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Forum Discussion
Mac -> New files with cloud icon. How to set-it up to sync files available offline?
Hello...
Is it possible to set Dropbox to sync all files directly? For some time now, I've been getting a cloud icon next to a file I put in Dropbox on another device. I always have to open the...
Hi Grifo98, as my colleague mentioned, if you're running the new version of the Dropbox app for Mac OS, then theses changes are expected, and files will default to online-only.
Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHey Grifo98, which version of macOS are you running and which Dropbox app version?
If you've updated to the new Dropbox for macOS version, this is expected behavior.
Files added to your Dropbox account from another device or that are shared by another user will default to online-only.
You can see more about the expected changes here.
JayDropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHi Grifo98, as my colleague mentioned, if you're running the new version of the Dropbox app for Mac OS, then theses changes are expected, and files will default to online-only.
Hi,
What version of dropbox would I have to use to have it so the default setting is not online only? I am setting up dropbox on a new Mac laptop and I have too many files to download individually at this point.thank you,
Srikanth
- Hannah
Hey sk27, you can't really install a previous version of the Dropbox app to your new Mac and even if you could, it will automatically get updated to the newest version eventually.
But you don't have to make the files available offline individually, you can do this to your entire Dropbox folder, by right-clicking it and choosing "make available offline".
First of all, the default to online access and not local copies of my Dropbox MacBook Air folder content is unhelpful and unwanted, It doe not permit me to have offline access to the files without manually copying them to a local folder on my MacBook. This is a retrograde move in your service and not something I wanted at all. Now I have found the right-click set to offline access function I have at least regained the functionality I had prior to your software upgrade - or downgrade as far as I am concerned,
Secondly, you should have provided a simple way to resume the prior default action of making all files and folders available offline without me having to search through a community help forum, find this post, and then manually set all my flies and folders to default to offline access. Shame on you for this poor approach to customer service, customer experience and facilities. As a paying customer I am disappointed. You have caused me inconvenience and extra work.
Thanks for being clear about this. However I think this is a really poor, and slightly high handed, decision. I want, and always wanted, all my dropbox files alway on all the connected machines. I am trying to archive my dropbox folder and it is taking many hours to recover files that I thought and intended to be on my hard drive.
I have tried your suggestion that I mark the whole folder as offline, I assume the archive process will force a full download of all my missing files.
Please do not make a change like this again! I do not want to find I need hours to download files I need now because dropbox has, without my agreement, removed them from my hard drive.
1. Agreed this is TERRIBLE service by DROPBOX. If DROPBOX cannot be reset to automatically synchronise all files to be available offline on both synced computers then it will no longer we worth paying for - for many users including me.
2. The statement that this can eb resolved (on Mac) by right-clicking on the folder or the sub-folder or the file and selecting 'available offline' is incorrect. This works for some files but not others (uploaded by other people). The only way to make these files marked with a cloud available offline is by clicking on the cloud for each file individually, which then causes it to download and be available offline.
Again, this automatic compulsory downgrade to DROPBOX makes it useless and not worth paying for for some users, including me. Will DROPBOX fix this?
Bizarrely, i've found by chance (since there is no useful help in the incorrect online information about this) that by clicking on the cloud symbol for each folder (in my case, for each of the 8 main folders i have in Dropbox) then this causes Dropbox to download and make available offline all the files in those folders and their sub-folders. This is a useful temporary fix in advance to allow working with DROPBOX files when you know that you will not have internet access. However, it is taking hours and should not be necessary - setting a folder in DROPBOX to be available offline should achieve just that, without having to then also click on symbols for each folder. DROPBOX is not a useful product if it cannot be relied upon to make files available offline.
Will DROPBOX fix this?
