Box Status
Print

Box Sync Frequently Asked Questions

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

This document identifies some questions and answers that you may find helpful when using Box Sync 4.x.

 

Installation, Uninstallation and Upgrading

Support

Login and Account

Other

 

Installation, Uninstallation, and Upgrading

 

Why is the Box Sync folder created in the admin account rather than in the currently logged in user account?

You generally see this error message when you install Box Sync 4.x with a limited user account in Windows 8. You can apply one of two workarounds:
  • Exit Sync and start it again from the logged in user's account. A folder will be created in the correct location.
  • To avoid this issue, install Sync using the MSI installer from the admin account.

Once I have installed Sync 4.x, how can I make sure that I am running the latest version?

Sync 4.x is automatically updated in the background - at this stage, usually up to twice a week. This means you continue to receive new features and bug fixes as we release them. Your specific version of Box Sync can be found on the Settings or Help tab from within the Box Sync Preferences. The Preferences window can be opened by right-clicking the Box Sync icon in your System Tray or Menu Bar and selecting Preferences.

 

What does the "Setup Failed: One or more issues caused the setup to fail..." mean?

You generally see this error message when you install Box Sync 4.x with a limited user account that has User Account Control disabled.

Sync can only be installed by a local admin. If User Account Control is disabled and you are not a local admin the EXE installer fails and consequently blocks the installation process.

When I uninstall Sync, will my content in Box be deleted?

No. This will neither delete content in the cloud nor delete content on your local machine. Uninstalling or logging out of Sync simply breaks the sync connection between your machine and the cloud. No content is deleted.

What happens when I uninstall Sync?

If you uninstall the client and then reinstall it, it won’t just pick up your existing Box Sync folder and continue from where you left off. The client will throw an error saying that the Box Sync folder already exists. Instead, you should rename (or probably delete) the Box Sync folder prior to reinstalling the Box Sync client. The new Box Sync folder will be created (in the original location) and then populated with any content from Box.com marked as Synced.

What do I do if I'm moving from one machine to another?

If you will be moving your work from one machine to another, you'll first need to uninstall Box Sync from your original machine. Then, you'll install Box Sync on the new machine. Do not manually migrate content in your Box Sync folder from the first machine to the second. Box Sync will download the content from your Box account once you install Box Sync on the new machine. Do not delete the files from your original machine until you have uninstalled Box Sync. Do not use migration utilities for Box Sync folders.

 

Support

Which file types are ignored and which are blocked by Box Sync?

See: Unsupported File Types.

Does Sync 4.x support path lengths longer than 256 characters?

Yes, this is a new feature addition in Sync 4. We have seen files with paths longer than 256 characters upload/download without any issues. However, some Windows applications do not support long path lengths – some applications open these files while others do not. If an application cannot open a file with a path longer than 256 characters, then try moving the file to another folder location and try opening the file from the new location.

Does Sync 4.x support Linux?

No. Sync 4.x does not support Linux. See Browser and OS Support for a list of OS versions supported by Box.

Does Box Sync 4.x support Box Accelerator?

Yes. Box Sync currently supports Box Accelerator for uploads greater than 1MB.

Does Sync 4.x preserve timestamps when uploading/downloading files?

Yes. Box Sync 4.x preserves timestamps.

 

How do I migrate my local Box Sync content from one computer to another computer?

When using a tool that "moves" content from an old device to a new device, users should re-install Box Sync and re-sync all of the content from the cloud down to their local machines in a new "Box Sync" folder.

Can I use Sync 4.x with a network/shared drive, external drives, or servers?

  • Box Sync does not support external drives.
  • Box Sync is not supported in server environments.
  • Box Sync does not support networked drives (non-local drives accessed over the network).
  • Box Sync does not support shared drives (drives accessible to multiple users across multiple machines).
  • Box Sync is supported in some virtual environments, but there are certain known limitations. For more information, see Box Applications in Virtual Environments.

Does Sync 4 allow Mac package files to be synced to and from Box?

Yes. Box Sync 4.x provides the ability to sync Mac package files to and from Box. When you upload a package to Box, it is added as a folder. Here are some details to keep in mind:

  • Uploads to the Box web application:
    • Uploading a new version via the web application: Not allowed.
    • Uploading a package via the web application: Prevented in many cases because these technologies cannot successfully upload a package. In cases where a package can be uploaded (for example, Chrome + drag-and-drop), they appear as a folder (and may cause some associated issues).

Unsupported Scenarios

  • Box Edit (web application): Disabled for packages
  • Upload New Version (web application): Disabled for packages
  • Preview (web application): Not supported for packages

How much content can I sync?

 

Box supports the syncing of under 100,000 files and up to 100GB to ensure the best performance.


Login and Account

Can I sync different subsets of files across multiple personal computers using the same login?

No. Box Sync 4.x does not allow you to sync a different subset of files across different computers.

How often do I need to login to Box Sync?

If you actively use Box Sync on a daily basis, you may not need to explicitly login.

If you have not connected to Box Sync in 60 days, you will need to explicitly login.

