dropbox pretending my files are online only while copying

[TomTommy1]

Hello all.

I do not have selective sync on/I have all folders checked to be held locally.

Save HD space automatically is off.

new files default is "local"

My computer says my drop box folder is the same number of gigs as drop box tells me when I logon online.

So can someone please tell my why my current attempt at copying all my drop box folders via USB to an external hardrive is going at a snails pace as dropbox pops up every second telling me it's downloading a file- the same file I see is being copied at that moment??????????  As if I can't copy my local dropbox files to other locations with out downloading every one?????????????

WOW

show me how dumb I am

[Hannah]

Hey @TomTommy1, thanks for posting on our Community.

Did you by any chance enable the backup feature for your external drive, when you plugged it in to your computer?

Also, is it possible to send me a screenshot of the pop-up notification you receive, so I can check it out?

Thanks.

[TomTommy1]

I can make this more simple... a bunch of files in my dropbox folder won't open with out downloading.  Dropbox pops up and says "synching" before the file opens.......................        what do I have to do to make dropbox stop horsing around and make all my files really local?  That is obviously why I can't copy files with out syncing.

If I unplug my ethernet cable so I have no internet, some files won't open.  I just get the swirly curser and dropbox pops up and says "syncing"  or "downloading" that file, which it can't do because I unplugged the internet, and the file never opens till I plug the cable back in.

[TomTommy1]

This is a new computer at home so it recently downloaded my dropbox files, maybe originally I accidentally allowed it to default to some files being online, but this is getting very frustrating, i counted on dropbox to be simple. all my files are local. I make a change and the save that change in dropbox online and my other computers. I want to make an extra copy of my files quickly, or I want file access while internet is down, boom no problem I never asked files to be online only, wow this is a busy week and this is really hurting my relationship with dropbox. $180 a year when I only need a couple hundred gigs....  (with extended version history)

[TomTommy1]

 

and selective sync may technically be turned on from the past, but all the folders are checked for syncing

it just won't make sure all my files are really local- or it pretends like they aren't until I click them, then they won't open till dropbox does something with my internet. wow. wowo. wow.  Lets say i wanted to quit dropbox. HOW DO I EVER MAKE SURE IREALLY HAVE ALL MY FILES FIRST. (caps for the drobox team.)

[TomTommy1]

If they don't get this fixed for me asap there is going to be a really ugly review somewhere and I'm quitting the service if i can ever make sure i really have my files.

Even if it is a setting, why is it so hard to find and change and have all my files available local like I'm used to?

[Hannah · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the detailed response, Tom. 

Since you recently downloaded Dropbox to this new computer and chose to sync your files as online-only, perhaps some of them have stayed that way.

Do they have the green check mark icon next to them, or the cloud icon?

If lots of them have the cloud icon, you can actually right click on the Dropbox folder itself, to make everything local at once.

After every file is local, can you try copying them again, to see if you get the same issue?

[James H.83]

I have the exact same problem. You indicate to "right click on the Dropbox folder itself and make everything local," but there is no such option when I right click. I assume you are talking about the folder on my computer, but I also tried right-clicking on folders in the online (web browser) Dropbox, but there is no option there either.

   Any ideas?

[Hannah]

Hey @James H.83, thanks for the nudge here.

You can only change the state of your local files from the local Dropbox folder on your computer.

So, you'd need to go to your Dropbox folder, right click on it, select Smart sync > Local. 

[James H.83]

I should have been more detailed. Just like the person I was replying to, I already did everything I am supposed to do. The sync settings are all correct, but  most of my files remain only links to the cloud.