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Forum Discussion
Files do not get downloaded automatically on Mac
Hi there,
I am experiencing an issue with files added by other users after installing the new Dropbox on MAC OS 13.1 (22C65). I need the files to be downloaded automatically to my drive instead of having to download them manually. This does not happen. I have Dropbox system extension as off. What else can be done?
I think a resolution may be to right-click the parent folder (DropboxFolder > YourFolder) and select "Make Available Offline".
When I did this, I got the green tick on the folder, then the files started adding the green tick, and then files created and placed in there form another source downloaded automatically.
Test it and see if this works for you. It now works for me. Saves me a bit of concern too wit the visual prompt of the green tick.
EDIT - you can also do this to the Dropbox folder. So that might be the better solution!
- Walter
Dropbox Staff
Hey MathewCross, sorry to hear you're having issues with this.
The issue you outlined is described in this Help Center article and all I can suggest for the moment is finding those files and making them available offline manually as needed.
I hope this helps to some extent.
I'm not sure that the linked article does help. I have what seems like the same issue (on both Mac 12.6.2 and MacOS 13.1) and I don't recognised the situation in the list of reasons why files don't get downloaded.
In my case, the issue appears as follows:
1) I am creating a file in the Dropbox location from a 3rd party app.
2) It is being created in a Dropbox folder shared by another Dropbox user. I have not seen the issue when creating in one of my own dropbox folders.
3) If I manually upload the file to Dropbox (using the Web app) it will sync back and from then on, all is good for that file (I might get a second file appear with a "conflicted" file name, unless I remove the original file first).
4) The other Dropbox user's files are sync'g ok.
I also notice that the problematic file is not integrated at all to Dropbox when it is first created; i.e. none of the dropbox shortcuts appear in the file's context menu. This is resolved once the file is sync'g ok (step 3 above).
Thank you for the reply, this reinforces my conviction that if something works fine do not update anything. Unfortunately I use dropbox for with with multiple files and downloading each of them manually is very problematic as I also use Forklift as a file manager and it does not cooperate with the new update either, of course...
Thank you for the reply, this reinforces my conviction that if something works fine do not update anything. Unfortunately I use dropbox for with with multiple files and downloading each of them manually is very problematic as I also use Forklift as a file manager and it does not cooperate with the new update either, of course...
- Hannah
Hey marktb1961, can you clarify your issue a bit?
Are the files in question syncing to your Dropbox folder, just as online-only? Or are they not getting synced at all?
And is it happening to files that the other member of the folder is uploading? Or files that both of you upload?
One feature that has been lost in the latest version of dropbox is the ability to default for all files/folders sync automatically to a computer. This is a great loss, and one hopefully soon fixed.
Another vote for improving "Offline only" files. I don't want my files to be online. I want them downloaded automatically.
The context menu is problematic because I can't see what I selected.
What happens if I select "Offline only" for a parent folder and then "Online only" for a subfolder? How do I see what I selected for which folder?
- Megan
Hi beatrixwillius, welcome to our Community!
If you have different content synced differently inside your Dropbox folder, the Dropbox icons should let you know the state of each file/folder. You can see more about this here.
Isn't this the case for you? Are you able to see, and identify your syncing icons?
If you have any questions, let me know!
