# rclone errors, checksums and modification times

Why rclone copies the same files again, ignores checksums or modification times, refuses some names or large streams, and how to fix sign-in errors with Drime.

Updated: 2026-10-20  
Source: https://drime.cloud/support/integrations-and-api/rclone-troubleshooting

This article explains the behaviours of rclone that are specific to Drime, and what to do when rclone reports an error. To set rclone up, see [Rclone, Drime CLI and WebDAV](https://drime.cloud/support/integrations-and-api/rclone-cli-and-webdav).

## What the Drime backend supports

Drime is an official rclone backend (Tier 1), available from rclone 1.73. It supports server-side copy and move, moving folders, purging a folder, showing your quota (`rclone about`), empty folders and multipart uploads.

Two things work differently from many other storage services:

- **No checksums.** Drime does not give rclone a hash of each file.
- **No settable modification times.** rclone cannot write the modification date of a file to Drime.

The problems below mostly come from these two points.

## A sync copies files again, or misses changed files

Because Drime has no settable modification times, rclone decides whether a file changed by comparing sizes.

| What happens | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| A file you changed is not copied again | Its size did not change. Use `--update`, which compares upload times instead, or copy that file again on its own. |
| `--checksum` changes nothing | Drime has no checksums, so rclone cannot compare files by hash. Use `--size-only` or `--update`. |

## Some files are refused or renamed

| What happens | Why, and what to do |
| --- | --- |
| A file with a very long name fails | Drime accepts file names up to 255 bytes in UTF-8. Accented letters and other non-ASCII characters take more than one byte. Shorten the name. |
| A name with a backslash, or with spaces at the start or end, looks different in Drime | rclone replaces these characters with look-alike characters so that the name is accepted. |

## A large streamed upload fails

When rclone uploads data without knowing its size in advance, for example with `rclone rcat`, the upload is limited to 48 GiB with the default part size. To send more, raise `chunk_size` in the remote's advanced settings.

## Deleted files still use your storage

By default, files that rclone deletes go to the Drime Trash, where they still count toward your storage. To delete them permanently, set `hard_delete` to `true` in the remote's advanced settings, or empty the Trash in Drime.

## rclone uses the wrong workspace or folder

- To work in a workspace instead of your personal Drive, set `workspace_id` in the remote's advanced settings.
- To restrict the remote to one folder, set `root_folder_id`.

## rclone cannot sign in

rclone uses an API token. The Drime API answers with these messages, which rclone shows in its error:

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| `Unauthenticated.` (HTTP 401) | The token is wrong or was deleted. Create a new token, then replace the remote's `access_token` with `rclone config`. |
| `This API key is missing the required scope: files.write` (HTTP 403) | The token cannot write files. Create a token with **All**, or with **Write** for files. |
| `This endpoint cannot be accessed with a restricted API key.` (HTTP 403) | This command needs a token with **All**. |

When you create the token in **Settings** \> **Developers**, choose what it can do:

![The Create new token dialog with a token name and restricted access selected](https://drime.cloud/media/01M59T977CYEFV0EGJSEE6Y0F7/1767ae179cc0-web-settings-developers-token-dialog.png)

See [Create an API token](https://drime.cloud/support/integrations-and-api/api-tokens).

## If it still doesn't work

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| `drime` is not offered at the **Storage** prompt of `rclone config` | Your rclone is older than 1.73. Update rclone, then run `rclone config` again. |
| Your Vault files do not appear in rclone | This is expected: rclone and the other tools you connect with an API token do not reach your Vault. Vault files are only available in Drime's own apps. See [What is Vault?](https://drime.cloud/support/vault/what-is-vault). |
| Files of a workspace do not appear | The remote works in your personal Drive. Set `workspace_id` in its advanced settings. |
| An error that is not on this page | [Contact Drime support](https://drime.cloud/support/getting-started/contact-drime-support) with the command you ran and the error rclone showed. Never send your API token: remove it from anything you copy. |

## Next steps

- [Rclone, Drime CLI and WebDAV](https://drime.cloud/support/integrations-and-api/rclone-cli-and-webdav)
- [Create an API token](https://drime.cloud/support/integrations-and-api/api-tokens)
- [Back up a Synology NAS to Drime with rclone](https://drime.cloud/support/integrations-and-api/synology-with-rclone)