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Dropbox not searchable in MacOS Ventura 13.1

Dropbox not searchable in MacOS Ventura 13.1

ptetta
Helpful | Level 6
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Since the recent Dropbox update, I can no longer search for files in Dropbox on my Mac.  I have been using Dropbox for over 10 years and have never had this problem before.  It's making life extremely difficult and making me think about moving entirely to Google Drive, although I don't really like Google that much.  But at least it's free, whereas I am now paying Dropbox for a less functional service than I had previously.

Does anyone know how to get this function back?

56 Replies 56

Dave in SD
Explorer | Level 3
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I've had the same issue after mistakenly updating this morning.  Once the update completed I was no longer able to find any dropbox file when searching using the Mac's finder search bar.  This negates 95% of the advantage of using dropbox over other options for me, its integration with Apple was a big plus.  An additional irony is that this update was to be more compatible with Apple!  I am running MacOS Ventura 13.1.  I had intended to attach a screen shot of the "results" of a search when I copied and pasted part of a file name into the search bar but I don't see an easy way to do this.

 

Any help will be appreciated and is urgently needed.

 

Cheers,

Dave in SD

Megan
Dropbox Staff
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Hi @Dave in SD, thanks for posting here! 

 

When you try to respond back to me, you should have a little camera-like icon. If you click on this, you should be given the ability to attach your screenshots.

 

Can you try this?

 

Thanks a bunch!


Megan
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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Mona_Protea
Explorer | Level 4
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HiSkärmavbild 2023-02-03 kl. 07.38.55.pngSkärmavbild 2023-02-03 kl. 07.39.26.png

Dave in SD
Explorer | Level 3
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Megan,

Attached you should find 2 screen shots, the first is an image of the folder with the text I will be searching for highlighted, the second is the result of a search using that text string. 

 

I updated Dropbox on 2/2/23 to its latest version and I am running MacOS Ventura 13.1.

 

Any help will be appreciated as this update has greatly degraded the value of having dropbox integrated in to my mac.

 

Cheers,

 

DaveSearchResult Screen shot.pngselected text to search screenshot.png

ptetta
Helpful | Level 6
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Hi Megan - I have two screen shots but don't see where/how to attache them to this message. I also don't know the version number for Dropbox, but I updated to the newest version about two weeks ago and that was when the problem started.  The first screen shows a search in "This Mac" for a document with a name that contains "Budget."  When I search that way, I get 1,258 results returned.  The second shows the same search, but using my primary Dropbox folder.  When I search that way, I get 0 results returns.  This is using Finder, which is how I have always searched in Dropbox -- for more than 10 years now.  This search function has been the primary advantage of Dropbox over Google Drive, which is what most of my clients use and would prefer for me to use.  I have always insisted on Dropbox because it has always made it so much easier search for document.  If that functionality has gone away, I have lost my main reason for not shifting to Google Drive.  Can you help?

ptetta
Helpful | Level 6
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I just tried dragging and dropping my screenshot files.  Hopefully, they are readable on your end.

 

 

2023 Screen Shot - Dropbox Not Searchable.jpg

2023 Screen Shot - This Mac Searchable.jpg

  

DHK
Helpful | Level 6
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Actually I'm on Ventura 13.2 with an M1 iMac,  and have updated to have Dropbox under Library/CloudStorage with all files and folders available offline.

 

Finder search cannot find dropbox files when using Dropbox as the search start. If I search "This Mac"  they are all found. Spotlight search finds them all as well. I disconnected my computer from Dropbox, erased the folder and other associated files in Library, and then reconnected and downloaded everything. This did not help.

Jay
Dropbox Staff
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Hi everyone, are you experiencing the same behavior as listed in this article when searching on the new Mac OS version of the Dropbox desktop application?


Jay
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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DHK
Helpful | Level 6
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@Jay Your article said: "Searching through Finder will only find online-only files or folders that have been previously accessed on your device running Dropbox for macOS."

Not for me: Searching through finder will find a file I have previously opened in "This Mac", but NOT in Dropbox folder searchs.Search found.png

 

 

Search not found..png

Mona_Protea
Explorer | Level 4
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Hi,

Please give a solution ASAP to this problem that is very bothersome.

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