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Forum Discussion
Carl_in_MI
5 years agoExplorer | Level 4
Syncing is stuck on my Windows 10 computer. Can you help?
I am running dropbox in Win10. I started having issues the last couple days with syncing. The icon would show syncing but the sync was not resolving.
I needed to make some space anyway so I moved about 2 GB of files to trash on the web interface and also deleted them from my local Win10 drive (in retrospect I should have maybe done only one or the other).
I figured I needed to reinitialize my Win10 machine since everything was on the cloud. So I
1) made a copy of my local Dropbox folder
2) Broke the link from my web interface
3) Uninstalled Dropbox
4) Deleted the AppData/Local/Dropbox folder after making a backup copy of that
5) Downloaded new version of Dropbox and installed, trying to skip backup of documents, desktop (and more).
6) Dropbox has been running now for hours and no online files are displaying and the one file that I transferred to my local folder is also not uploading. Dropbox reports 'Syncing' but there is almost no Dropbox network activity in the windows task manager (0.1 Mbps every minute or so).
7) When I try to access settings to check my settings to make sure it is not trying to sync my documents, desktop, etc., I can't access those settings. I don't see the 'import' tab mentioned elsewhere in the forums. I have a 'backup' button, and the dialog reports 'This PC: Automatically back up your Desktop, Documents, and more' but there is no checkbox to turn it off. But I don't see changes online or where to find if it trying to backup these items. But it has been running a long time and I don't see any progress.
I appreciate suggestions to reinitialize my local computer! I am baffled that the reinstall did not fix it and breaking and restoring the link. I have been nervous to make changes on my other two devices.
Additonal info: after looking at https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/files-update-issues, I find nothing in my Symantec quarantine. My hard drive has about 250GB free. The subfolders under .dropbox.cache are empty.
I am on a managed computer, so I am unable to turn off the firewall, but Dropbox is enabled through the firewall when I look at the entries.
I turned off my Symantec Endpoint protection, but that did not help.
When I sign out and relink, selecting Advanced, and then Selective sync. Dropbox cannot get a list of folders and after a short delay reports 'Unable to connect'.
Try using IISCrypto.exe and checking "best practices" then apply and reboot. Worked for me
- Nalin307Explorer | Level 4
Hi,
Dropbox was working fines for many years on my laptop.
Few days back it stopped synchronizing but Dropbox continuously ran.
Recent tab showed that it got stuck at one particular file. I have been updating this file continuously and it got synchronized well up to this particular incident.
I tried many things by stopping and starting Dropbox, restarting computer etc. but nothing helped.
Then I unlinked the Dropbox folder and when Dropbox asked for the folder I gave same old folder. Still no luck for more than a day.
After this issue came up, every time “Selective Sync” popup showed the Dropbox folder. But it could not display the inside folder list and after some time it always said “Unable to connect”.
Also I tried moving Dropbox folder when trying to fix this issue. Then the “Moving Folder” popup came up and got stuck. I had to close Dropbox using Task manager.
Then I reinstalled Dropbox and pointed to the same old folder again. No luck.
Then I stopped Dropbox, renamed the folder. When restarted Dropbox and when it asked for the folder location, pointed to a fresh location expecting Dropbox to download everything again from dropbox.com folder to this new folder. Still Dropbox says Syncing.. but nothing happens; the local folder is still empty.
I have not changed any Windows setting or not installed any new software during this period.
After installing Dropbox I have enabled the “Modify” and “Write” Windows folder permission for [my laptop]/users for Dropbox folder.An advice on this is highly appreciated.
Regards,
Nalin.
- MarcosHGHelpful | Level 5
I have the same problem since several months ago, and I got any help for now. Seems like Dropbox team only help users with payment accounts...
- Nalin307Explorer | Level 4
I have reinstalled Dropbox with pointing Dropbox folder to E drive (earlier it was in D drive). Still no luck.
Nalin.
- Casper777Collaborator | Level 10
Hi
I assume you both use the latest Dropbox version?
If so, I would try this: https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/desktop/advanced-reinstall but PLEASE make sure that you do have a copy of your local files on an external drive for "in case". Better be safe than sorry.
Regards
Casper
- DaphneDropbox Staff
Hey there Carl_in_MI, thanks for reaching out to us here!
Since it sounds like the computer backup is still enabled on your computer, can you please try following the steps outlined towards the bottom of this article. You would indeed need to be looking at your backups tab.
From there, does the option show "manage backup" as mentioned in the steps from the article linked above, or "set up"?
Once you disable the backup, or if the option is showing "set up" instead, then can you try moving the content of the backup folder in Dropbox back to their original locations?
Let me know how it goes and we can take it from there!
- Carl_in_MIExplorer | Level 4
Thanks for the response. I don't have an option to manage because it has never really started to backup. I can't seem to 'back out' of this selection and I am not sure what is set. Below is my screen shot.
When I try to unlink the computer, the dropbox sign in reappears, and when I select 'Advanced' and try 'Selective Sync' I get this:
So I have to go back to the default selection. Then the window opens to backup everything. I clear the boxes and select 'Skip'.
Nothing shows up in my sync queue. The Syncing icon just spins and spins.....:
- DaphneDropbox Staff
Thanks for getting back to me here Carl_in_MI!
That's some rather strange things that you're seeing there. You should indeed be seeing a button like option under the "This PC" section in your Backups tab.
However, since you unlinked and relinked your account without enabling the backup during the setup (from your 2nd screenshot) then it should now be disabled. Just to clarify, in your Dropbox folder is there a folder called "My PC (xyz)"?
There could be a few reasons that the syncing is stuck uploading the file you added locally to your account, which may be due to a connection issue from what you see from the selective sync settings. However, let's see what we can find.
Firstly, which version of the desktop app do you have installed on your computer? Also, when you click the Dropbox icon in your system tray, can you click the gear icon in the top right of the window and choose "View sync issues" and let me know what you see there?
Keep me posted!
- Carl_in_MIExplorer | Level 4
Thanks! I have version 101.4.434.
I do not have a PC folder.
I also do not have any sync issues reported - it is not syncing even though I can log in.
- DaphneDropbox Staff
Okay so it doesn't look like the computer backup is enabled at all on your computer Carl_in_MI, which is great as we can rule that out now.
Can you try the following to fix any incorrect permissions that could be causing the stuck syncing?
- Click the Dropbox icon in your system tray.
- Click the profile pic/initials icon in the top right of the window.
- Choose "Preferences..."
- Go to the "Account" tab.
- While holding the "Alt+H" keys, click "Fix permissions".
If this doesn't resolve the issue, please follow the steps again and instead click "Fix Hardlinks". The app might need to sync for a while after doing this, so please just keep an eye out for any progress.
Let me know if that does the trick!
- John98683Helpful | Level 5
I had the same issue on multiple machines and eventually the only way to fix was using these ciphers in following order.
Use the following Ciphers and it will work:
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA256,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA
- Stephen PNew member | Level 2
Thanks, IISCrypto did the trick!
- Carl_in_MIExplorer | Level 4
Yes, IISCrypto was what I needed also. After running with best practices and rebooting, Dropbox is now syncing.
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