Fix Dropbox Not Syncing Error On Windows 10 With 6 Effective Hacks

Dropbox is a convenient file backup, cloud storage as well as file-sharing service that helps the users to back up the essential files in the cloud. This service enables you to play and work from any device or anywhere.  

Whether it is music or movies, photos, programming projects, or homework assignments, Dropbox provides you with great cloud file sharing as well as storage service. Dropbox holds the backup of the files so that if the hard disk crashes you can easily retrieve the data.

But still, it is not free from random glitches. Users often complain that Dropbox not Syncing while trying to back up the files in the cloud storage. 

This issue may occur due to several causes, such as incompatible corrupted files, firewall blocking, client errors, etc. Sometimes, some of the other syncing application or proxy settings also trigger this issue.  

If you also face the same issue and are tired of searching the solutions for this problem, then you have arrived at the right page. In this post, you will get 6 effective guidance to fix this issue.

Hence, you should take a glance at the guide discussed below. 

Easy Hacks to Fix Dropbox Not Syncing Windows 10 Issue

There are several ways to solve this problem. Here in this section, we are going to implement 6 of them. You need to follow all of them one by one to check which one is working for you: 

Procedure 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods

Before you perform any other complicated solutions like configuring settings or files, you need to try the basic troubleshooting ways. These tips can help you to connect to the internet or help you if you don’t have enough storage space. 

Let’s have a look at the points stated below: 

1. Check that the date and time settings are correct or not. 
2. Make sure that the VPN or proxy is not running in the background of the system.
3. Confirm that Dropbox is enabled through the firewall.
4. You can solve the storage quota problem by eliminating some of the synced files of the system. Or try updating the Dropbox to Professional or Dropbox plus.  

If you are already using the Professional or Dropbox Plus account, then you need to check the account page to confirm that the plan has not expired. 

If you are working with a Dropbox Business team, then you should ask the admin to check the account status of the team in the Admin Console.

After trying the basic troubleshooting ways, you should try to back up the files on Dropbox to check if the ‘Dropbox files not syncing’ issue still persists. Else, you can also go to the further solutions described below. 

Procedure 2: Rename the Files

When you are trying to sync the file, you often see the error notification ‘White space Conflict’. This happens because of the same names of two files except for space at the end of one file. 

To solve this, you can rename one of them.  

Procedure 3: Closing Other Application

This issue might happen if the files are being used by any other apps. When you open a file from another editor or application, it will not sync in a proper way. 

Only when you exit from that app, Dropbox started to continue the uploading process.

1. In the beginning, hit the R and Windows key both at the same time from the keyboard to invoke the Run Command box. 
2. Then, type “taskmgr” on the Run box and hit the Enter key to proceed further. Else, you can also tap on the OK button. 
3. Check for other instances of the file running that you are trying to sync. Click on it and choose the End Task option from the list.
4. Now, the Dropbox will start to sync the file automatically.

Procedure 4: Grant Access in Firewall 

If you are using an older version of Dropbox or have not updated the Dropbox for a long time, then it might fail to sync the file properly. Most of the time, it happens when the Windows Firewall is conflicting with the Dropbox. 

Hence, to solve this problem, first, you should disable the Windows Firewall and then try to update the Dropbox. To do this, you should perform the steps as follows: 

1. First, press the S and Windows keys simultaneously from the keyboard. 
2. Then, type “firewall” in the command box. Hit Enter to go to the target page.
3. Open the app and tap on the ‘Firewall and Network Protection’ option. 
4. After that, choose the ‘Allow an app through the Firewall’ from the next page. You can also tap on the Change Settings Button to edit the list.
5. Now, you have to make sure that the Dropbox and its Updater.exe is enabled through the Windows Firewall. 

It will confirm that Dropbox and the Updater are allowed through the Windows Firewall. It also terminates the issues that are restricting it to connect to the internet.

Procedure 5: Adjust the Settings of Dropbox

Dropbox has some configurations that are fixed using the Command Prompt. It might happen that the configuration settings are changed accidentally and it might be triggering the problem while syncing the files. 

Before going to modify the settings, you have to sign out from your Dropbox account. After that, sign in again. If it doesn’t work, then you should follow the steps provided below:

Step 1:  

First, close the Dropbox. To exit from the Dropbox, you should go to the system tray and click on the Dropbox icon. Then, tap on the Settings icon (gear-shaped) from the notifications bar. Then, choose the ‘Exit Dropbox’ option from the list.  

Step 2: 

Now, go to the Start menu and type “cmd” on the search bar. Right-click on the search result and tap on the ‘Run as Administrator’ option from the list. It will start to run the Command Prompt with admin privileges.  

Step 3: 

After that, type the commands given below. Hit the Enter key from the keyboard to run the command. 

1st: icacls “%HOMEPATH%\Dropbox” /grant “%USERNAME%”:(F) /T

2nd: icacls “%APPDATA%\Dropbox” /grant “%USERNAME%”:(F) /T

3rd: icacls “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Dropbox” /grant “%USERNAME%”:F /T

4th: icacls “%PROGRAMFILES%\Dropbox” /grant “%USERNAME%”:F /T

Now, if you see that the location of the Dropbox is not ‘C:\Users\YourUser\Dropbox path’, then you have to modify the first command. 

You can keep the other commands unchanged. Depending on the Dropbox size, this operation might take some time to finish. Hence, you should wait for the ‘C:\ prompt’ to appear.

Step 4: 

After completing the above procedure, you should restart Dropbox by navigating to the Start menu. Then, tap on the Program Files, and choose the Dropbox from the list.

If you are unable to locate the Dropbox under the Program Files, then you have to restart the Dropbox. Hence, go to the Internet Explorer window and type “%APPDATA%\Dropbox”. Then, click twice on the ‘Dropbox.exe’ file. 

Procedure 6: Update the Dropbox Application

According to some users, they have fixed this issue by updating the Dropbox app. Hence, when the above methods fail to solve the Dropbox files not syncing issue, then you should try to update the Dropbox application. 

How to Update the Dropbox App? 

1. In the beginning, bring up the Start Menu.
2. Click on the Settings icon.
3. Tap on the Apps.
4. Navigate to the “Apps & Features” category. 
5. Once you see the Dropbox option, tap on the Uninstall button. 
6. Now, simply download the application again and install it by following the on-screen prompts.  

Now, you should check whether the issue has been resolved. 

Concluding Notes

In the above section, we have described some of the easiest hacks to troubleshoot the Dropbox Not Syncing issue. We hope that if you execute them in their given order, then it will surely assist you to eliminate all the troubles related to this issue. 

You can easily perform the procedures even if you do not have any technical knowledge. But still, if you face any problem while executing the above ways, then you can seek help from a professional.