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Forum Discussion
High CPU usage even when not syncing or indexing
For the past couple of days, Dropbox has been consistently using around 30% of my CPU, when not syncing or indexing anything (i.e., the menu bar drop down says `Up to date`). Any idea why this might be happening, and what I can do to get Dropbox to idle properly?
I'm on a MacBook Air, running macOS 10.13.6 and Dropbox 58.4.92.
Thanks.
I found that exiting dropbox and ending the dropbox processes solved my problem.
It appears that all the addons and unwanted upgrades have ended the functionallity of my simple needs, like I really needed the 3TB of online storage for my paid subscription.
Luckly there are alternatives.
The worst support I have ever seen! I'll just follow the same advice to turn off Dropbox.
- Fiona
Dropbox Staff
Thanks for joining Community to share your feedback gyltefors.
Sorry to hear that you are dissatisfied. Do you need me to help you with anything? I am not sure what your problem is, but if I get a brief description I will do my best.
Even if you have decided to leave us and you don't need a fix for the issues you are facing, I would be glad to look into any support Communication you have with us. Please provide me with your ticket numbers.
Reviewing the cases you give us feedback for, helps us get better. Thank you.
Thank you!
- Jay
Yea he has symlinks. Symlinks are a standard part of the mac and saying "most likely you have symlinks" is not a reasonable answer. Ok, "most likely he has files" would be just as unreasonable. Traverse the symlinks or leave the application alone.
I don't think the symlinks have anything to do with the issue.
I agree with pikatchum, it seems like a Swiss knife reply to any quesiton about CPU.
Dropbox on my PC uses 20-30% of CPU when it is NOT syncing anything. Just "Up To Date".
And the PC does NOT have symlinks in Dropbox folder.The method described in https://www.dropbox.com/help/desktop-web/high-cpu-usage returns NEITHER <SYMLINK> NOR <SYMLINKD>.
(Strangely enough, it returns some files from the Dropbox itself: C:\Users\MyName\Dropbox\.dropbox.cache\qebcobkqbgpbzfynfuwbof)
The files look like this:
8.10.2019 03:16 (1 024) placeholder.vsdx
08.10.2019 03:16 (1 024) placeholder.wav
08.10.2019 03:16 (1 024) placeholder.wmv
08.10.2019 03:16 (1 024) placeholder.xls
08.10.2019 03:16 (1 024) placeholder.xlsb
Let me reiterate:
Nothing to sync.
No symlinks.
CPU 20-30%- Fiona
Hi Wrangler!
Symlinks are not supported, as already mentioned, they do create syncing difficulties and high CPU usage: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Files-folders/Syncing-when-using-symbolic-links/td-p/312221
Please read more here about the place holders you see in your Dropbox at the time:
https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/symlinks
I hope this is helpful. Feel free to ask questions!
Thanks, Jay. I do have symlinks in my Dropbox folder, but they've been there for years, and this problem only started yesterday. They're there because they link to files that can only be synced by a different service (OmniPresence), so it's the only way of keeping all my project files organised and 'together' on Dropbox.
Still, if that's what's really causing the CPU usage to spike, I'll have to work out some other solution.
'you have symlinks' is dropbox's way to tell you 'our app sucks, so we give you a canned answer'
The symlink issue could be solved in a minute with 3 lines of code by simply NOT FOLLOWING them, a child can understand this, and yet they won't do that.. why? because then they have no excuse for all the problems their app creates.
Recently, I complained about the app replacing a file I was working on with a copy of that file they had online, somewhere, which was 3 weeks older!!! They put my good file on the side and renamed it 'conflicted etc' and proudly replaced it with the old file. Without any warning! When I complained about that, guess what was the answer? "It's the symlinks"... it's their swiss army knife for all problems.
It's simply impossible to work without symlinks or remove them: there are inside applications, inside my python development environment, even inside their own .dropbox.cache. And yet they dare to ask you to remove them all.
When I used automator to search for those conflicted files, I found out in horror there were 150 of them... They do this behind your back with zero warning. I had to painstakingly go through them one by one and fix it.
Hi, in the last few weeks on Windows I notice Dropbox on a daily basis will pin a CPU core to 100% for around 5 minutes. No new files added, no syncing taking place. Also uses in excess of 400MB of RAM. Why is this software so resource intensive?
- Walter
Hi there megawhite, sorry to hear you're having issues with this.
Can you clarify the app's version as shown in your system tray and send us a screenshot of where you're spotting the RAM usage?
If you could also let us know the exact OS version of your computer, I'd appreciate it.
Keep us posted!
175.4.5569
Windows 8.1
Dropbox folder contains 19,681 files, 2,545 folders
