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Solved
How to stop Dropbox deleting everywhere?
I often copy and save documents on my desktop for easy access.
When I go to delete a file off my desktop it also permanently deletes the file in my saved folder.
How can I stop this as it is an a...
Stamp My Art wrote:
This NEW change is FRUSTRATING and unacceptable. Why would you create this problem?
Nothing has changed. Dropbox still works the same way that it always has. If you delete a file from your Dropbox folder, it will be deleted from the Dropbox folder on all devices you sync with. Dropbox doesn't, and can't, delete files from other locations on your computer.
Lusil
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHi nh123, thanks for reaching out to us.
In general, when you delete a file from your Dropbox folder on your computer, that file will also be removed from your account on the website, and any other device that has the desktop app or mobile app installed.
However, you can restore any file you recently deleted, depending on your account, by following these steps.
If you're still having trouble with this though, could you clarify of the file that keeps getting removed is inside the Dropbox folder or in another location on your hard drive?
Are you by any chance using any symlinks?
Keep me posted!
I'm having this same issue. I want to delete the file off my desktop without deleting it from my dropbox folder.
But anytime I try to do it I get that box that says it has to delete everywhere. Is there a way to turn that off manually so I can delete from one place but not another?
It's incredibly frustrating when you are working on a document in more than one place but then can't close one file and leave the other open. There has to be some kind of workaround other than just not putting files on my desktop
- Daphne
Thanks for joining the thread here frei2bme!
There wouldn't be a way to turn off sync for a specific file I'm afraid.
Could you just clarify for me what kind of issue you're running into when you have the file open in multiple places? Are you receiving errors, or generating conflicted copies?
Let me know and we can see if there's anything else that we can suggest to work around this!
I'm having the same issue. I only want to delete the file in place. I don't want my files synced.
This appears to be a new feature. I have used Dropbox for many years.
It is very confusing and annoying. Why ask a question when there is no way to say NO except to cancel the Delete?
this is making Dropobx unusable for me.
- Daphne
Hi there SteveSAS!
Just to clarify, do you have the desktop app installed on your computer?
Would you like to delete this single file from the local Dropbox folder, but not have the file deleted in your account online?
Keep me posted!
I am having this same problem.
What we are stating is that we would like to remove a file from our desktop, but have it remain in our dropbox for later use (rather than deleting it in all locations). I myself am trying to prevent a large number of files from having to remain on my desktop.
SAME. I have used Dropbox for years and was always able to delete a specific file from Dropbox without it also deleting it from my computer and other devices, or delete from the computer without deleting from Dropbox or other devices. I could create a file in one place and know it would load to my computer. Then I could choose to delete it from Dropbox to save space while keeping it on my devices. This NEW change is FRUSTRATING and unacceptable. Why would you create this problem?
- Rich
Super User II
Stamp My Art wrote:
This NEW change is FRUSTRATING and unacceptable. Why would you create this problem?
Nothing has changed. Dropbox still works the same way that it always has. If you delete a file from your Dropbox folder, it will be deleted from the Dropbox folder on all devices you sync with. Dropbox doesn't, and can't, delete files from other locations on your computer.
