11 Quick Fixes to Dropbox Not Syncing between Computers

• User Case: Files and Folders Not Syncing Across and Within Devices
• How Do I Sync Dropbox between Computers?
• Why is Dropbox Not Syncing between Computers?
• How to Fix Dropbox Not Syncing between Computers
• Bonus Tip: How to Sync Dropbox with Another Account/Cloud
• Conclusion

User Case: Files and Folders Not Syncing Across and Within Devices

How Do I Sync Dropbox between Computers?

Before we go to the reason and solution parts for the “Dropbox not syncing between devices”, let’s figure out how to correctly sync Dropbox files and folders between computers.

Step 1. Install the Dropbox app on both of your computers.

Step 2. Follow the onscreen instructions to set up Dropbox, including where you put the Dropbox folder, which files and folders to sync, and logging into your Dropbox account.

Step 3. Click the Dropbox icon in the system tray or menu bar to check whether your Dropbox is syncing.

Step 4. Open the Dropbox folder to check the sync status. If there is a green checkmark beside your folder or file, then everything is up to date. If there is a blue icon, the files are syncing.

Why is Dropbox Not Syncing between Computers?

After enabling Dropbox sync, you may encounter some issues like Dropbox not syncing on Windows 11, Dropbox not syncing on Mac, Dropbox stuck on waiting to sync, or Dropbox not syncing across devices. Although they are different problems, you may find the same causes of them. Here are 16 probable culprits that can be categorized into 4 main aspects.

1. Network and Application Issues:

🟡Unstable or No Internet Connection: One or both computers may be offline or experiencing network issues.

🟡Dropbox Not Running on One or Both Computers: The Dropbox app might not be opened or has crashed.

🟡Outdated Dropbox Version: One computer might be using an older version of Dropbox that has bugs or compatibility issues.

🟡Dropbox Servers Experiencing Issues: A rare outage or problem on Dropbox’s end could prevent syncing.

🟡Firewall or Antivirus Blocking Dropbox: Security software might be blocking Dropbox from connecting to the internet.

2. Account and Sync Configuration Issues:

🟢Dropbox Account Mismatch: Each computer might be logged into a different Dropbox account.

🟢Selective Sync Excluding Some Folders: Some folders may not be set to sync on one of the computers.

🟢Sync Paused on One Device: Dropbox syncing may be manually paused on one computer.

🟢Storage Limit Reached: The Dropbox account or local drive might be full, preventing new files from syncing.

3. File and Folder Specific Issues:

🔵File is Open or Locked: A file might be opened in another application, preventing Dropbox from syncing it.

🔵File Name Contains Unsupported Characters: Special characters (: * ? " < > |) or long file names might be preventing sync.

🔵Conflicting Copies of Files: Dropbox may have created "conflicted copies" due to simultaneous edits.

🔵Dropbox Folder Moved or Renamed: If the Dropbox folder was moved or renamed manually, Dropbox might not recognize it.

4. System and Storage Issues:

🟣Operating System Permissions Issues: Dropbox might not have the required file access permissions on one computer.

🟣Corrupted Dropbox Cache: A corrupted cache in the Dropbox folder may be preventing sync.

🟣Hard Drive or File System Issues: A failing hard drive or incompatible file system (e.g., case-sensitive APFS on macOS) might interfere with syncing.

How to Fix Dropbox Not Syncing between Computers

Have you found the cause of your issue in the above part? Don’t worry if it is not. You can follow the quick fixes in this part to try to address your Dropbox is not syncing between computers issue.

1. Check Internet Connection & Firewall Settings

► Open a web browser and try visiting a website to check if your internet is working.

► Disable VPN or proxy temporarily to see if it's causing an issue.

► If you use a firewall or antivirus, allow Dropbox access:

• Windows: Go to Windows Security > Firewall & network protection > Allow an app through the firewall.
• Mac: Go to System Settings > Network > Firewall and ensure Dropbox is not blocked.

2. Restart Dropbox

• Windows: Right-click the Dropbox icon in the system tray > Click Quit Dropbox, then restart it from the Start menu.
• Mac: Click the Dropbox icon in the menu bar > Click Quit Dropbox, then restart it from Applications.

3. Check Dropbox Sync Status

Click the Dropbox icon and look at the status:

If there’s an error, hover over the Dropbox icon to see the message.

4. Ensure Dropbox Is Not Paused

• Click the Dropbox icon.
• If it says "Syncing paused", click Resume Syncing.

5. Verify You're Logged Into the Same Account

• On both computers, click the Dropbox icon > Preferences > Account.
• Ensure the email address matches on both devices.

6. Check Selective Sync Settings

• Go to Preferences > Sync > Selective Sync.
• Make sure the missing folders are checked to sync.

7. Ensure Enough Storage Space

► On Dropbox:

Visit www.dropbox.com/account/plan to check available space.

► On Your Computer:

• Windows: Right-click C:\Users\YourName\Dropbox, select Properties, and check free space.
• Mac: Click Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage.

8. Check for File Conflicts

• Open the Dropbox folder and look for files with names like “(Conflicted Copy)”.
• If a file was edited on both computers before syncing, Dropbox creates duplicates.
• To fix the conflicts, you can manually review and merge conflicting copies, and then delete extras.

9. Check for App Updates

Download the latest version of Dropbox from www.dropbox.com/install to fix the Dropbox not syncing between computers issue.

10. Restart Your Computer

A simple restart can sometimes fix syncing issues.

11. Unlink and Relink Your Dropbox Account

• Click the Dropbox icon > Preferences > Account.
• Click Unlink this computer.
• Sign back into Dropbox and allow it to resync.

12. Reinstall Dropbox

• Uninstall Dropbox from your computer.
• Download and reinstall it from www.dropbox.com/install.
• Sign in and let Dropbox sync again to fix Dropbox not syncing between computers.

Bonus Tip: How to Sync Dropbox with Another Account/Cloud

If you are using another Dropbox account or other cloud storage services, you may need to sync Dropbox files and folders with them. However, syncing by downloading and re-uploading is cumbersome especially when you always want the sync task. Luckily, there is a tool that can help you automatically sync files between Dropbox accounts or Dropbox and another cloud in real-time, MultCloud.

MultCloud is an online cloud management service that supports various cloud drives, such as Dropbox, Dropbox for Business, Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, pCloud, Amazon S3, SharePoint Online, and so on. You can use its Cloud Sync function to sync files between clouds with a sync mode like Real Time Sync, Two-way Sync, Incremental Sync, Cumulative Sync, or Mirror Sync. Besides, you can filter the files you do not want to sync with their file extensions.

There is an example of syncing one Dropbox account to another.

Step 1. Get a MultCloud account on its website for free.

Step 2. Click “Add Cloud” and the Dropbox logo. Then, log in to your Dropbox account in the pop-up window to add a Dropbox account to MultCloud.

Step 3. Select “Cloud Sync” in the left sidebar and choose the source and target Dropbox accounts in the boxes. Then, tap “Sync Now” to initiate the task.

Conclusion

Now, do you solve your Dropbox not syncing between computers issue? If it still exists, you can contact Dropbox Support to get help from Dropbox professionals.

Moreover, if you want to sync files between Dropbox accounts or another cloud, try MultCloud Cloud Sync for free! It can automate the sync task and let it run in real-time. Besides, if you prefer file restoration instead of real-time sync, you can use Cloud Backup to back up your Dropbox files to OneDrive, Google Drive, or another cloud and restore them with different backed-up versions.