Can I use multiple logins with the same Sync client?

Yes, it is possible to logout of one Box account and then login to another account on the same client. However, logging into Sync with a Box account that is different from the previous login will always prompt a re-download of all synced content to a new Box Sync folder. Please allow all content to download to the new Box Sync folder before manually introducing content to this local directory.

Can multiple instances of Box Sync run on the same computer?

No, multiple instances of Box Sync cannot be run on a single machine. Only one Box Sync process can be running on a machine at any given time.

Example: John and Mary both use computer A. They have separate machine logins. John and Mary cannot have Box Sync running at the same time on their different accounts.

 

Can I log into Box Sync using a Roaming User Profile?

No, Box Sync will not function if you are logged into your computer with a Roaming User Profile.The Box Sync folder is not tied to roaming profiles.

 

Other

Can I lock and unlock a file using Box Sync 4.x?

Yes. For more information, see: Locking/Unlocking Files.

Why does the remaining status file number increase even as files are being synced?

The number of files remaining reflects Sync's current knowledge of how many files are left. On the first (initial) sync instance, this number will increase as Sync calculates the number of files we need to sync — right up to the point when Sync has the full picture. While this calculation is going on, Box starts syncing down the files.

When I view the sync error details, why am I am unable to resize columns?

If the name of the item is longer than the column width, you will not be able resize columns to view the entire name. Instead, hover your mouse over the required item and a pop-up displays the full path to the item.

 

Can I set the path of the Box Sync folder?

See For Admins: Changing the Default Folder Location for Box Sync

What is the behavior when deleting files and folders from Sync?

  • If you delete a file or folder from your local Box Sync folder, the action will be mirrored on Box.com.
  • If you delete a file or folder from the online Box.com site that was marked as Sync Folder to Computer, that file or folder deletion will be mimicked in your local Box Sync folder.

How do I use subfolder sync?

See Syncing Subfolders.

I am unable to display Box Sync icons in Finder. How do I fix this?

With Mac OS X 10.11 and above, Apple has provided the ability for users to control whether or not icons get displayed in Finder for each application. To enable Box Sync icons in Finder, open System Preferences > Extensions and click Finder in the left-hand panel. Select Box Sync Finder Extension.

How can I set Box Sync to be the default directory for users to save content?

See Setting Box Sync as a Default Save Location for more details.

When I create a folder on my computer, why does it get renamed to "Folder <my e-mail address>"?

In general you will see email appended duplicates with Box Sync if there is an existing item on the Box website with the same name as an item created locally in the same folder location. Box Sync will rename the newer file or folder and add the user’s email address (***@example.com) to prevent conflicts between the two items.

 

If you have email appended duplicate files in your Box account, we recommend that you look at time stamps and version history both locally and on Box.com in order to decide which versions to delete and which to keep.

There are generally three situations where these email-appended duplications can occur:

 

During an installation of Sync, if you drag content into your Box Sync folder

If you...

  • Are installing or re-installing Box Sync
  • Then locally drag or copy content into the new Box Sync folder that is already on Box.com
  • The local files you moved manually will be uploaded to Box.com as "Item Name (***@example.com)"

During installation, Box Sync is already in the process of downloading content from Box.com and treats the dragged/copied content as new files. Because content on Box.com already has the same name as what you placed in the folder locally, Box Sync renames the local files that you have manually moved in order to avoid overwriting what it is downloading from Box.com.

When installing or re-installing Box Sync, Sync does have to re-download all of the content from Box.com and it will not re-connect with existing local content.

 

Local creation of a folder that already exists on Box.com

If you...

  • Have a folder on Box.com that is called "Project A" and you do not have "Project A" marked for Sync
  • Then you create a folder called "Project A" locally in your Box Sync folder
  • The name "Project A" is already taken on Box.com, so Sync renames the local folder to "Project A (***@example.com)" and uploads it to Box.com

This issue occurs most often as a result of the Unsync on Delete functionality of Box Sync 4. With Sync 4 when you delete a folder locally, the content is deleted on your local computer but the folder is unmarked for syncing on Box.com. So in practice if you...

  • Go to your Box Sync folder locally and delete the "Client X" folder
  • The "Client X" folder is gone from your local computer, but is still on Box.com and is no longer marked for syncing
  • Therefore, if in your Box Sync folder you later create a new folder called "Client X"
  • The newly created folder gets named "Client X (***@example.com)"
  • And on Box.com you will get a folder called "Client X" and a folder called "Client X (***@example.com)"

Simultaneous content creation or editing by two collaborators:

If you and a collaborator on Box.com both create or edit a file/folder of the same name at the same time, the first file to reach Box.com will be named “Filename.txt” the second file will be named “Filename (***@example.com).txt” in order to prevent overwriting. For more information about conflicting file edits check out this article: File Version Conflicts

Why does the Preference window temporarily disappear and reappear?

If your Preference window is open at the same time we push an update for Box Sync 4.x, you may notice the window temporarily disappear and reappear.

client_swarm_kb

Related articles