I’m having trouble uploading a large video file to my Dropbox, and it keeps failing or stalling. I need to share this file for a project, but I’m not sure if there’s a better way or tool to use for big uploads. Has anyone figured out the best method for handling large Dropbox uploads? Looking for tips or workarounds.
How I Move Huge Files to Dropbox: Let Me Walk You Through It
So, here’s the thing about Dropbox and mega-sized files: there’s a trick to getting those bad boys uploaded without wanting to pull your hair out. I’ve played with various methods after running into that notorious web uploader limit (yeah, anything past 50GB gets you a “Nope!” banner). But I found a workflow that’s smooth — well, usually.
The Desktop App – For When the Web Hates Big Files
Honestly, the best way to get files somewhere between 50GB and 350GB into Dropbox is to just grab their desktop app. It turns your computer into a Dropbox deposit box.
Here’s how I do it (it’s basically idiot-proof):
- Download and install the Dropbox desktop software for your OS (Windows or macOS — doesn’t matter).
- That creates a Dropbox folder somewhere on your hard drive. Open it up. Toss your enormous file(s) in there. You can use drag and drop, or the old Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V magic.
- Dropbox takes it from there. It’ll start syncing your file, chunk by chunk, to the cloud. You can go grab a snack (or five, depending on your upload speed).
No fussing with browser timeouts. No mystery progress bars that stick at 98% and then error out. The desktop app is your friend.
What If You’ve Got a File OVER 350GB? (‘Cause Life Happens.)
Ever try uploading a 400GB folder and watch the sync freak out? Yeah. Same. Dropbox flats out on files bigger than 350GB. Even the desktop app throws in the towel.
You’ve got a couple choices here:
- Crush/compress/split the file: Yeah, age-old “.zip” or “.rar” methods. Not fun.
- Level up with a cloud drive manager.
After flailing around for a while, I landed on CloudMounter. This tool lets you basically mount Dropbox as if it were another drive on your desktop. The point? You manage all your cloud files from Finder (or Explorer), just like your C: drive.
Once connected, you just move or copy over whatever files you want to stash away — doesn’t matter if they’re super-sized. CloudMounter handles the traffic, and Dropbox’s desktop sync swoops in for the finish.
It boils down to:
- Install CloudMounter.
- In Finder, pick the monster file or folder you need in Dropbox.
- Use drag and drop, or the Apple-style copy-paste (Cmd+C, Cmd+V).
- The app and Dropbox do their thing together; you can go binge-watch something in the meantime.
I won’t claim it’s magic, but it does make cloud juggling a little less of a circus act.
TL;DR
- Regular Dropbox webpage: Nope, won’t handle files over 50GB.
- Desktop app: uploads files up to 350GB no sweat.
- If you’ve somehow got files even fatter than that, try CloudMounter or something similar and treat Dropbox like a regular drive for monster moves.
That’s my go-to setup — keeps my sanity mostly intact. Questions? Nightmare stories? Share them below, we all suffer together.
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I’ve been down this road so many times I can’t even see straight when I hear “upload failed.” @mikeappsreviewer’s got a lotta truth in their breakdown (props for calling out that 50GB web cap, honestly), but let’s be real—sometimes the desktop app solution isn’t all sunshine. Had the sync stall at 48% for HOURS, and the only update Dropbox gave me was “syncing…” (the dots are very reassuring). Before you go nuclear and start splitting the file (oh, the hours I’ve wasted zipping and un-zipping), here are a couple things I tried:
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LAN Sync: If you have Dropbox on multiple devices, try putting your monster file on another computer on the same network and letting LAN sync do the trick. It’s way faster than internet uploads.
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Ethernet, not WiFi: Sounds dumb, but using a wired connection (I get that’s “old school”) dramatically cuts down on failed uploads, at least for me. WiFi drops a single packet and Dropbox goes on strike.
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Chunked Uploaders: I used rclone (super geeky but works) to do big uploads. You have to mess with command lines, but it breaks up files on its own and can auto-resume from broken points. Not for the faint-hearted, tho.
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CloudMounter: Agree with Mike here, this thing’s legit. Feels much less fragile than Dropbox’s own “magical sync” approach, especially if you’re on a Mac. I just move the file like it’s to a USB stick, but it’s actually uploading in the background.
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Try a Different Cloud??: I joke, but sometimes Google Drive or even OneDrive are less allergic to large files (at least up to a certain size).
Real talk, though: for files absolutely gigantic (talkin’ 350GB+), at some point it does get easier to just hand the drive to your friend or colleague and say “here, copy it,” like it’s 2006 again. Remote uploads have limits and Dropbox, for all its marketing, still gets grumpy about true whoppers.
