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Forum Discussion

Patricia V.2's avatar
Patricia V.2
Explorer | Level 3
10 months ago

Storage space on my device hasn't changed even after using selective sync & online-only.

Hi. I have 1.9TB left of my DB quota. My computer is out of space (240 out of 245 Gb used) due to the DB folder. I used BOTH selective sync AND online-only to storage my files in the cloud. ...
Desktop
Storage space
Jay's avatar
Jay
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

Selective sync physically removes folders from your computer, and prevents you from viewing them at all through Finder. To see those folders, you'll need to access them via the Dropbox site, or check them in the selective sync settings.

 

Marking folders as online-only allows you to see them on your computer, but the files don't take up any quota. This is the ideal solution.

 

Are you certain that you've marked the Documents folder as online-only?

Patricia V.2's avatar
Patricia V.2
Explorer | Level 3
10 months ago

OK. Could you help me to verify which folders are marked online only?

Also, could you help me restore to my Finder the selective sync files I want to keep there? 

  • Patricia V.2's avatar
    Patricia V.2
    Explorer | Level 3
    10 months ago

    Follow up to my previous message: That is, if online only will help me recover HD space. 

  • Jay's avatar
    Jay
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    10 months ago

    You can check which folders are online-only by the sync icon next to the folders. If there is a cloud icon there, then the files in that folder wouldn't take up any space and free up hard disk space.

     

    The selective sync settings can be accessed from here.

  • Patricia V.2's avatar
    Patricia V.2
    Explorer | Level 3
    10 months ago

    Hi. Like I mentioned earlier, all my DB folders disappeared from the Finder. Where do I have to look for the cloud or the green circle with the with white checkmark. 

  • Hannah's avatar
    Hannah
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    10 months ago

    Hi again, Patricia.

     

    The thing is that if you unsynced folders with selective sync, the app would have physically removed them from Finder, thus freeing up the space they were taking up.

     

    To confirm, if you go through the selective sync settings, do the folders appear as checked or unchecked?

     

    If they're unchecked, they're removed completely from Finder.

     

    Do you currently have any folders in your Dropbox folder? If you right click on those and choose "get info", what is the size they're taking up on your hard drive?

  • Patricia V.2's avatar
    Patricia V.2
    Explorer | Level 3
    10 months ago

    Please, find attached a screenshot of my DB folders in Finder and another one of my computer storage. The "documents folder" seems to take up most of my HD space. 

  • Hannah's avatar
    Hannah
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    10 months ago

    Thanks for the screenshots, Patricia.

     

    If you right-click the Dropbox folder itself and choose the "make online-only" option, do you see any change to your used hard drive space?

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