Sync issue DT3/DTTG/Dropbox

DEVONthink
#1

I’ve been using DT on two Macs, and DTTG on my iPhone and iPad. After upgrading to DT3, I started experiencing several syncing issues.

The first issue I noticed were some files I added to DTTG using my iPad that never appeared on my Mac. At first I dismissed it as a network issue, but a bit later I noticed the same behavior from my iPhone. Further testing asserted that neither my iPad or my iPhone were in sync with my Mac, nor with eachother. As far as I understand, this is a compability issue between DTTG and DT3, and I have not pursued it further.

Then I started to notice that both my macs were out of sync as well. That’s a much bigger problem. Both my iMac and my MacBook claims successful verification of the same database, but they’re absolutely not in sync.

Trouble is, at this point I really don’t know where to start troubleshooting. Everything looks like it’s working, in the sense that there are no error messages. If I look at the Sync Store in my Dropbox account, it appears to be updating. I do not want to do anything to compromise the most up to date database (the one on the MacBook).

All my software is up to date, running MacOS Catalina.

1 Like
#2

I’m experiencing precisely the same thing. Also up-to-date on iOS 13.1.2 & Catalina.

Update: I just now saw the week-old admonition on the blog not to install Catalina yet. After I purchased & installed the upgrade. Would have appreciated a bit more of a warning on that when purchasing.

#3

Do you use iCloud for synchronizing?

#4

No, I use Dropbox.

#5

Is anything logged to Windows > Log? Are you able to verify the sync store successfully, see contextual menu in Preferences > Sync?

#6

Would have appreciated a bit more of a warning on that when purchasing.

Many Apple and tech blogs, including high-visibility people on Twitter, have been talking about issues with macOS 10.15 Catalina and suggesting people do not upgrade early.

#7

Yes, DT verifies nicely on both computers. But they’re still not in sync.

#8

A bit late for that, unfortunately. But I guess - if it’s a Catalina issue, I trust it will be addressed eventually. In the meantime, I’ll stick to my MacBook.

#9

Jim - sorry, I occasionally think out loud online & need to work on that. I was referring to some warning about potential compatibility with Catalina when purchasing, but no big deal. I’ve had DTP for a long time and am only now getting serious about using it. I’m sure any Catalina glitches will get sorted out in due course, and am enthused about DTP capabilities. I currently have it sync with iCloud, but I too will just stick to the Mac until it gets resolved.

#10

No worries at all. We too have our fingers crossed for Apple to quickly, but accurately, deal with these issues. :slight_smile:

#11

I was having this issue with one database, and am not on Catalina (am using Dropbox and NOT iCloud). I contacted support and they suggested I “clean” the Database from the Mac in Preferences > Sync. I think what it does is reuploads a new database into the sync store. Before this I disabled syncing of that database on all other devices. After cleaning it I turned sync back on and let each one sync fully one at a time. It fixed my syncing issue. I had been using that sync store for a very long time, so somehow it got corrupted. This works well in my experience you just have to have good bandwidth and let it take it’s time. You can probably find more official help on this in the forums or their manual.

#12

I had the exact same issue. Support responded with the following:

We are unable to reproduce any issue so far and we have also not changed any of the code regarding Dropbox sync in a long time.

In DEVONthink’s Preferences > Sync , click the plus button under the Locations list and choose Add Dropbox Sync Store . Give it a new name and enter an optional encryption key, if desired. Choose the smallest database and sync to this new location.

Then add the location to the sync locations in DEVONthink on the other Mac. Disable the old sync location but don’t delete it yet. Sync to the new location, then make some minor changes, like changing a label color on some files to see if it syncs correctly between the Mac and mobile.

Whilst it took a substantial amount of time to get everything back in sync, it worked fine. I’ve since upgraded to Catalina, and no issues experienced so far.

Hope this helps.

1 Like
#13

Thanks for that @frmoses
Was having a similar problem, and the solution you posted fixed it.