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Forum Discussion

One by Design's avatar
One by Design
Explorer | Level 4
3 months ago

Undo the change of online-only files. It keeps syncing.

In my desperation to save storage space, I thought I could select every folder and re-activate the one or two that I need. I didn't realize that putting all my files as online only would take at least 2 days. Is there a way to interrupt this process so that I can start working again?

 

  • JohnnyDogman's avatar
    JohnnyDogman
    Collaborator | Level 8

    You can stop the syncing process and regain access to your files. Here’s what you can do:

    1. Pause Dropbox Sync:

      • Click on the Dropbox icon in your system tray or menu bar.
      • Click on your profile picture or initials, then select Pause syncing. This will stop all syncing temporarily.
    2. Selective Sync:

      • Go to Dropbox Preferences > Sync > Selective Sync.
      • Choose only the folders you need to sync locally, unchecking all others. This will prevent unnecessary files from downloading.
    3. Revert Files to Local:

      • For the folders you need to work on immediately, right-click on them and choose Smart Sync > Local. This will prioritize the download of those specific files.
    4. Resume Syncing:

      • Once you’ve set the preferences for only the folders you need, resume syncing by clicking Resume syncing in Dropbox.

    This should help you stop the massive syncing and allow you to get back to work more quickly.

  • Megan's avatar
    Megan
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

    Hey One by Design, let's jump right into this! 

     

    You can only pause the syncing process for a specific period of time.

     

    How long has the app been syncing for? Another thing that you can try to do is progressively change each individual folder back to "available offline" once it has fully synced. 

     

    Would you mind clarifying your app's syncing status at the moment? 

     

    Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there!

    • One by Design's avatar
      One by Design
      Explorer | Level 4
      Hi, Megan…

      I decided to play it through and let all the files sync. It finally got down to at least 10 out of roughly 10,000 files after two days. Now the app on my desktop version is not working and has been causing memory issues on my Mac.

      I have nearly all of my files as online-only but it seems to still be causing storage and app issues. Please advise.

      Thank you
      • Walter's avatar
        Walter
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

        If this persists after rebooting your computer and/or after quitting and relaunching the app, could you send us a screenshot of the app's exact status and version as shown in your menu bar One by Design?

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