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Forum Discussion
linguos
2 years agoExplorer | Level 4
Dropbox app uploading in online only outside of the Dropbox folder.
I've used the free Dropbox for a while but just went to a paid version and would also like to use the Dropbox app to make file transfer and organization easier. In my case with most files I want them...
- 2 years ago
Hi linguos
Dropbox can only work on and upload files inside its own folder. So, there is no way of doing what you'd like it to do. Even with the option to upload and save desktop / documents etc. to Dropbox this moves those actual directories over and puts hidden shortcuts where they originally were.
Mark
2 years agoSuper User II
Hi linguos
Dropbox can only work on and upload files inside its own folder. So, there is no way of doing what you'd like it to do. Even with the option to upload and save desktop / documents etc. to Dropbox this moves those actual directories over and puts hidden shortcuts where they originally were.
- linguos12 months agoExplorer | Level 4
Thank you for this answer.
By the way, I hope you don't mind me asking: what if I have moved things into the Dropbox folder which, if I understand correctly, would move the files into that Dropbox folder and leave shortcuts behind in their original locations but then, at some point in the future, I decided to either delete that Dropbox folder or to uninstall the Dropbox program?
How does such a situation resolve in terms of protecting or destroying the original files?
- Hannah12 months agoDropbox Staff
Jumping in here as well, linguos.
So, if I understand correctly, when you're dragging and dropping files from your computer to your Dropbox folder, instead of the file getting moved (moved to Dropbox and deleted from its original location), the file gets copied, so you have the same file both in Dropbox and in the original location, is that right?
This isn't something that Dropbox is doing, to be honest.
The Dropbox folder is just like any other folder on your computer, just with the ability to sync the files to your Dropbox account. So, this might have to do with your OS instead.
As for making your files online-only, do you mean that you right-clicked and made your files online-only, but they're still taking up hard drive space?
- linguos12 months agoExplorer | Level 4
Thanks,
When I mentioned the shortcuts I was probably misunderstanding the first response I got. If I am understand you correctly if I move a file into my Dropbox folder and then the file appears to simultaneously exist in both the Dropbox folder and the original directory then there are in fact two files occupying harddrive space?
However, if I make that file in my Dropbox folder online only then it will not use double the harddrive space?
If everything I have said is correct I still do have some confusion because it sounds like, although it may not be the most efficient method, I could totally drag things I want online only into my Dropbox folder from my PC and then after it uploads switch it all to online only if it wasn't by default. Additionally, even while things are online only, I am able to re-organize files within the Dropbox folder. Therefore I am able to achieve what I was asking about in my OP.
I'm sorry if I've described things unclearly. Thanks for bearing with me.
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