No Option to "Make Available Offline."

[Jayson L.]

Honestly, this seemingly late "bringing to the forefront" (I guess you'd call it) of the whole "Online Only" vs. "Make Available Offline" thing has been more of a headache than a help, if I may offer my opinion.

I purchased a new ultra-portable Windows computer which has a 256GB SSD on board, but I plan on using my Dropbox files with it, and I have well over 256GB worth of stuff in my Dropbox.

The thing is that I'm often in situations in which I need offline access to my files.

So I purchased a 1 TB microSD card, which will never leave its slot in this machine. Heck, I can't even retrieve it, it seems.

I mounted it so that it isn't considered "Removable Media" by the computer, and then I proceeded to install Dropbox on the computer, with the intent of using the 1 TB card exclusively for Dropbox content...offline.

I left my machine to sync overnight, and what do you know? Everything has a stupid cloud next to it.

I have no option to "Make Available Offline," either in the file/folder context menu or in the Dropbox application > Preferences > Sync menu.

If this is by design, it's a pitifully stupid design.

I'm going to whatever lengths I can to make this work the way I envision, but I'm going to be awfully disappointed if Dropbox doesn't respect use cases that might not necessarily conform to a narrow definition.

If it's an issue with a recent update to the application, then please bug the developers posthaste.

[langshipley]

This appears to be the canned solution that anyone getting contacted via email and getting a support ticket is getting. I've tried it, and I believe @LUNARWAVE tried it and it doesn't work. 

Dopbox support seem to think that it's a permissions issue with an incorrect installation of the Dropbox app. That is not the case for me because the context menus were working BEFORE the latest Windows 11 update. It STOPPED working AFTER the latest Windows 11 update and the support people do not seem to be able to get that through their noggins. It is clearly a Windows 11 issue with something in the latest update that's stopping the context menus from working. Stop telling us to uninstall and install the app. That's not fixing anything.

Seriously, I feel like right now, I am on repeat and just saying the same thing as others over and over and no one at Dropbox is actually listening.

I'm including their solution to me (which didn't work) if anyone wants to try it.

***

So this issue is likely related to an incorrect level of permissions when the Dropbox application was installed.
 
To correct this, use the following steps:
 
Note: Please be sure to take note or take a screenshot of any Selective Sync settings you may have applied prior to re-installing in case you need to re-apply these settings upon re-install.
 

1. Verify that the Windows UAC levels are set to default levels. This can be changed in your Security settings in the control panel.
   • For more information about UAC levels please see the following link (the instructions on the website are also applicable to Windows 11):
     • https://support.microsoft.com/kb/975787 
2. Uninstall the application using the steps in the following article. Please note that you do not need to remove the Dropbox folder or any files from the Dropbox folder:
   • https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/desktop/uninstall-dropbox 
3. Download the newest version of the Dropbox application by visiting the Dropbox website:
   • https://www.dropbox.com/downloading 
4. Once you have downloaded the install file, double-click on the file to run the installer. Please do NOT launch the installer by right-clicking on the file and selecting "Run as admin" as this will lead to incorrect install permissions.
5. During the installation process, you may be prompted for the Admin username and password of your computer.
   • Please be sure and provide the username and password of your Admin account on your computer.
6. Finally, when prompted, enter the email address of the Dropbox account you are using on this computer and if needed, check the advanced preferences to apply any Selective Sync settings.

 
Once you have attempted the steps above, if you still experience the same issue, then please reply to this message and confirm whether you have recently upgraded the devices Operating System (Windows 10 ➜ 11) and can you hover your mouse over the tiny Dropbox icon in your taskbar and tell me what version of the application it states is installed.
***

[onodanaoto]

Now I could fix this issue (context menu disappear issue) by following steps.

Two Win11 Pro and Home both improved by this.

1. Uninstall Dropbox from PC setting menu

2. Install Dropbox again

3. check out (off) selective sync and wait all files erased

4. check (on) selective synd on ALL file need to sync and wait all files synced.

context menu appears.

I hope this setp works for everyone.

エディション Windows 11 Home
バージョン 22H2
インストール日 ‎2022/‎10/‎05
OS ビルド 22621.675
エクスペリエンス Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22634.1000.0

[LUNARWAVE]

Hello

Unfortunately, this method(follows below) did not work for both of my WIN11 PCs.

---

Now I could fix this issue (context menu disappear issue) by following steps.

Two Win11 Pro and Home both improved by this.

1. Uninstall Dropbox from PC setting menu

2. Install Dropbox again

3. check out (off) selective sync and wait all files erased

4. check (on) selective synd on ALL file need to sync and wait all files synced.

context menu appears.

I hope this setp works for everyone.

エディション Windows 11 Home
バージョン 22H2
インストール日 ‎2022/‎10/‎05
OS ビルド 22621.675
エクスペリエンス Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22634.1000.0

[langshipley]

Update: I got an email from Dropbox support asking me to update my version of the Dropbox app to the latest version because apparently, mine was out of date. When the issue started, I was on version 159.4.5870. I've now updated it to version 160.4.4946 as requested by Dropbox support. My context menus did NOT magically reappear so updating to the latest version of the Dropbox app did not fix the problem.

[nickgripton]

Update: Dropbox have been asking me to mess with my registries. Even tho I told them I'm not up for it.

"This issue may be related to other applications on your computer that use the icon overlay and context menu functionality of your Operating System.

Please note that Windows has a limit of 15 overlay icons that Windows Explorer can load, and the operating system reserves 4 for its own use.
If there are more than 15, then the Dropbox icons or context menus may not show. To fix this and move the Dropbox sync icons to the first 15 positions:"

I haven't seen an overlay with more than 5 icons in, and they always have more than 15 entries...

Then followed the instructions on how to mess with your registry.

Hopefully they'll come up with a solution sooner rather than later. It seems to me like they may have pushed a Beta live and its made a mess of things.

[LUNARWAVE]

Yes, I have also been told the same method, but it did not solve the current issue.

[TERRACE_87]

Devs clearly don't know what they are talking about.

[langshipley]

Yes, @nickgripton this was one of their original solutions. It did not work.

[langshipley]

Another update from someone in the Dropbox Advanced Support Team. I was told to now download and install a new stable version of the Dropbox app. It is version 160.4.4703 that was released today. I downloaded and installed it. Still NO Dropbox context menus, so continuing to wait for another solution. This is the link to the stable version of the latest Dropbox release I was given. https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-desktop-client-builds/Stable-Build-160-4-4703/td-p/633087

No magic. No unicorns. Happy Halloween, everyone!!

[LUNARWAVE]

Since the update, now it is even worse.

Before the update, the context menu only showed approx 5 options,

but now all i see is only 1 option.

Which is really bad.