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Forum Discussion
Where is the gear icon on my Dropbox desktop app?
Anyone know where to find the gear icon on Dropbox?
I have Windows 10 and finally, finally found the gear icon and preferences. I agree that finding this should have been easier -- it should appear when one clicks the DropBox icon on one's desktop. But it doesn't. I created a very quick and dirty set of 4 screenshots that shows, in a very simple way (which is how I can understand these things) how I got to it. It starts with (1) the "show hidden icons" button that looks like an up arrow, on the lower right-hand corner of my screen (the area known as the "systems tray" - then (2) I clicked the DropBox icon (has a little check-mark on it) - then (3), a little box opens (labeled, "up to date" and lists "recently changed") and, lo and behold, the blasted gear icon appears in the upper right corner of it, so (4) I clicked that and got a dropdown menu that included "preferences." My very amateur set of screenshots is here:
I have Windows 10 and finally, finally found the gear icon and preferences. I agree that finding this should have been easier -- it should appear when one clicks the DropBox icon on one's desktop. But it doesn't. I created a very quick and dirty set of 4 screenshots that shows, in a very simple way (which is how I can understand these things) how I got to it. It starts with (1) the "show hidden icons" button that looks like an up arrow, on the lower right-hand corner of my screen (the area known as the "systems tray" - then (2) I clicked the DropBox icon (has a little check-mark on it) - then (3), a little box opens (labeled, "up to date" and lists "recently changed") and, lo and behold, the blasted gear icon appears in the upper right corner of it, so (4) I clicked that and got a dropdown menu that included "preferences." My very amateur set of screenshots is here:
thank you so much for this valuable information, i was like where the hell is this gear wheel, it's just not user friendly, screen shots worked a treat
Thanks for unraveling the mystery. I needed to move the files to another drive and couldn’t do it until I read your post.
Dang brilliant Alicia E. !!! How did you ever find that blasted little "gear"? Good job!
Thanks,
Ward Overall
- Mark
Super User II
The system tray is where your clock is on your computer.
It is usually bottom right on a Windows machine and top right on Mac's.
Ignore the website - its nothing to do with that
Thanks so much!!!! I was going nuts trying to figure it out.
Hi
I have just installed Windows 10 on a Microsoft Surface. I want to do selective sync and can't find the gear icon in my Dropbox anymore. If I click on the dropbox icon it just says which are the recently changed files and "Up to Date" but no gear icon and henc no selective sync option...help !
- Rich
It's part of the Dropbox client you install on your computer. Click the Dropbox icon in the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac) and the gear will be in the upper-right corner of the window that opens.
Ok, sorry I feel daft but what is systems tray. I have tried getting dropbox from browser and from 'pictures' I still don't see any gear icon. Much appreciate your patience with me.
I finally found this. Hopefully will help you to Claudia. It looks like on a Mac there are two dropbox icons (one in the Finder - this is the one I have been repeatedly trying but the drop down menu doesn't show the gear/cog icon; the other one - the one you need - is on the bar running across the very top of your screen. The dropbox icon sits there next to any other startup app icons. Click on this one, and you will find a menu with the gear icon).
This really is appalling. Dropbox and all these technology companies are owned by billionaires and employ top people. I simply cannot find the "gear icon". Why can the Dropbox info not make this idiot proof? It simply says click the "geat icon". I have Windows 10 and have clicked on every single thing that can be clicked on, accessing every single route into dropbox (from desktop to task bar to search menu etc).
I am reasonably computer literate compared to my parents or many other people, yet I cannot provide this because dropbox have made it so hard. Unforgivable when top companies do this.
- Robert S.
Super User alumni
It really isn't that difficult to find: system tray > Dropbox client icon > gear icon
See also: https://help.dropbox.com/desktop-web/change-preferences
I think the point the whole point is that the icon no longer appears in system tray? i have that problem....
Robert S. wrote:
It really isn't that difficult to find: system tray > Dropbox client icon > gear icon
See also: https://help.dropbox.com/desktop-web/change-preferences
If the gear icon is missing from the window that pops up from the tray (windows 10 problem?), try scrolling through the window by holding the left mouse button while moving the cursor over the edge of the window to scroll in that direction.
Found this out purely by coincidence. Hope this helps.
windows 10, i can't find the gear icon.
