macOS File Provider status is quickly switching between "Checking Folder Changes" and "Some files could not be synced"

[NikolausDemmel]

⚠️ Before submitting, please verify the following: ⚠️

• This is a bug, not a question or a configuration issue.
• This issue is not already reported on Github (I've searched it).
• Nextcloud Server and Desktop Client are up to date. See Server Maintenance and Release Schedule and Desktop Releases for supported versions.
• I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct

Bug description

My client on macOS recently started to quickly switch between "Checking Folder Changes" and "Some files could not be synced" every few seconds, see screenshots and video.

The latter also includes the hint "See below for warnings", but I don't see any warning in the list below.

Screen.Recording.2025-09-12.at.14.04.32.mov

I've waited for > 1 week and no change.

The client should be up to date (version 3.17.1) and the server is a managed instance by Hetzner (version 31.0.8).

Steps to reproduce

1. Right click on the file
2. Click on Share Options
3. The share dialog does not display the option to share by e-mail
   ...

Expected behavior

When clicking on the share dialog, share by e-mail should be an option.
...

Which files are affected by this bug

It says "Folders", not sure what is causing this...

Operating system

macOS

Which version of the operating system you are running.

15.6.1

Package

Official macOS 12+ universal pkg

Nextcloud Server version

31.0.8

Nextcloud Desktop Client version

3.17.1

Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?

Updated from a minor version (ex. 3.16.1 to 3.16.2)

Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?

Encryption is Disabled

Are you using an external user-backend?

• Default internal user-backend
• LDAP/ Active Directory
• SSO - SAML
• Other

Nextcloud Server logs

I don't think I have access to the logs as this is a managed instance.

Additional info

We are using the https://github.com/NikolausDemmel/user_vo user-backend plugin.

Client debug logs:

NC-client-logs.zip

[nilsding]

Thanks for the report and the debug archive.

Does your Nextcloud server have some external storage mounts configured?
Also, are you using the virtual file sync as well, or just the classic sync?

[NikolausDemmel]

Thanks for the quick response.

No external storage mounts on the server.

The client has the virtual file sync enabled (I guess it's the default?), but I don't think I'm using that / there are any files.

[Rello]

Hello,

it seem you have Standard Sync and Virtual files activated. is this on purpose?
You should only use one because they are not 100% compatible by Apple.
We will change this in the future versions, that there is an either/or.

if you do not need VFS, disable it and see if the client recovers?