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Forum Discussion
Smart Sync and removing local files
Hello,
I'm attempting to convert my dropbox folder on my desktop to smart sync, so that I'm not storing any local files on my harddrive in order to save space. Currently, my folder has some local folders.
I would like to
1. Convert local folders to smart sync. I've initiated this process and the files are currently displaying the blue sync logo and the other files are showing (i think) that they are already exclusively in cloud storage and not local. The ones that I've smart sync'd have had the sync logo for a while, and I can't tell if there is any progress with the sync'ing. How do I confirm that they are fully sync'd?
2. Once the smart sync is complete, I would like to get rid of the local storage of these files on my harddrive. My hesitation is that deleting the files directly would instruct dropbox to remove them from the smart sync'd ones in cloud storage. How do I proceed with removing local files while keeping them in cloud storage?
Hi Grant W.1
So first and foremost, Dropbox is a sync solution, not a backup. When sync is turned on, it sync the local file to the cloud. If you delete the local file, it will also destroy the cloud copy. You can directly upload your files for storage using the web client https://www.dropbox.com/home and then that will be stored independently of your local files.
As for the status, if you click on the little dropbox logo in the system tray, it should give you the current sync status of your files.
- atccodex
Super User alumni
Hi Grant W.1
So first and foremost, Dropbox is a sync solution, not a backup. When sync is turned on, it sync the local file to the cloud. If you delete the local file, it will also destroy the cloud copy. You can directly upload your files for storage using the web client https://www.dropbox.com/home and then that will be stored independently of your local files.
As for the status, if you click on the little dropbox logo in the system tray, it should give you the current sync status of your files.
You didn't actually answer the OP's question.
The question, again is: after enabling smartsync where the selected folder is cloud only (meaning, it will not sync between cloud & local), how does one delete those files from local without it rolling back to cloud.
It's a pretty poorly designed feature, because once smartsync is enabled on a folder to be cloud only, deleting that folder SHOULD NOT roll back to the cloud, per the setting. Yet it does roll back, and prompts you that it will do this when deleting or moving the local folder/file. So you end up with no clear way to remove those local files.
I suppose you could delete the local folder, then restore it in cloud Dropbox and it shouldn't re-sync locally. But if you're dealing with a folder that has TONS of files, it's really not an attractive proposition with the unknown of what it will take to restore the underlying files on Dropbox.com. Can you restore an entire folder at once? Or do you need to restore file by file.
Huge design flaw imo. Let me know if anyone can properly answer this question on how to manage.
I agree, smart sync is dumb. The answer is not an answer. I expected it to work like this:
1) turn smart sync on for a folder
2) delete the local folder to save space on your local system
Instead you turn on smart sync and it seems like nothing changed. You try and delete your local folder and it wants to delete your online folder - dumb.
Also, dropbox isn't a backup solution?? It's a sync solution?
THAT makes me nervous as hell - so really we shouldn't count on our files being safe in dropbox because it's not really a backup solution.
Hmmmm, I guess I should start hunting for an alternative service. :-(
So if sync is turned on and I have not uploaded my local dropbox contents for backup and if I restore from backup all folders/directories/files except my local Dropbox folder (files) - then all my local dropbox files are forever gone, unless I still have them on a external backup drive for restore. Correct?
I changed to Smart Sync but all files are still shown as Local, and I can't manually change.
Changed to Smart Sync: online in Admin and my User and on desktop yesterday
Do I just need to give it more time for the local files to be removed?
Or do I need to take more steps to clear my (nearly full) hard drive?
Thank you!
https://help.dropbox.com/sync/make-files-online-only
When you choose Smart Sync, the files are deleted from your computer but Dropbox leaves the name of the file as a placeholder so it takes up very little space. You can still see the file in your computer. For example, File A which is 1 GB, which is toggled to "local", would occupy 1 GB on your computer and 1 GB in your Dropbox storage. But if you toggle Smartsync, it will occupy only kilobytes in your computer and 1 GB in your Dropbox storage. It's the next best thing to deleting the file altogether but retaining it in the cloud. At least, you get to see all your files in Dropbox if you Smartsync all your files. If you want to download a file to your computer again, you just click on the file.
You have the option of not syncing the file in which case, it will only be in the cloud storage and not in your computer at all. You will be able to see the file only when you log on to your Dropbox account and search for it online.
I'm using a laptop that previously had a coworker's Dropbox synced to it. Her folder is 5 TB, and it's currently taking up a phantom 5TB on the device, even though she has unsynced and any changes I have made to her folders thus far have not reflected her current Dropbox. Am I able to move her entire Dropbox folder -- which seems to only be phantom folders/files as I can't access anything when I try to open -- to the trash?
