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Forum Discussion

Taylor B.7's avatar
Taylor B.7
Explorer | Level 4
7 years ago

Smart sync just started downloading everything to local

I have a folder with 8,000 large files. While I was working (but nowhere near the folder nor the files contained therein) I suddenly started getting notifications of "Smart Sync Download" and that al...
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  • Norah's avatar
    Norah
    7 years ago

     

    Hey Taylor B, thanks for taking the time to write back in!
     
    In cases where you see files downloaded from Dropbox to your computer that were previously online-only,  and you didn’t open or change the files, this could be caused by another application. Some applications need to look at your files to work, and that makes Dropbox download the files.
     
     
    Let me know if this helps or if you have any further questions!
Taylor B.7's avatar
Taylor B.7
Explorer | Level 4

You say "the reasons on why you were experiencing this issue could be many" - just curious as to what some of those reasons might be?

Norah's avatar
Norah
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
7 years ago

 

Hey Taylor B, thanks for taking the time to write back in!
 
In cases where you see files downloaded from Dropbox to your computer that were previously online-only,  and you didn’t open or change the files, this could be caused by another application. Some applications need to look at your files to work, and that makes Dropbox download the files.
 
 
Let me know if this helps or if you have any further questions!
  • sally_p's avatar
    sally_p
    Explorer | Level 4
    7 years ago

    Thanks, Norah, glad to read your response, as I am experiencing this same issue, constantly. Although I had already researched this issue and read the support article (so please don't offer it as a solution), I'm pleased to be connected to someone who may know more than what the article states, and be able to offer some valuable suggestions/fixes.

     

    When saving a new file to an "Online Only" folder, every file in that folder starts downloading, and the alert says they are also trying to open. I can understand that if I opened an InDesign file that was searching for its placed images, and they all downloaded. That makes sense and is an expected behaviour. But, just saving a new file to an "Online Only" folder should not cause Dropbox to download everything else in the folder, and try to open those files.

     

    So this seems like a DB glitch to me, not a native application causing the behaviour. 

     

    Please let us know how to resolve this issue.

     

    Cheers!

     

    P.S. Are you a DB employee or a helpful sort generously offering your time and knowledge? (Not that DB employees aren't helpful sorts as well.) Either way... many thanks.

    • Sanchez's avatar
      Sanchez
      Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
      7 years ago
      Hey sally_p, welcome to our community! 

      If you’re running a fully updated and stable operating system, the latest stable version of our app (47.4.74), you’re sure that there isn’t another app accessing these files, and that you don’t have any referenced files/folders in your Dropbox (shortcuts to content that actually resides outside of the Dropbox folder), then I would like to put you in touch with our support team for investigation of this issue. 

      You can either write in here, or I can initiate a ticket for you, using the email address associated with your forum profile. Let me know! 

      By the way, Norah and I are Dropbox employees :wink:
       
      Cheers

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