The Sync desktop app provides notifications when there are file syncing issues. Notifications include a brief description, an error code, and a link to additional troubleshooting steps.
To find a list of files not syncing:
- Click the Sync icon on the Mac menu bar or the Windows taskbar.
- Click View details under the Files need to be reviewed notification (this notification will only be visible if there is an issue).
- Click Details beside each file or folder listed.
- From the details pane:
- Click the Folder icon to go to the file or folder on your desktop.
- Click Get Help to get more information and contact support.
Check the list below for the file notification you've received. Use the included error code to help identify the error.
Sync does not have permission to access this file
The error indicates that the Sync desktop app cannot access the file for synchronization. Common causes include file permission settings, antivirus configurations, or another application currently using the file.
Follow the steps below to rule out permission issues:
1. Check file permissions:
- Navigate to the file in your Sync folder in File Explorer.
- Click the Sync icon in your Windows taskbar and click the Folder icon from the blue menu bar.
- Right-click the file and select Properties.
- In the Security tab, verify that the user account running Sync has the necessary permissions (All permissions set to Allow).
- Navigate to the file in your Sync folder.
- Click the Sync icon on your Mac menu bar and click the Folder icon from the blue menu bar.
- Right-click the file and select Get Info.
- In the Sharing & Permissions section at the bottom, verify the user account running Sync has the necessary permissions (Read & Write privilege).
- Additionally on Mac, ensure the Sync app has full disk access as follows:
- Go to System Preferences > Privacy & Security > Privacy.
- Under Full Disk Access make sure Sync is enabled.
- Under Files & Folders you should have 2 Sync applications enabled (A Sync extension with Full Disk Access and a Sync application with Desktop folder and Downloads folder enabled).
2. Review your antivirus settings:
Security software can occasionally interfere with file access. Review your antivirus software settings to ensure that Sync is permitted to access the file. Find specific antivirus articles here.
3. Check if the file is open by another application:
If a file is open or in use by another application, it may cause a permissions issue with Sync.
- To rule this out, close any application that might be accessing the file.
- Additionally, try restarting your computer (which will close all applications).
Optional: use these more advanced options for Windows and Mac to determine if there is another application preventing Sync from accessing the file:
- Open Resource Monitor (type “Resource Monitor” in the Start Menu)
- From the CPU tab, search for a file name under Associated Handles.
- This can help identify if another application is holding a lock on the file.
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Open the Terminal application - Applications > Utilities or search for "Terminal" using Spotlight.
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Run the lsof Command:
Type the following command, replacing/path/to/your/filewith the actual file path:
4. Ensure the file is not a symbolic link, alias, or junction:
If the file was previously copied or moved from some other location on your computer the permissions may have changed.
- Confirm the file resides directly in the Sync folder, and is not a symbolic link, alias, or junction.
- Try renaming the file.
- Try deleting the file.
Error codes:
- fileOpenErr, fileNoEOF, accessDeny, unreadableDir, statFailed, other
File name or path contains unsupported characters
To maintain compatibility between Windows and Mac, there is a subset of characters that cannot be used in filenames. Additionally, there is a limit to the path length (number of sub-folders).
Follow the steps below to resolve this error:
1. Check for unsupported characters in the file name:
Different operating systems name files differently. A file name on a Mac may not be compatible with Windows if it contains certain characters.
- See a table of all unsupported characters here and rename the file removing these characters.
- If your file does have unsupported characters, rename the file on your computer (removing the characters).
2. Check the file path length:
To maintain compatibility between Windows and Mac, Sync has a maximum path length of 254 characters.
- if the file is in a very deep folder tree, move the file to a top-level folder.
In this example Review.docx has a path length of 130 characters (the sum of all characters in the entire folder tree).
3. Rename the file:
If you've determined the filename does not have unsupported characters and the path length is not the issue, try renaming the file regardless.
- Rename the file.
Error code:
- filenameErr, cannotNormalize, tooLong, badName
Sync could not find this file
This error indicates that the Sync desktop app is trying to access a file or folder that no longer exists in the Sync folder. This can happen when a file is moved, renamed, or deleted.
Find a file that was moved, renamed, or deleted:
- When a file is moved or deleted, Sync keeps a copy of the original file at the old location. Navigate to the old location and preview the deleted file using file version history.
- Sync keeps an event log of all file actions, including file moves, renames, and deleted. How to access the event log.
Search for files:
- If the file has moved, but it is still in Sync, you may be able to find it by using the desktop or mobile app search feature.
- You should also search for the file using Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder built in search
Error codes:
- fileNotFound
There is a problem with the Sync app.
You will need to reinstall the Sync app to resolve this issue.
- Follow the full uninstall instructions here, to reinstall Sync.
Error code:
- sharekey
There was a problem syncing this file with the server.
