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File Types Ignored or Blocked by Box Sync and Box Drive

End User , Box Sync , Troubleshooting , Article , Product Utilization , Established

Both Box Sync and Box Drive will not sync files that the program ignores or blocks. Ignored files include invisible in Windows Explorer or Finder, such as temporary or system files. Blocked files include file types that Box Sync or Box Drive does not recognize.

Box Sync still requires read permissions on these files in order to determine if the file should be blocked or ignored during the scanning process.

 

Box Sync and Box Drive ignore the following file types and shortcuts:

  • Temporary files and folders (.tmp and files starting with the ~ character)
  • Backup copies of files (.bak)
  • System and hidden files (hidden folders are synced but hidden files are not synced: such as ._dstore, desktop.ini, thumbs.db).
    • File names that start with a dot "." are considered hidden files.

Warning

    • Marking the Box Sync root folder as hidden deletes all synced content on Box.com.
    • Hiding any file or folder in Sync also deletes that content.
  • Shortcuts created via Windows Explorer or Finder
  • Hard links (a file that has multiple directory entries associated with it will not be synced)
  • Symbolic links
  • Shortcuts created via Windows Explorer or Finder (.lnk)
  • File names that are exactly 8 uppercase hexadecimal digits (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E, or F) with no extension – for example: 1234AD38 or ABE32BD0.
  • File names containing special characters
  • Bookmarks will not sync to the Box Sync / Box Drive folder. Other web-based documents (such as .gdoc, .gsheet, and Box Notes) will be synced to the Box Drive folder and will open in your browser.
  • .qbi files

 

Box Sync and Box Drive block the following file types:

  • .pst
  • .qbw
  • .nd
  • .qbw.tlg
  • .des
  • .qba
  • .qba.tlg
  • .qbr
  • .qby
  • .qdt
  • .pdx

These file types can be uploaded and stored in Box via the Box web site, but Box Sync will not recognize them. They will not be synced even if they are in a synced folder.

 

Note:

Box Sync will sync folder names ending in a dot ("."), but users on Windows computers will not be able to access the folder. Users will see an error dialog "Location is not available". Please remove the dot "." from the end of the folder name, or Windows users will be required to access the folder only from the Box web site.

 

Microsoft Access database files (.accdb and .mdb):

Due to the saving behavior of Microsoft Access, it's likely that Box Sync and Box Drive will create duplicate copies of .accdb and .mdb files. Even one user working on a file can cause conflict copies due to how frequently Access makes changes to the database file.

 

We recommend pausing Box Sync prior to working in any .accdb or .mdb file. Then you can un-pause Box Sync when you are ready to upload the latest version.

 

Box Drive users can copy the file out of the Box folder and copy the file back into the Box folder after the changes are made to upload the changes to Box.

 

Microsoft OneNote Notebooks:

Microsoft does not recommend using synchronization programs like Box Sync or Box Drive with OneNote notebooks:

"In general, OneNote notebooks should always be synced and moved by the OneNote application, and not by file based synchronization systems such as a client application"

Please see here for more information on OneNote syncing best practices: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/best-practices-for-syncing-notes-in-onenote-9c6e8fcc-3307-419c-ba77-58cadfe651d7

 

Mac Package Files

Mac package files are files produced by some Mac applications that the macOS operating system stores internally as folders rather than a single file. However, each package folder is displayed in macOS folder windows and apps as a single file.

 

Box Sync and Box Drive’s support for Mac package files depends on your computer’s operating system.

  • On macOS Big Sur 11.5 and later, both Box Sync and Box Drive support Mac package files.
    • Box Drive’s Mac package file support is a benefit of Box Drive’s File Provider Extension (FPE) mode, available only on these macOS system versions.
    • If your computer is running macOS Big Sur, your organization may have disabled FPE mode, which turns off Box Drive’s Mac package file support. Check with your IT team if you can’t use Mac packages on macOS Big Sur.
  • On macOS Big Sur 11.4 and earlier, only Box Sync supports Mac package files. Box Drive does not.
    • In Box Drive, Mac package files already on Box will appear as problem items, as will package files you try to add to your Box Drive folder locally.
  • On Windows, Box Sync has partial support for Mac package files, while Box Drive has none.
    • In Box Sync, Mac package files already on Box will sync as single files in the ZIP file format. Some applications that use Mac package files on macOS may recognize these single files and open them successfully on Windows, then save them back in the same single-file ZIP format.
    • In Box Drive, Mac package files already on Box will appear as problem items, as they would on macOS 11.4 and earlier.
    • Since Windows does not recognize package files as single files, you will not be able to create package files locally in either Box Sync or Box Drive.

 

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