Troubleshooting issues with Box Sync

Box Sync is a desktop program for Windows and Mac that synchronizes your files between your computer and the Box website. Any issues you experience with syncing or slowness may be caused by your settings in the Box website or the program itself.

Note: Do not delete anything from Box Sync that you do not want deleted from Box entirely. Anything deleted from Box Sync will be deleted from the Box website as well. Follow the first set of instructions below to Unsync, rather than deleting things from the Box Sync folder.

A folder on the Northwestern Box website does not appear in Box Sync 

 In order for a folder to appear in Box Sync, you will need to enable that folder to sync to your computer:
  1. Log in to Northwestern Box at http://northwestern.box.com .
  2. Find a folder you'd like to sync, and right-click on it.
  3. Click on More Actions, then click Sync.

You will notice Box Sync's status change to "Scanning Files" or "Syncing," and eventually the folder and all of its subfolders and files will appear in your Box Sync folder. 

Do not delete anything from Box Sync that you do not want deleted from Box entirely. To remove a folder from Box Sync, follow the above instructions but choose Unsync in step 3.

Northwestern Box website and Box Sync don't match  

There are a few things that can cause issues syncing between the Box website and the Box Sync folder:
  1. Is Box Sync running and logged in? Ensure that Box is running in the background and you are logged in with your @northwestern.edu account. 
    • On Mac, you should see a lowercase b icon on the top bar. On Windows, you should see a blue square with the word box inside it in the bottom right corner (you may need to click the arrow button to display it). 
    • If you do not see the icon, open Box Sync. On Mac, click Finder, then the Applications folder in the left bar, then double-click Box Sync. In Windows, click the Start Menu, then search Box Sync.
  2. Are you placing the data in the Box Sync folder? Only data placed in the Box Sync folder (or any of its subfolders) will be synced to the Northwestern Box website. Make sure you are saving the files inside the Box Sync folder, rather than your desktop or documents folders.
  3. Is your data located on a network share? Box Sync often encounters issues with data stored on a network share. We suggest you store the data locally, if possible.

Box Sync is slow or won't stop "Scanning Files"

Box Sync may be slow due to the number of folders you have in Box Sync. Whenever you make a change, Box scans all of the files and folders to see if any other changes need to be reflected in Box Sync or the website. 

You can make this process faster by un-syncing any folders you don't need in the Box Sync folder on your computer:
  1. Log in to Northwestern Box at http://northwestern.box.com .
  2. Find a folder you'd like to unsync, and right-click on it.
  3. Click on More Actions, then Unsync.
You can access all of your content on the Northwestern Box website. If you'd like the folder to appear in your Box Sync folder on your computer, you can always take the above steps, but click "Sync to Computer" instead.

Note: Do not delete anything from Box Sync that you do not want deleted from Box entirely. To remove a folder from Box Sync, follow the above instructions.

See Also:

For additional assistance please contact the IT Support Center at 847-491-4357 (1-HELP) or via email at consultant@northwestern.edu.



Keywords:folder sync slow "scanning files"   Doc ID:64684
Owner:TSS Tier 2 .Group:Northwestern
Created:2016-07-05 09:54 CDTUpdated:2020-06-10 10:46 CDT
Sites:Northwestern
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