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WilliamLow's avatar
WilliamLow
Helpful | Level 5
7 years ago
Solved

Selective Sync Conflict mess!

Hello,  I just did a fresh OS install on my Mac, with my Dropbox folder on an external drive (my startup disk is too small to hold this data). I thought that I setup my Dropbox correctly, pointing t...
desktop
sync
  • Jay's avatar
    Jay
    7 years ago
    Hi William, unfortunately there’s no way of merging the folders into one using Dropbox, since there isn’t a way of knowing which folder/file has the most up-to-date information in it, or instead older files that do have important data.
     
    This can only be checked manually by yourself since only you know which files need to be kept or discarded.
     
    The reason for these extra folders is that previous you had folders which were selectively ‘unsynced’ already according to the desktop app. This should delete the local copy of the folders on that drive.
     
    However, it seems that the folders were either recreated by some app, or the folders weren’t deleted in the first place. They would’ve had a gray minus symbol showing that they weren’t syncing to the site.
     
    When connecting the Dropbox account to the external drive after the reinstall, either these folders were then allowed to sync to the drive (i.e. all folders had a check next to them), and then this would create the selective sync conflicts. 
     
    This is done avoid data loss, since as I mentioned, only you know which files should remain or not.
     
     
    Hope this helps to clarify matters!
     
Michael L.96's avatar
Michael L.96
Helpful | Level 7
6 years ago
mr c and anyone else having these issues, my advice to you is just don't waste your time with them anymore. Dropbox does not work and they lost a lot of my $$$$$ because of it. Just don't waste your time here! And don't keep anything important on Dropbox. It's little more than a novelty now for me. (Ex-Dropbox pro user)
mr c.1's avatar
mr c.1
Helpful | Level 7
6 years ago

michael - thanks for the encouragement; I am trying to get my files from the dropbox servers and soon as I can I will be gone. 


When a companies direction becomes inverse to the actual product and service they once represented, it is time to bail. 

I don;t think a $2b per year company is really going to miss me, nor are they going to change for the customer = to me Dropbox is driven by shareholder gratification and I don't want to encourage them at all.  

This article interested me: https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/09/09/why-dropbox-shares-fell-24-last-month.aspx

"Dropbox hopes to inspire more of its users to pay for these upgraded services rather than sticking to a free but more bare-bones experience. If that plan works out as expected, it will boost both its top-line revenue and profit margins in a hurry. But until then, the company must spend money to execute on this vision -- marketing and tech support for the new service model isn't cheap.

The stock has now dropped 24% over the last 52 weeks. "

...With the Dropbox response being to force users into a new price tier, rather than improving the service, clearing historical problems or educating customers about new features, it becomes very clear that they want existing customers to suffer for the sit-at-home dreams of investors. It makes me hate the world.  

I hope you have a much better experience with your new host. 

  • Fiona's avatar
    Fiona
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    6 years ago

    Hello everyone! 

    Jumping in here to wrap up this thread. We acknowledge all your feedback about the selective sync conflicts issue and experience. We appreciate your participation and we can still help with Selective Sync conflicts if you need help with the steps you have to take to fix this. 

    Please contact our team directly, with account and device related info here. 

    To keep things neat, I would like to kindly request for you to create a new topic for any unrelated issue or feedback. 

    Keep in mind that you can mention a user or a Dropboxer in your new thread to start a new discussion with them. 

    Thank you all. 

    Have a happy new year!  

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