Dropbox options for avoiding file conflicts and locking issues

Question

I use dropbox to sync many things, often things that you "shouldn't" sync, like FireFox states, game states, music database, etc, etc.

Where I run into problems is with dropbox's love of syncing things the instant they are changed. Several programs that I use will make changes and then immediately re-open the file, only to discover that dropbox has them locked to sync, at which point they crash (MediaMonkey and Minecaft both do this routinely). I end up with dropbox in paused mode a lot of the time, which kind of defeats the purpose.

Can anyone suggest:

1. A dropbox alternative that can be told to wait a few minutes after last change before trying to sync? This seems a dead-obvious feature, and it's been requested at dropbox, but no love.

2. A script or program that can be used to stop dropbox when certain programs are running and (and this is the key/hard part) to start it up again when they're not.

3. A script or program that could somehow block dropbox from accessing certain files, as though they were write locked, but not prevent the other programs I'm running from using them, until those programs are done? Not sure if that's even possible.

4. Any other solution. :)

Thanks.

-Robin

Solution

There's sthg you could try, it's called DropboxPortableAHK. As the name suggests, it's a portable version of DB. I use it on a Usb key (I cannot install DB on my work desktop).

Even though it's meant to be used on a key, you can put it on your desktop, it'll even use your settings from your actual account if you ask for it during install.

After setting the Sync and go parameter on once for all, you work on your files inside your dropbox folder and have two non-exclusive options: 1)Click on your dropbox app icon as needed to sync the folder. The app will close by itself as soon it's finished its job. You don't need to get out of the db folder while you do that.

2)Set up to launch DbAHk every x minutes from the windows task scheduler . Db will close when the syncing is complete, but you can still continue to work in your local file meanwhile. I just made a test with this function and it does the job.

Comments

[rlpowell]

The site's FAQ, at nionsoftware.com/dbpahk/faq, says that sync and go should only be run after you have finished your work. Can you confirm that it actually waits for user file activity to finish, as you seem to be saying?

[P. O.]

you are right, I just tried it at home and the Folder protection won't be of any use for you. See my edited answer