Skip to main content
Question

Cannot Sync - Problem Item

  • May 27, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 115 views
Forum|alt.badge.img

Hi,
I'm using Box sync and have a number of folders on my computer that show the Box Sync red dot icon and right clicking on them shows the "Cannot Sync - Problem Item" error.

Normally this happens after I unsync a folder. If I dig down into these folders there are some files that remain and show the same box  error message.

I've tried resyncing and unsyncing these folders without success.
How do I reset Box (without reinstalling Box Sync) so these folders do not have sync errors?

    2 replies

    Forum|alt.badge.img

    How do I reset Box (without reinstalling Box Sync) so these folders do not have sync errors?  aarp-membership

    To reset Box Sync without reinstalling, try the following:

    1. Quit Box Sync: Right-click the Box Sync icon and select “Quit”.
    2. Restart Box Sync: Open Box Sync again to refresh the connection.

    If issues persist, check for any locked files or permissions issues that might prevent syncing.

    Forum|alt.badge.img

    Hi Stephen, 

    Welcome to Box Community and glad to assist!

     We strongly recommend switching to Box Drive. 

    We firmly suggest for this change in your environment as Box Drive is the current Box desktop experience, does not require manual syncing (though this is available through the mark for offline option), and the issue you're experiencing is likely to be resolved straight away after installation. By installing Box Drive from this link Box Sync will be automatically uninstalled, and any files that had not synced up to Box will be preserved in your old Box Sync folder.

     

    This article explains the difference between Sync and Drive: https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043697354-Switching-from-Box-Sync-to-Box-Drive

    This article goes into a little more detail about Box Drive and its basic functionality: https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043697494

    Hope it helps! 

    Terms of ServiceAccessibility statement