142599
Hello @
I am about to try out your solution, but am hesitant and perhaps being overly cautious. I wanted to get some clarifications before I proceed.
I have done steps 1 & 2. I have even backed up everything in my Dropbox (Personal) to an external drive.
For steps 3: when I re-link the PC, I selectively sync nothing (meaning all files will be downloaded and local to my PC).
But doesn't this mean that for step 4, many files will (at least start to) be downloaded and present on the local machine?
Then for step 5, I am confused by the "Once upto date (with no files present), change your settings to what they used to be, like save space settings etc, and apply"
Do you mean to interrupt the downloading that will start in step 4 with step 5 by starting a selective sync? I don't understand how the sync will be "near instant" if files are downloading.
I understand the rest of the steps.
Some background: I have two PCs that I want to keep in sync in two different locations. I use Boxifier on both PCs to sync "in place" although only using the full Boxifier "in place" file system links on one of my PCs. This is the one that DB is not working correctly.
One of my PCs DB works just fine even with the update. Interestingly, it is the PC I am NOT using Boxifier to modify the "in place" file directory.
Again, I am perhaps being overly cautious. I really have no problem re-downloading all the files present in my Dropbox (Personal) account.
Thank you!
Ronald
