Box suddenly stops syncing documents and folders

Owned by Sandro Munoz (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Mar 31, 2020 by Chad Brown



Problem

If you find that Box has stopped syncing files and folders, or files and folders in your Box Sync folder do not display sync icons, it's likely the Box Sync application has stopped running.

Solution

The Box Sync app, which must be installed before files and folders can sync, may stop running.  Box Sync runs in the background checking for changes to your files and folders and syncing any changes it finds.  If Box Sync stops running, syncing will stop until the app is restarted.


When the Box Sync app is running, you'll see it in your system tray, as a blue square with the word box in it.  If you don't see this application (make sure to expand all the icons in your system tray), it's likely because it has stopped running.

Restarting the Box Sync app
There are a couple of ways to restart the Box Sync app
  1. The easiest way is to restart your computer. Box Sync should run on startup.
  2. You can also manually run Box Sync. If you're running Windows 8 or Windows 10, type the

     Windows Key + S to bring up the search field. The Windows key is between the Ctrl and Alt keys to the left of your space bar.

  3. Search for Box Sync and run the app. Once the app starts running, syncing will resume.

If sync has not run for a while and there have been a lot of changes to your files, syncing may take a little while. To see the status of any syncing files, simply right-click the Box Sync icon in your system tray:


The Box Sync app doesn't run when you restart your computer

If you manually start the Box Sync app, but it stops running when you restart your computer, it's likely the app is not set to run automatically at start-up.

To enable it to run automatically

  1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and click Task Manager
  2. Go to the Start up tab and in the list of applications make sure Box Sync is enabled.