# Too frequent "timeCheck" files in Dropbox

**URL:** <https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [22 September 2020 11:32 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189 "2020-09-22T11:32:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![v-marinkov](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/v-marinkov/32/1045_2.png) [@v-marinkov](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/v-marinkov)\
**Post date:** [22 September 2020 11:32 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189/1 "2020-09-22T11:32:43Z")

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Hi, I am using Joplin 1.0.245 on Linux and I have noticed that now roughly every 10 minutes a "timeCheckxxxxx.txt" file gets deleted from Dropbox. This leads to constant notifications from Dropbox that "You have deleted 4 files" which is very distracting.

I don't think this was the case before. Has something changed? Is there a setting where I can disable this or force it out of the Dropbox folder at least?  
Thanks

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**Author:** ![dpoulton](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/dpoulton/32/29723_2.png) [@dpoulton](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/dpoulton)\
**Post date:** [22 September 2020 12:23 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189/2 "2020-09-22T12:23:40Z")

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I believe that if you are syncing Joplin **directly** with Dropbox you can use the Dropbox client settings to tell it not to sync another copy back down into the main Dropbox folder on your PC. Then the notifications should stop.

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**Author:** ![v-marinkov](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/v-marinkov/32/1045_2.png) [@v-marinkov](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/v-marinkov)\
**Post date:** [22 September 2020 17:36 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189/3 "2020-09-22T17:36:10Z")

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@dpoulton do you mean to basically stop syncing the Joplin folder?

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**Author:** ![dpoulton](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/dpoulton/32/29723_2.png) [@dpoulton](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/dpoulton)\
**Post date:** [22 September 2020 17:53 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189/4 "2020-09-22T17:53:52Z")

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Depends what you mean by "stop syncing the Joplin folder" 🙂

I am referring to the situation where you sync Joplin to Dropbox using the Dropbox connector in Joplin settings **AND** also have the Dropbox client installed on your system. Joplin sends data directly to your online Dropbox from its data store located at `/home/<username>/.config/joplin-desktop`. However if the Dropbox client is set to sync **everything** it will then download and duplicate that all **back into the folder managed by your Dropbox client** (`/home/<username>/Dropbox`(?)) and the **Dropbox client** will send you a notification to tell you what it has done. So if this is your situation you can go into the **Dropbox client settings** and do a selective sync (ie untick the folder Joplin uses (`/Apps/Joplin`). It will not duplicate your Joplin data back onto your system and so doesn't need to notify you about anything.

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**Author:** ![v-marinkov](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/v-marinkov/32/1045_2.png) [@v-marinkov](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/v-marinkov)\
**Post date:** [22 September 2020 18:07 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189/5 "2020-09-22T18:07:27Z")

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Gotcha, thanks. That's what I meant. It makes sense 🙂

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**Author:** ![dpoulton](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/dpoulton/32/29723_2.png) [@dpoulton](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/dpoulton)\
**Post date:** [22 September 2020 18:08 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189/6 "2020-09-22T18:08:41Z")

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Sorry for labouring that point but when replying to forum posts I find that it's better **not** to assume that the poster means what I _think_ they mean!!

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**Author:** ![RogerL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@RogerL](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/RogerL)\
**Post date:** [23 September 2020 08:05 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189/7 "2020-09-23T08:05:19Z")

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This really ought to be stickied

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**Author:** ![humnginoprojkt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a87d85/32.png) [@humnginoprojkt](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/humnginoprojkt)\
**Post date:** [23 September 2020 19:12 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189/8 "2020-09-23T19:12:14Z")

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Solved. Thank you for the concise answer!

I also was getting multiple dropbox notifications of a file being deleted on Linux PopOS.  
I am using Pop!\_OS 20.04 LTS / GNOME 3.36.3

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**Author:** ![cas1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/cas1/32/7456_2.png) [@cas1](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/cas1)\
**Post date:** [1 March 2021 09:22 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/too-frequent-timecheck-files-in-dropbox/11189/9 "2021-03-01T09:22:47Z")

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Thanks, I can finally suppress those deleted notifications!

I found another topic in which @laurent explains what the `timeCheck` files are specifically for with the same suggestion to disable syncing the Joplin directory in the Dropbox client settings

> [@Joplin, I love you... but this is driving me nuts (Dropbox)](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/joplin-i-love-you-but-this-is-driving-me-nuts-dropbox/10842/6):
>
> What happens is that before sync starts, a lock file is created to tell other clients that sync is in progress, and once it’s finished the lock file is deleted. It’s now part of the way sync works so this behaviour can’t be disabled unfortunately. I’m planning to write a post to explain why these changes are necessary as it’s true they can cause small annoyances like this. Best if you can is indeed to exclude the joplin sync dir, or just the lock dir as that’s where files are created and delet…