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Forum Discussion
"Smart" sync keeps downloading Online Only Files
I am growing increasingly frustrated with this so called "smart sync" feature Dropbox has recently introduced (or rather forced upon me).
I have a number of files I've brought over to Dropbox using...
same issues on my side. clean install of a windows 11. no antivirus.
Megan
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHi cannadi, I hope you're doing well!
Based on the fact that you posted here, I'm guessing that you have some issue with your Online Only files becoming local again, out of the blue, am I right?
Could you clarify the version of the app that you're using on your end? You can find this by locating your Dropbox icon on your task bar, next to your WiFi and hovering your mouse there.
Keep in mind that many processes on your machine look at files that you may have not manually opened and in order to fulfill these requests from these processes Dropbox syncs the files. Examples of this include:
- Backup services
- Antivirus
- Recently used file lists in individual apps
- Third party applications that monitor files in general
- Navigating to a folder while within an app (such as an 'Open' dialog)
Please note that if there are applications that constantly or persistently look at your files, your files may come back following the behavior described above if you didn't recall them manually.
If this is the case, I'd suggest you to test by temporarily quitting or disabling applications systematically until you see that the issue is resolved. The last application that you closed when the issue no longer occurred may be the one performing this action.
Keep me posted on the results!
the version no. is 169.4.5684
it literally started downloading the files again the second i marked it online only
and no, i do not have antivirus installed
it is a freaking CLEAN INSTALL of windows 11
I do not have programs to close
- Walter
Hey cannadi, thanks for the additional information.
Would it be OK if we reached out via email to have a further look internally at this point?
Same thing here as well. I use Dropbox quite some time, and even after fresh install where you mention 'cloud only' (recommended), it starts to sync 60000 files ! I even paid extra 1Tb, so in total 3Tb storage, so it gets scary to install even Dropbox. I installed the dropbox service on 3 computers. I though if you flag on one computer as local, that the other two will do it also, regardless of telling online-only, but I am not sure. The only viable reason I can think of is that Dropbox inc. is not very happy to have all files online only, because of network traffic overload on their servers. If everyone cloud only watch movies, or even use dropbox for SQL-servers or so, it will kill overall network traffic on their servers. Some mention that Onedrive is better, but I also experienced local download of files. I want to see Dropbox for nothing more than a online harddisk with advantages (history restore and such). Lately I discovered shadow drive. A service can be combined with Shadow PC online gaming. For now Dropbx seems not want to resolve the issue.
