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Dropbox Backup automatically creates folders under folders under folders ad infinitum
On my Macbook I once asked Dropbox to do backup of my Documents folder. What it did was to create a folder called "My files in Dropbox" and put all of my files under this folder. But under My files i...
Hi Nancy, thanks for your reply. I've already sent the tech support staff a few screenshots. But still no solution from them...
Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHello Hannah, this is a screenshot of the many folders that Dropbox created. My laptop is stuck; I can barely use it. Uploading files to Dropbox to delete them from my laptop goes exceptionally slowly. I don't know how to sort this situation. I am puzzled because yesterday I freed 7GB, and now my laptop says it has less than 1 GB; I believe Dropbox backup claims every space I make it free. this is a nightmare. Please help me. One question: I am moving folders inside Dropbox, not backup. When I deleted them from my laptop, I got this message:
Can you confirm that it will be deleted from my backup folders but remain inside Dropbox in a normal folder I just uploaded? Super important question.
Here the screenshot of dropbox on my C drive: Message I am getting very often:
- Nancy
Hey again, crismelo! When deleting folders from your laptop, can you clarify which folder they’re currently located in, when you delete them? Are you deleting them from your local Dropbox folder, after uploading them, or from another folder?
In general, keep in mind that any changes you make to your backed up folders, they'll also sync to Dropbox online, as these folders are connected to Dropbox like your local Dropbox folder is.
If you want to add folders to your Dropbox account, but want to remove them from your local device so that they don’t take up extra space, then I’d suggest using selective sync instead. You’ll still be able to access everything online this way, plus you'll free up your local storage.
If I’ve misunderstood something though, let me know.
Hello Nancy,
If I understood well, in this scenario:
- folder AA and files BB.doc are connected to Dropbox backup, with sync on
- I created in my Dropbox account one folder called Laptop 2024
- I uploaded the folder AA and file BB.doc into the folder Dropbox Laptop 2024
- I deleted the folder AA and file BB.doc from my local C drive
in this case, will Dropbox delete folder AA and file BB.doc from the folder Dropbox Laptop 2024?
Please answer a Yes or No to this scenario.
Hi, the ticket number is 23417212. Thanks for looking into it.
Team,
I am still struggling with my laptop. I have paused the sync, but Dropbox still uses all the space I make free. What will happen if I simply delete the Dropbox folder on my laptop?
- Nancy
Thanks for the ticket number, tuongvan! I can see our specialized team is already handling your case, so I’ve left them an internal note for you too.
crismelo, if you wish to delete the local Dropbox folder and not affect your files online, you’ll need to disable computer backup and log out of the desktop app first.
- Hannah
Hey again, crismelo.
We're going to need some additional info on that; what do you mean by 'encrypted'? Are you getting an error when trying to open your desktop files?
Hello team,
Can you please help me to clean up the Dropbox backup from my local C drive?
I have followed the instructions.
Can I now delete this Dropbox folder without impacting my local files?
I have deleted the backup option and logged off from the Dropbox app. Here is the actual status:
- Megan
Hey crismelo, if you've disabled your Backup, and signed out or uninstalled the Dropbox app, then you can make any changes you want locally, without impacting your files online.
Just make sure to keep a copy of the content you might need to keep locally on your device.
Please team help me!
I had 5GB free in my C drive and now is 121 MB. I have unistall dropbox, but I have accessed Dropbox to ensure my files are still in Dropbox. What do I need to do to stop Dropbox taking space on my C drive? Please answer me before my laptop stop working for good.
