Fix Dropbox Stuck on 'Syncing...' (Blue Icon Loop)

Updated: 11/29/2025

You saved a file an hour ago, but the blue arrows on the Dropbox icon are still spinning. The status says 'Syncing 2 files...' but the number never goes down. This 'Infinite Sync' loop is a productivity killer. It usually happens because a specific file is currently 'locked' by another program (like Word), or you used an illegal character (like an emoji) in a filename.

Table of Contents

Method 1: Check for Bad Filenames

Dropbox cannot sync files that contain characters incompatible with the server's file system.

The Rules: Avoid emojis, colons (:), slashes (/ or \), and question marks (?) in your file names.

Check the file you recently saved. If it is named Report: Final?.docx, rename it to Report_Final.docx. The sync should finish instantly.

Method 2: Clear the Hidden Dropbox Cache

Dropbox keeps a hidden folder of partial uploads. If a chunk gets corrupted, the upload hangs forever.

Step 1: Stop Dropbox

Click the Dropbox icon in the tray > Profile Picture > Quit.

Step 2: Navigate to Cache

Press Win + R and paste this command:

%HOMEPATH%\Dropbox\.dropbox.cache

Step 3: Delete

Delete everything inside this folder. Restart Dropbox. It will re-index your files (which might take a moment) but the stuck queue will be gone.

Method 3: Fix Hardlinks / Permissions

Sometimes Windows updates break file permissions.

  • Open Dropbox Preferences > Account tab.
  • Hold the Alt + H keys (on Windows) or Option/Alt key (on Mac).
  • A hidden button called 'Fix Hardlinks' or 'Fix Permissions' will appear. Click it.