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Forum Discussion
Solved
Online-only files taking up space on my hard drive on Windows 11
I deleted the cache.
I checked the manage hard drive space via the dropbox menu and it also confirms that a ton of space is being used on the drive BUT there are no files listed that I could change to online only.
I have seen many references to this issue but aside from deleting the cache, I haven't seen any solutions.
I just bought the PLUS plan so I can offload some movies from my hard drive but if this can't be resolved - I'll have to switch to another product.
I'm on a PC running windows 11.
Dropbox: 216.4.4420 (up to date)
Does the small files kept on the disk when it's set to online only have some kind of attributes that these file size programs are mistakenly thinking that the files are on the disk?
Look at the Properties window for one of the files and check the Size on disk attribute. This is the true size of the file on your local drive. For example, here's a 679 MB Zip file showing that it takes up 0 bytes on the disk.
Likewise, here's the properties of the entire Test folder, where the Zip file is located, showing that the folder is 691 MB but only takes up 11 MB on the disk.
If these values don't match what you're seeing in the third-party programs, then they may not be looking at the Size on disk attribute for the files.
Additional info: CCleaner and Foldersizers programs detect the actual size of the dropbox as if the files were on the local disk. Does the small files kept on the disk when it's set to online only have some kind of attributes that these file size programs are mistakenly thinking that the files are on the disk?
- Rich
Super User II
Does the small files kept on the disk when it's set to online only have some kind of attributes that these file size programs are mistakenly thinking that the files are on the disk?
Look at the Properties window for one of the files and check the Size on disk attribute. This is the true size of the file on your local drive. For example, here's a 679 MB Zip file showing that it takes up 0 bytes on the disk.
Likewise, here's the properties of the entire Test folder, where the Zip file is located, showing that the folder is 691 MB but only takes up 11 MB on the disk.
If these values don't match what you're seeing in the third-party programs, then they may not be looking at the Size on disk attribute for the files.
Thanks for your reply.
This is what I see but it appears that all these file size programs are only looking at size attribute and NOT the Size on disk attribute - Unless dropbox can change what's left in those files so these programs only count the size on disk, I'll have to EXCLUDE the dropbox in a filter to determine the real large files that are taking up space on the disk.
Make sense?
Tried WizTree also - same results - it sees the dropbox files as the largest even though they are set to "online only"
It looks as if the actual space is NOT being allocated on the C drive BUT it's impossible to use these programs to find large files for cleaning up because they keep thinking the dropbox files are the largest. Can you change the setting somehow so it doesn't count these files and their actual size?
- Rich
... it's impossible to use these programs to find large files for cleaning up because they keep thinking the dropbox files are the largest. Can you change the setting somehow so it doesn't count these files and their actual size?
There are no settings in Dropbox for this. It's working as it's supposed to, and your operating system sees it correctly as well. You'd have to go to the developers of the third-party programs and ask them to support online-only files.
