Files not syncing on desktop

[AzureSure]

Have used DB for many years and never had this problem. I created a folder on my desktop with various subfolders + shared with a team mate who then uploaded a series of documents to those folders, no problem. i can easily access them online but they are not syncing to my my desktop folders. nothing is in there. I am using a PC. here is what i have tried with no luck:

1) logged out on desktop and re-logged in. all files resynced to completion. still nothing.
2) created a new sub-folder on desktop with 1 doc and it synced online

3) created a new sub-folder online with 3 docs, the folder showed up on desktop but its empty.
4) i have checked files + folders for any restrictive permissions but cant find any

i have never had this happen before, can someone help? thanks!

[AzureSure]

I even just tried uninstalling + reinstalling the DP app on my desktop and no change there either. ugh!

[AzureSure]

also - have a paid account w 2TB of storage, so space is not the issue either

[Rich · Accepted solution]

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@AzureSure wrote:

i can easily access them online but they are not syncing to my my desktop folders ...

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Files are named appropriately, without any characters that would be incompatible on a Windows system? This is especially common if you're sharing with a Mac user, and would prevent such files from syncing down to your computer.

[AzureSure]

Nope - here they are side-by-side. desktop folders and online, but when you open them, nothing is in the desktop folder

[AzureSure]

OMGEEE! Wait, you are correct! that was it THANK YOU! i've never had that issue before!

[Rich]

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@AzureSure wrote:

i've never had that issue before!

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It's common when working on or sharing with different operating systems, Mac and Windows especially. Windows has several characters that are reserved by the system, like the pipe | in your filenames, and services like Dropbox can't create the file if it contains any of those characters.