The file data cannot be uploaded or downloaded, because it is corrupt.
Next steps:
- Confirm if you have a local copy available (for example a backup, or a version of the file outside of Sync)
- If you do have a backup, sign into the Sync web panel and re-upload the file (overwrite the existing file).
- To resolve the error, delete the file.
- Sign in to the Sync web panel and delete the file.
Error codes:
- authcheck, ivcheck, blobs
There was a problem syncing this file with the server.
This is a Windows CloudFiles error related to downloading cloud-only files. To resolve this issue:
- Delete the file locally on your computer.
- Wait for the deletion to sync.
- Restore the file on the web panel using deleted file recovery.
Error code:
- badParam
There was a problem syncing this file with the server.
The file data cannot be uploaded or downloaded, due to an internal error.
For uploads:
- Remove the file or folder from the Sync folder (click the Folder icon from the Details pane to navigate to the file on your computer, and then move the file out of the Sync folder).
- When for the error to resolve, and then move the file or folder back into the Sync folder.
For downloads, clear cache as follows:
- Click the Sync icon on the Mac menu bar or the Windows taskbar.
- Click the Settings Cog from the blue menu bar.
- Select Pause Sync.
- Click the Settings Cog again.
- Select Preferences.
- Click the Network tab.
- Click the Clear now button beside cache management.
- Close the Preferences pane.
- Click the Sync icon on the Mac menu bar or the Windows taskbar.
- Select Resume Sync.
Error code:
- pipelineStall
Cannot connect to Sync server.
To resolve this error, verify that you are not using a proxy server as follows:
- Click the Sync icon on the Mac menu bar or the Windows taskbar.
- Click the Settings Cog from the blue menu bar.
- Select Preferences.
- Click the Network tab.
- Click the Configure... button beside the proxy management.
- Ensure your proxy settings are configured correctly, or set to Automatic or None (if you do not have a proxy).
If your proxy settings are configured correctly and the issue persists, open a support ticket referencing the error code: invalidJSON.
Error code:
- invalidJSON
There are over 50,000 files in the folder.
The Sync desktop app supports up to 50,000 files directly in a folder.
- Reduce the number of files directly in the folder by creating moving files into sub-folders.
Error code:
- tooManyFilesInDir
Sync has detected a circular path or does not support symbolic links.
The Sync desktop app does not support symbolic links, aliases, or junctions.
- Delete the symbolic link.
Error code:
- circular, cannotAccess
There is a problem with placeholder files.
This issue can occur after downgrading your desktop app from 3.x (CloudFiles beta) to 2.2.x (non-CloudFiles), when your Sync folder contains cloud-only placeholder files.
- If the issue persists for just a few files, delete the files from your Sync folder, and restore them using deleted file recovery.
- If the issue persists for many files, follow the full uninstall instructions here, to reinstall Sync.
Error code:
- badXattr
The file is in use
The Sync desktop app is unable to sync a remote change to the file, because the file is open locally. This typically occurs when a file you have open on your computer, has been updated from some other location (on the web, a different computer connected to your account, or a shared folder).
- To rule this out, close any application that might be accessing the file.
- Additionally, try restarting your computer (which will close all applications).
If this issue is related to remote change, the Sync desktop app may create create a conflict file if it can't resolve the changes.
- Learn how to resolve conflict files.
Error code:
- fileInUse
There is a problem with the Sync app.
This error indicates the desktop app update failed. To resolve this issue:
- Try updating again.
- If the update continues to fail, follow the full uninstall instructions here, to reinstall Sync. Reinstalling Sync will update the application manually.
Error code:
- upgradeFail
This file has invalid metadata.
The Sync desktop app does not have enough data to Sync the file. To resolve:
- Delete the file from your Sync folder, and restore it using deleted file recovery.
Error code:
- invalidMeta
Trouble communicating with Sync servers.
This error indicates that the server is not responding, due to a client error. To resolve this issue:
- Review your antivirus software settings to ensure that Sync is permitted to access the file. Find specific antivirus articles here.
- If the error persists for a small number of files, try moving the files out of your Sync folder, and restoring them using deleted file recovery.
- Check our status page to confirm Sync is fully operational.
If the error persists, open a support ticket referencing the error code: 40x error.
Error codes:
- 400, 404, 410, badreq, unauthorized, forbidden, notfound, serverquota, servernodedup
Over disk quota.
Your Sync account is full.
- Free up space or add more storage space to resume uploading.
If you are certain you are under quota, open a support ticket referencing the error code: overDiskQuota.
Error code:
- overDiskQuota
Missing error code.
This error indicates that the server is temporarily not responding.
- Check our status page to confirm Sync is fully operational.
If the status page indicates all systems operation and the issue persists, open a support ticket referencing the error code: 50x error.
Error code:
- missingErrcode