You might see that the Dropbox Community team have been busy working on some major updates to the Community itself! So, here is some info on what’s changed, what’s staying the same and what you can expect from the Dropbox Community overall.

Forum Discussion

ljh34481's avatar
ljh34481
Explorer | Level 4
7 years ago

link and/or shared folder showing up empty to viewer

Suddenly, shared folders and/or links are showing up empty to the viewer but content is there when I click on the folder. What am I doing wrong? Thanks
Restore
Share
Shared Folders
Shared Links
View
  • Lusil's avatar
    Lusil
    7 years ago
    Hey, Larry, thanks for getting back to me on this and for the detailed description.
     
    Syncing your files can take time if you have many files/large files. Even though the files have been placed into the Dropbox folder, it doesn't mean the syncing has completed to the website and to other connected devices. 
     
    This would also explain why the other user isn’t able to see any files in the shared folder, since they haven’t synced. 
     
    ljh34481 wrote:

     Hovering over the icon =uploading 51,098 files, 24 days left. 

    This is an "instant" estimate based on the current upload speed. Normally, Dropbox doesn't use all of your bandwidth. However, you can change that by manually setting the upload/download speed. 
     
    ljh34481 wrote:

    How can I stop that and how do I sync to the website? 

    Please remember to stay logged into your computer, keep your computer turned on and connected to the Internet. The app syncs your files in the background. 
     
    You can pause the upload, but if the files you want to share are included in the upload, then you need to let it complete. 
     
    You can see the status of any file/folder in your Dropbox, by the syncing icons that appear on them. You can find more info about this here. 
     
    I hope this helped, let me know if there’s anything else I can help with. Cheers! :grinning:
Lusil's avatar
Lusil
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
7 years ago
Hi there, ljh34481!
 
Initially, could you please clarify if this is a shared link or a shared folder? 
 
Also, could you please ensure that your files are synced on your account? Are you able to view them via the website? 
 
If you uploaded the files via the desktop app, could you please hover over the Dropbox icon and let me know what it reads?
 
Thanks in advance! :grin:
  • ljh34481's avatar
    ljh34481
    Explorer | Level 4
    7 years ago

     

    Lusil,
    Thanks for the response
     
    It first occurred on a shared folder that had been working well previously.  But then the same thing occurred with a link.
     
    Hovering over the icon =uploading 51,098 files, 24 days left.  I have no idea what this might be
     
    It does not appear these files are synced – I guess I am just seeing them on the desktop?
     
    Sorta weird in one case – the folder contains about 11 images but only 1 showed up using a link to that folder.
     
    This all came as a surprise to me since it has been working fine for years.
     
    I am guessing the big upload is causing the problem?  How can I stop that and how do I sync to the website?
     
    Thanks
     
    Larry
    • Lusil's avatar
      Lusil
      Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
      7 years ago
      Hey, Larry, thanks for getting back to me on this and for the detailed description.
       
      Syncing your files can take time if you have many files/large files. Even though the files have been placed into the Dropbox folder, it doesn't mean the syncing has completed to the website and to other connected devices. 
       
      This would also explain why the other user isn’t able to see any files in the shared folder, since they haven’t synced. 
       
      ljh34481 wrote:

       Hovering over the icon =uploading 51,098 files, 24 days left. 

      This is an "instant" estimate based on the current upload speed. Normally, Dropbox doesn't use all of your bandwidth. However, you can change that by manually setting the upload/download speed. 
       
      ljh34481 wrote:

      How can I stop that and how do I sync to the website? 

      Please remember to stay logged into your computer, keep your computer turned on and connected to the Internet. The app syncs your files in the background. 
       
      You can pause the upload, but if the files you want to share are included in the upload, then you need to let it complete. 
       
      You can see the status of any file/folder in your Dropbox, by the syncing icons that appear on them. You can find more info about this here. 
       
      I hope this helped, let me know if there’s anything else I can help with. Cheers! :grinning:
      • ljh34481's avatar
        ljh34481
        Explorer | Level 4
        7 years ago

        Thank you.

        You helped me discover my naiveity - in the past, I moved files to Dropbox and they immediately synced so DUH, when I moved them to the desktop app I thought I was moving them to the "cloud" since they were small and synced quickly. 

        I was trying to move some large photo files to DB and DUH, thought it was all done and synced when I saw them in the desktop folder.  So, the problem is the queue and my stupidity.  You helped on both counts.  :<)

About View, download, and export

Need support with viewing, downloading, and exporting files and folders from your Dropbox account? Find help from the Dropbox Community.

Need more support

If you need more help you can view your support options (expected response time for an email or ticket is 24 hours), or contact us on X or Facebook.

For more info on available support options for your Dropbox plan, see this article.

If you found the answer to your question in this Community thread, please 'like' the post to say thanks and to let us know it was useful!