You might see that the Dropbox Community team have been busy working on some major updates to the Community itself! So, here is some info on what’s changed, what’s staying the same and what you can expect from the Dropbox Community overall.
Forum Discussion
Jon C.10
2 years agoCollaborator | Level 8
Disaster: Dropbox removing external disk support for Mac users :(
In case anyone's unaware... if you're a Mac user storing your Dropbox on an external drive, you'll shortly lose that ability. https://talk.tidbits.com/t/dropbox-drops-support-for-storing-files-on...
- 4 months agoHi Everybody,We’re excited to share that external drive support for Dropbox for macOS on File Provider is now available for testing as a beta feature. This is available to some users today and will be available to additional users on a rolling basis. In order to be eligible to test this feature, please follow the instructions in this Help Center article.Keep in mind that participation in beta programs is subject to the certain terms and conditions. There are certain additional participation requirements:
- This beta is only available to US-based users
- You must be on macOS 15 beta
- You must have an external drive that is APFS formatted and encrypted
Please let me know if you have any further questions!
fjazzfjazz
2 years agoCollaborator | Level 9
"An update to macOS and how Apple's File Provider API works will soon force apps like Dropbox to end support for external drives."
If this is true, this will be the end of Drobox for all professional users.
dropbox what's the deal here?
- Mark2 years agoSuper User II
I'm not sure it'll be the end - until very recently external drives werent supported. Plus, they come with HUGE risks of data loss. For example if the drive disconnects or Dropbox doesnt open quick enough then it can be seen as a complete deletion of all files.
I think the bigger issue is around online and offline folders. BUT the irk with that needs directing at Apple.
- fjazzfjazz2 years agoCollaborator | Level 9
Yeah, we run a weekly public radio show to over 500 stations and we have more than 4TB of audio that needs to be readily accessed by our reporters and engineers, at a moment's notice. And this is a small (under 50 people) operation compared to other media companies that require way more space in other to professionally work with media, especially since 2020. Since people in the team wont be able to have internal drives with 4TB+ of data storage, it means that if we can't use external drives, this WILL BE the END of Dropbox for a lot of these professional media companies.
If you unplug your external drive, or it glitches otherwise (which can easily be resolved by 1. not having your Dropbox start automatically upon log in 2. not more your computer after the drive and dropbox are turned on) it will simply re-index all files. It takes a few hours for 4TB to re index, it is no big deal and does not cause mass deletion of files. In the unlike event it does, any admin can, with 4 clicks and a filtered search can restore these files in 10 minutes.
And yes, I am also trying to reach out to apple, but as you know, there is not much hope they aren't doing this intentionally, and very little hope they will change their ways. In the other hand, Dropbox might be able to address this issue creatively.
dropbox , please let us know what's your contingency plan, or we will need to look for another solution.
Thanks
- UKD2 years agoExperienced | Level 12
yeah I don't think dropbox gives a flying f*** about you or companies like you. I've been bleating at them for nearly 18 months about how incompetent they are and what's our options and their answer is always the same "Kindly note, if you have a large amount of files on your account you can opt to use Selective Sync so they don't take up space on your hard drive, and only utilize space on Dropbox".
Apple are looking out for themselves and what people to upgrade to the most expensive internal hard drives on the planet. Externals will no longer work with Dropbox so we are now all stuck with either looking elsewhere and with someone who does work with external drives (anyone know who?) or stump up huge amounts of cash to Apple. Looks like someone isn't working in their own self interest are they???🤔
The problem is who is any good. Sharepoint to me is a big no no. Box is ok but very slow. Google Drive is very expensive and also very irritating with the constant reverting to master account and having them approve access all the time.
Anyone got any recommendations?
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