# Dropbox question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropbox-question/593958>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 24, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropbox-question/593958 "2011-08-24T22:00:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropbox-question/593958/1 "2011-08-24T22:00:48Z")

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Why is my [DropBox](http://dropbox.com) at home different from the ones at home and on my phone? I have a “Documents” folder on the one at work, and more files in it, but they never show up at home or on my phone. Is there a setting I missed somewhere?

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**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropbox-question/593958/2 "2011-08-25T02:55:37Z")

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> [@OpalCat](#):
>
> Why is my [DropBox](http://dropbox.com) at home different from the ones at home and on my phone? I have a “Documents” folder on the one at work, and more files in it, but they never show up at home or on my phone. Is there a setting I missed somewhere?

If you right-click the Dropbox icon in the system tray, and go to Preferences, on the Advanced tab there’s a “selective sync” button. Might that have gotten setup wrong?

Do you have the correct password set up on the work desktop? Can you get files _to_ the work machine?

Do you have it set to load on startup on the work computer?

Just stabs in the dark; I’m no power user myself. I wish there was a way to prevent it from downloading my husband’s stuff onto my phone, personally (there is no “selective sync” tool).

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**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropbox-question/593958/3 "2011-08-25T04:13:20Z")

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Selective sync appears to be set correctly…

…files show up on my work computer just fine…

I’m confused ☹

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**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropbox-question/593958/4 "2011-08-25T12:31:18Z")

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Check the dropbox forums: [forums.dropbox.com](http://forums.dropbox.com) - maybe someone there has had the same problem.

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**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropbox-question/593958/5 "2011-08-25T20:02:24Z")

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> [@Mama\_Zappa](#):
>
> Check the dropbox forums: [forums.dropbox.com](http://forums.dropbox.com) - maybe someone there has had the same problem.

Oh good idea. didn’t know they had a forum. Thanks.