If you see the message “Your Sync folder is unexpectedly empty” when opening the Sync desktop app, this usually means that Sync can’t find your original Sync folder. This can occur after replacing a hard drive, reinstalling Windows, or changing drive locations.
How to fix it:
Follow these steps to resolve the issue and create a new Sync folder:
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Click cancel on the error message window.
- When the error message appears, click Cancel to close it. This stops the app from trying to reconnect to a folder that no longer exists.
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Uninstall the Sync desktop app.
- Complete a full uninstall by running the Sync uninstaller to remove any remnants of the old installation: Uninstall the Sync desktop app
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Reinstall the app and create a new Sync folder.
- Download and install the latest version of the Sync desktop app: Install the Sync desktop app
- During setup, sign in to your Sync account and allow the app to create a new Sync folder in your preferred location, such as on your new hard drive. Once the setup is complete, Sync will automatically begin re-downloading your files from the cloud into this new folder.
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Configure CloudFiles defaults
- After installation, set your preferred CloudFiles behavior to control which files are stored locally and which remain cloud-only: Configure CloudFiles defaults
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Prevent your computer from sleeping overnight
- If your account contains a large number of files, allow Sync time to complete the re-download process. Prevent your computer from going to sleep while syncing: Prevent sleep mode
Note: If your Sync folder was previously located on an external or secondary drive, make sure that drive is connected and accessible before reinstalling the app.
Still having trouble? Contact support.
If the error persists after waiting, contact our support team with details about what took place when the error occurred so this can be investigated further.