Last tip: always check your external drive’s format too—“FAT32 can’t handle big boys, gotta be exFAT or NTFS for files over 4GB. Learned that one the hard way.
Sharing-wise: After uploading, PLEASE don’t try to share before it’s fully synced, or you’ll send links to files that don’t exist yet. Been burned on that. Dropbox is sneaky.
In short: Desktop app > CloudMounter for monsters > pray your wifi holds out. Or just drive to Starbucks and steal their internet, up to you…
Not to rain on @mikeappsreviewer and @viajeroceleste’s Dropbox parades (they def covered a lot!), but I’ve gotta throw in a slight counterpoint about the desktop app. Yeah, sure, the desktop sync is the classic move, but it’s burned me a few times, especially when the upload stops and doesn’t resume after a sketchy internet drop. Re: CloudMounter, it’s slick, but it’s not miracle juice if your base upload speed is trash—watching that progress bar inch up 0.01% per hour is its own horror movie.
If you wanna dodge the whole “failed mid-upload and I want to smash my laptop” saga, consider these additions:
— Resumable upload tools. They don’t get enough love. For example, TeraCopy (on PC) sometimes works for moving files to a Dropbox folder while filling in those nasty gaps Dropbox’s sync leaves behind. I also recommend chunked uploading tools like rclone or Cyberduck if you’re even a bit tech-y—they let you resume uploads without starting from zero.
— Alternative clouds: Not to jump ship, but Google Drive can sometimes handle big videos smoother (especially for sharing/preview), and OneDrive’s chunked upload is less cranky on big stuff.
— PP (Physical Post): Dead serious—if you keep hitting ceilings, stick it on a USB drive and mail it. Overnight shipping can be faster and more reliable than multi-day agonizing cloud uploads.
Anyway, +1 on making sure your drive isn’t formatted to FAT32 (4GB cap, which is a clown move in 2024), and double plus on @viajeroceleste’s “don’t share until it’s synced” warning. Those “file not found” links will haunt you.
CloudMounter’s worth the look, esp. if you do big transfers often—just go in knowing it’s only as fast as your pipe. And for real, sometimes Dropbox just…doesn’t want to cooperate. Be ready with a backup cloud!
Anyone else hate how Dropbox acts like it’s allergic to anything over 50GB via browser? Totally agree with a lot that’s been laid out above around using the Dropbox desktop app or chunked transfer tools, but here’s a practical hack that helped me—especially before I found CloudMounter (which honestly, is criminally underrated, though not some kind of magic “just works, always” thing).
Real-World Flow (Not Theoretical!):
I had a 280GB raw video archive that just would not get up to Dropbox via the desktop app after multiple drops (my connection hiccups all the time). Here’s what finally worked and what didn’t.
1. Uploaders, Sync Issues, and Frustration Guaranteed:
Web uploader? LOL. Desktop app? Usually works, but if your net goes bad, sometimes it just…freezes, quietly.
Meanwhile, shoutout to some good tips above about using TeraCopy and rclone (props to @hoshikuzu for mentioning chunked tools). But for non-CLI nerds, the learning curve is real.
2. Enter CloudMounter:
Treating Dropbox like a native drive really is a game-changer for the big stuff.
- Pros:
- Just drag files in Finder/Explorer.
- No extra Dropbox folder eating up space if you’re short on disk.
- Feels native; you can work across other clouds.
- Cons:
- Still capped by your internet speed.
- It’s stable, but not immune; you might still get the occasional process hang if moving terabytes non-stop.
- Subscription fee might annoy people who just want one file handled.
That said, when compared to typical desktop sync, CloudMounter let me move stuff in/out of Dropbox and Google Drive without juggling local storage headaches. That’s what made it worthwhile for me, compared to just sticking with the Dropbox app. Also, you can manage multiple clouds at once—killer if you’re bouncing between Dropbox and others for shared workspaces.
3. Alternatives and Caveats:
Google Drive sometimes just handles massive videos better on the preview/sharing front—just a thing. And yes, cold fact: overnight shipping a USB stick for stuff over 350GB is sometimes just less stressful.
Also, whatever you do, never share your Dropbox link before sync is complete or you’ll get “file not found” errors that cause mini heart attacks.
CloudMounter’s not a miracle, but if you’re sick of babysitting large uploads, it’s honestly one of the better pieces in the toolkit, especially compared to the “try desktop app, hope for the best” strategy others use. But don’t toss your other clouds or a physical drive in the post out the window—sometimes, redundancy is the only sanity.