Learn how to make the most out of the Dropbox Community here 💙.
Forum Discussion
My Windows desktop app got updated and my files are no longer available offline.
My Dropbox (Essentials) recently updated to v219.4.4463.
After the update, it started syncing or indexing a large number of files, even though I didn’t change any of my settings.
Since then, the sync icons for files and folders in Windows 11 Explorer no longer make sense.
My default setting is 'Always available on this device', which should display the green circle with a checkmark, but a lot of old files now show the 'Available on this device' icon (white circle with a green checkmark).
Additionally, many folders display the 'Sync pending' icon (blue arrows in a circle).
However the taskbar status shows 'Your files are up to date', and there are no reported syncing issues.
'Save hard drive space automatically' is turned off, and the default setting for new files is 'Available offline'.
- Rich
Super User II
My default setting is 'Always available on this device', which should display the green circle with a checkmark, but a lot of old files now show the 'Available on this device' icon (white circle with a green checkmark).
I would restart the Dropbox app. If that doesn't change anything, highlight all of your files and manually mark them as Available Offline. Wait for it to finishing processing and see if everything is up to date again.
How do I manually mark my folders as "available offline"? When I right-click there are no options for syncing available.
- Jay
Dropbox Staff
HI Geeta Sadashivan, are you right clicking the folders in the Dropbox folder on your machine?
Could you attach a screenshot showing what you're seeing when you right click a folder?
Here is the screenshot--attached image.
- Nancy
Hi from me too, Geeta Sadashivan! From your screenshot, you don’t seem to have the small Dropbox icon in your system tray (at the bottom right corner of your screen, next to your clock settings); this means that the Dropbox app is most likely not running, which is why you don’t see the Dropbox options when right-clicking on your files.
If you click on the little arrow in your system tray instead, can you see the Dropbox icon then? If not, I’d like you to go to your Start menu, open your Programs from there and restart the app.
Do you see the option to make your files available offline after that?
Hi Nancy, I don't see the dropbox icon in my system tray and there is no little arrow there either. I typed "programs" into my start menu, went to the dropbox app and then clicked on it so if there was a "restart" option. All I can see is one option: "Uninstall." I guess that makes things super clear.
- Nancy
Thanks for checking, Geeta! The little arrow I was referring to is the one in your system tray, next to the OneDrive icon and your language settings at the bottom.
Yes, I checked the arrow to make sure there were no hidden icons in the system tray. There are none.
vladgasanDropbox Product Manager
Hi Rowo,
Thanks for reaching out! It looks like your Dropbox desktop app was recently upgraded, which introduced some changes to how files sync and appear. As part of this update, a resync of all your files was triggered—this is expected behavior and nothing to worry about.Additionally, file icons are now controlled by Windows OS in this new update, which is why they may look different. You can find more details about the new icon system here: Dropbox Sync Icons Explained.
More info about the update here: Expected changes with Dropbox for Windows update.Let us know if you have any other questions!
Thank you for the clarification of the resync after the upgrade.
But I still don't understand why suddenly half of my files are marked as 'available on this device' and the other half as 'always available on this device.'
Additionally, why do most of my folders have the 'sync pending' icon, even though the taskbar says 'all files up to date' and there seems to be nothing syncing?
Is there still some kind of background syncing happening as a result of this update?
