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deleting folder from dropbox but not every device

I want to remove a large folder from dropbox to save space. I have copied it to my computer files. When I delete it from my dropbox account I get a message "do you want to delete X from all devices. I do not want to delete it from all devices (my computer) only from my dropbox account. How do I get a file out of my dropbox account and not delete it from ALL devices?

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Lusil

Hey @Robert31, thanks for checking in with us.

The message you're seeing refers to the connected devices that you have the desktop app and mobile app installed. The folder will be removed only from inside the apps.

If you have the folder copied in any other location outside of the Dropbox folder, that copy won't be deleted as it's not syncing to your account.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

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Lusil

Hey @Robert31, thanks for checking in with us.

The message you're seeing refers to the connected devices that you have the desktop app and mobile app installed. The folder will be removed only from inside the apps.

If you have the folder copied in any other location outside of the Dropbox folder, that copy won't be deleted as it's not syncing to your account.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Robert31

Thank you

FGK-120

I have a similar question. To regain Dropbox space, I would like to delete files from my Dropbox account because I have copies elsewhere on my hard drive. However, I would like the shared files to remain accessible to other members of the shared folder. The message "delete from everyone's account and all devices?" seems to indicate other members will lose access which is not what I want. I seem to want the opposite of what Selective Sync does.

Thank you.

Lusil

Hey @FGK-120, thanks for reaching out to us.

If the files are in a shared folder and you don't need access to it anymore, you can transfer ownership to somebody else and remove yourself from the shared folder.

Let me know if this helps!

FGK-120

Thank you, Lusil, that was the sort of information I had hoped for. It had not occurred to me to change ownership, only to delete files. However, I got some surprises.

1. The overall enclosing folder is owned by my collegue, not me. We've had it for so long I mistakenly thought I was the owner.

2. The subfolders within, which I had created and were the ones i originally asked about deleting, also have my collegue as the owner, not me. I didn't expect that.

3. The link you provided "remove yourself from the shared folder" only appears to work for the overall enclosing folder. For the subfolders, no dropdown of member names appears.

It's clear I have a lot more reading to do. Thank you again for your assistance.

Lusil

No worries, @FGK-120!

In this case, you can remove yourself from the shared folder either temporarily (with the option to add it back) or permanently.

You can have a look here for more info.

Give me a shout if you have any other questions!

RoyGee

I have a similar situation - I put a file in dropbox so invited users could view it for a limited time. That time has expired and I want to remove it, but not from anywhere else.

I must say, the message is really scary -it gives the impression that it will be deleted from all devices.

I suggest you reword the message so as to give clarity. From the many similar posts, it is obvious that a lot of other users get the same fright when they see it!

Rich

@RoyGee wrote:
I must say, the message is really scary -it gives the impression that it will be deleted from all devices.

It WILL be deleted from all devices. That's what it's telling you. The misunderstanding that most people have is that they believe it will be deleted from every location on their computer, and not just the Dropbox folder. That's not the case.

The file will be deleted from the Dropbox folder on every device linked to your account. The file will not be deleted from other locations outside of the Dropbox folders.

RoyGee

Thanks for the reply, Rich. That is exactly what I mean - when it says it will delete from all devices, we read that as ALL devices, including the home computer! This is the message that should be amended to reflect the actual situation.

What do I do to only take it out of dropbox without deleting it from anywhere?

Rich

@RoyGee wrote:
That is exactly what I mean - when it says it will delete from all devices, we read that as ALL devices, including the home computer!

I still think you're not getting it. IT IS ALL DEVICES that it's referring to, including the computer you're receiving the message on. But it's only from within the Dropbox folder. That message does not referr to anything outside of Dropbox. Remember, a Device isn't referring to other hard drives on your computer. a Device is a computer or mobile device linked to your Dropbox account.

If you have two copies, one in Dropbox and one elsewhere on the computer, answering Yes to the Delete Everywhere prompt will only delete the copy in the Dropbox folder. It will then sync that deletion to all other computers linked to your account. It WILL NOT delete any other copies that you have stored elsewhere on your computer. Only the copy you have in Dropbox is deleted.

RoyGee

Yes, I do get it, thank you

What i'm saying is that, judging from the number of queries, there are many who misunderstand the message, so the message should be changed to be clearer.

So, if I no longer want public access to a file, I need to dump it in the recycling folder, then replace it in Dropbox and not ask for an access code. That way it will sync back on other devices, but not be available to others?

Maybe there's a method of simply cancelling public access?