Chapter 15 · 15.4
Synchronisation on your computer is stuttering
Is the cloud icon on the desktop app not showing green, or are files not arriving? Work through this list from top to bottom. Usually the problem lies in one file or in the connection.
1. Check what the cloud icon says
Click the cloud icon and read the top messages in the window. The colour of the icon already tells you a lot; see the table in The cloud icon: reading status, activity and errors.
| What you see | Likely cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Grey circle with two lines | Syncing is paused | Right-click the cloud icon and choose Resume sync |
| Grey crossed-out cloud icon | No connection | Go to step 2 |
| Red circle with a cross, or a message that you need to log in again | The app's access has been revoked, or your password has changed | Click Login in the window and follow the steps in the browser (see Installing Nextcloud Files on Windows) |
| Yellow triangle, with one file in the message | That one file cannot be synced | Go to step 3 |
| Message about conflicts | A file has been changed in two places | See Conflicted copies: what they are and how to resolve them |
| Message about storage space on the server | Your Nextcloud is full | See Storage full: making room or upgrading |
| Maintenance mode | WebOké is updating your Nextcloud | Just wait; see The "Maintenance mode" message |
2. Does your Nextcloud work in the browser?
- Open your Nextcloud address in your browser and log in. If that doesn't work, the problem isn't the app. See Nextcloud is unreachable or slow: check this first and Can't log in: code, password or rate limiting.
- Does the browser work but not the app? Check that the address in the app is correct (in the app's settings, under your account). Has your Nextcloud moved to its own domain? See Moving your Nextcloud to your own domain: what do you need to update in apps afterwards?.
- Do you see a message in the browser about too many login attempts? Then an old device or program is trying to log in with the wrong password. See Multiple invalid login attempts: why you're being slowed down and how to fix it and IP address throttled by an old app: which one is it?.
3. One file keeps getting stuck
Often one file doesn't block the rest, but that particular file never arrives. Known causes:
- Forbidden characters, or a space or full stop at the end of the name. Windows can't save these. Rename the file in the browser. See Cleaning up files with forbidden characters so Windows syncs again.
- The file is open in Word, Excel or another program. Close the program; the app will try again afterwards.
- A very long path: lots of folders within folders with long names. Shorten the path by giving folders shorter names or moving them higher up in the structure.
- A temporary file from a program (for example, starting with ~$). These are deliberately skipped; that's not an error.
4. Restart and update
- Right-click the cloud icon (Mac: click it and open the menu next to your name) and quit the app. Start it again.
- Download the latest version of the app from www.weboke.nl/download and install it over the old one.
- On Mac: check the permissions in System settings (see Installing Nextcloud Files on Mac (File Provider)). After a macOS update, you may need to grant these again.
- Open the app's settings, click the three dots next to the folder under your account and choose Force sync now.
5. Last step: set up the link again
Nothing helping? Remove the link and set it up again. Your files stay in your Nextcloud.
- Wait until there's nothing left to upload, or first copy any files not yet in your Nextcloud to another folder.
- Open the app's settings and choose Remove folder sync connection next to the folder, or log out of the account and remove it.
- Add the account or folder again as described in Installing Nextcloud Files on Windows. Choose the same folder on your computer; the app will then compare the files and won't need to download everything again.
Please note: when setting up the link again, never delete the folder on your computer until you're sure everything is in your Nextcloud. Check in the browser.
Tip: can't work it out? Send WebOké a screenshot of the cloud icon's window, the app version, your operating system and the time. See How to report a problem to WebOké.