When are files actually synced in the desktop app on Windows?

[TimB2]

As the attached screenshot shows, when I look in the Dropbox manager in the Windows taskbar it simultaneously tells me that “Your files are up to date” while also listing all the files still “Waiting to sync.” This is not a one-off, it happens every time I transfer photos from my camera into my Dropbox folder. I would like to know when the syncing has actually finished. Which of these messages is accurate?

I did ask customer support about this in chat before posting here and all three people I talked to couldn’t answer this question. The first one said that the problem was the file names and told me to remove the “dots” from the file names. (Even if this issue was related to file names, the only periods in the file were before the suffix; ie .cr3) The second person’s English was not good enough to actually understand my question and also told me that they could not help unless I sent a screenshot showing my entire computer screen, rather than the cropped picture you see here. The third just didn’t know the answer. So, if anyone from Dropbox is reading this, you have a serious customer support problem and ought to overhaul your hiring procedures.

 

[Jay]

Hi @TimB2, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Could you try reinstalling the Dropbox desktop application, without uninstalling it first, by clicking this link?

As you're already in contact with the support team directly, they may be better placed to assist with device-specific issues.

Keep me posted!

[TimB2]

I reinstalled it and am still getting this same contradiction. It was about 20 minutes after getting the “Your files are up to date” notification on the bottom that all of the “Waiting to sync”s changed to “Upload complete”s. Really, this seems like a bug in your program rather than anything to do with my computer. But regardless, all I really want to know is when all the files are actually uploaded (is it the “Your files are up to date” or “Upload complete”?) so I know when I can turn off my computer knowing that I am fully backed up. Thanks.

[Nancy]

Hi from me as well, Tim. You mentioned in your first post that this is happening for files that are being uploaded from your camera, correct? So, is it safe to assume you’re using camera uploads on your desktop app to automatically upload these files? 

If yes, I’d like you to open the “Camera Uploads” folder on your computer and see if all of your files have a green checkmark next to them or a blue syncing icon instead (you can also check this Help Center article for the full list of syncing icons). If you see a green checkmark next to everything, you should be good.

[TimB2]

No, I am just using File Explorer to move them.  I connect the camera to the computer with a USB-C cable, CTRL-A to select all, and then click-and-drag.

What you seem to be telling me is that your taskbar manager is just for show and not a real indicator of what is happening in Dropbox and if I want to know anything about the status of my files I have to look in File Manager. Is that correct?

[Megan]

Hey @TimB2! 

After looking through our system, it looks like you have an escalated ticket with our Specialized team at the moment. 

They are working on getting to the bottom of this as soon as possible, and figure out why this might be happening on your end. 

We appreciate your patience while they're trying to rectify this issue.

[dman1903]

I seem to consistently have this problem, as do my colleagues. I cannot tell, if it still needs to sync or not, there is often/always a list "Waiting to sync”s, whilst at the same time it says “Your files are up to date” .

[Jay]

Hi @dman1903, what OS and Dropbox desktop application version are you running on your machine?

[dman1903]

Hi Jay, Im on Dropbox version 206.4.6506, and on Windows 10 Pro 22H2.

Thanks.

[Jay]

Do you see files in Finder with a cloud icon, like in this article? 

Are these files that are waiting to sync in the same folder, or different areas?