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Dropbox computer backup: how to undo?

Caterina1993

I uninstalled and reinstalled Dropbox because of some issues with syncing.

In reinstalling, I thought I clicked on "no, I don't want dropbox to backup my computer" but apparently I clicked wrong because it started a backup that I couldn't stop in any way besides using the Pause Sync option.
So I let it back it up all the way and then turned off the automatic backup on the website, hoping it will delete the backup, but it didn't.

Now I have a backup of my computer on dropbox, which I don't want, and I can't just delete the folder because it deletes things in my computer too.
I tried with a couple of files, and deleting them in Dropbox deletes the original file, almost as if it's not a copy.

It also doesn't take up any space on Dropbox.

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me, can you help me?

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Caterina1993

Apparently I fixed it with the power of intense fiddling.

Following the steps given on the website here: https://help.dropbox.com/en-en/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/computer-backup

It wouldn't let me unsync everything per se, so I had to sync everything but one folder, go ahead until it let me set up the syncing again and unsync that folder. Weird I know, but it worked in letting me unsync. Anyways.

After doing that, I headed to the Dropbox folder and deleted the "my computer files" file, which is basically linked to the C: module.

If I tried to delete the whole folder it would give me a warning showing me it was deleting loads of files, but deleting just the link went smoothly and I lost no data.

Then I was able to delete the folder "computer backup" without any warnings from my computer, and again I lost no data.

Language may vary as my system isn't in English, but sharing the solution in hopes to help someone else down the line.

Hope this helps!

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Daphne

Hi @Caterina1993, thanks for posting!

Can you let me know if you tried the steps outlined towards the bottom of this article, to disable the backup feature, via the desktop app settings?

Also, can you let me know what steps you took to try disable this via the website?

Looking forward to hearing back from you!

Caterina1993

Hi @daphne and thanks for answering!
I did, I checked again just now and it let me sync and unsync again, but unsyncing doesn't seem to eliminate the folder in Dropbox and when I try to move it to the trash it says it's moving 15.000 files or something so it definitely isn't empty...
When I click in, it's like it's not even IN dropbox but instead it brings me to the C: folder so it doesn't look like "Computer > Desktop > Dropbox > My PC > Documents" which is where I am directly before I click on "Computer files" which brings me to "Computer > OS (C:) > Users > Caterina > Documents"
On the website there seems to be no automatic backup settings, is this normal?
I hope this additional information helps!

Caterina1993

Apparently I fixed it with the power of intense fiddling.

Following the steps given on the website here: https://help.dropbox.com/en-en/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/computer-backup

After doing that, I headed to the Dropbox folder and deleted the "my computer files" file, which is basically linked to the C: module.

If I tried to delete the whole folder it would give me a warning showing me it was deleting loads of files, but deleting just the link went smoothly and I lost no data.

Then I was able to delete the folder "computer backup" without any warnings from my computer, and again I lost no data.

Language may vary as my system isn't in English, but sharing the solution in hopes to help someone else down the line.

Hope this helps!

CrossfireSoftwarez

well in my case, "BACKUP" deleted everything in my desktop folder, documents, and downloads. on the web, i was able to restore about 18 jpegs, but nothing else.

lost all my PDFs, everything. and now i am screwed....

my options....null, as how ever dropbox did this, file recovery cant even find the files....

Pips

This would be one of the most perplexing and infuriating irritations about DropBox. Period!!! The method to do this simple task is amazing complex and most of the examples given in the help menu are not just frustrating, but do not work because the screen menu is different to what the help menu says. Never ever will I use this useless program again!! Seriously, why make it so complicated to simply undo a simple backup process and why in hell would you ever ask a computer to backup to DropBox and then once they are deleted from DropBox they are automatically deleted from your computer!!! WTF? And still after all this time I keep getting messages about upgrading my DropBox because its full and they hold you ransom because if you delete the damm application you lose all your data from your computer!! Nonsense!!

Caterina1993

Hi Pips,

Have you tried the method I used? Did it work for you? It worked for me... I hope you can fix your problem too! It really is annoying, one misclick can lead to a whole mess!

CrossfireSoftwarez

your solution would have been great, except it failed 1 min into it, after removing everything from my desktop.

nothing was moved to dropbox

lilawheel

Yes, exactly -- backup made it impossible to save my documents, deleted my most important folder, renders files unfindable on the desktop where I used to just save them as well as inaccessible from my other devices... It apparently deleted my filing system and added it all to two folders, one is called 'Dropbox' and the other is called "My files on dropbox" but neither of them is complete. Fortunately there is ONE reliable version of Dropbox available from the taskbar icon on my desktop. But Dropbox, accessed from Myfiles, from the desktop icon, or from my laptop, it doesn't contain the files I need even if I did upload them from the taskbar icon.

What an absolute mess.

I only did the backup because Dropbox kept pestering me to do it, also. I've spent a lot of hours on this so far. Also, Help hasn't answered even though I have a paid subscription. Supposedly my Plus version doesn't pay for great tech support. I think if it's Dropbox's fault they could afford to support us...

Yahudi

Dropbox used to be a very straightforward, very useful, very understandable tool. Then Microsoft bought it. The marketing folks there seem to deviously see it as a milking tool to get customers to use and upgrade to more and more features and space, but with a hook: you can't delete files in the backup without deleting them everywhere... It's designed bloat. It has taken over my computers also, loading every file of every computer onto every each one until there's no space. If you delete the backup you delete the file. Dropbox has gone from a beautiful powerful, understandable tool, to a nefarious, complicated, insidious monster. This was very short sighted of Microsoft. They couldn't keep it intuitively simple. I am copying files from Dropbox slowly and carefully, until there are no more files in Dropbox, all safely sequestered away. then purge Dropbox. If Microsoft has a more straightforward version or method, they have buried it.

Paul C 2

I have the same problem trying to stop / pause syncing and then followed your instructions to stop computer back up. However, the Preferences section in my account does not show a Backup tab / option. I also found that the instructions in your Help section on "How to stop and resume file syncing" did not match up with my account / dashboard. Maybe those instructions are outdated, or other issue, but this is very frustrating. Please check to send / post instructions that are current on stop file syncing and stop computer back up. This would be appreciated with many thanks.

brinty

After going through the same issue with iCloud I can empathize. Luckily I had a great techie at Apple who walked me through recovering my files. What I learned from the experience was to go back to good old external backup drives and store them off site. The myth of synching all your devices is just that, a myth. Until the user has control I am not being sucked in again.

freehongfuding

This is the first message to Dropbox, also the last. Dropbox used to be the best tool for working files sharing, and now the worst. This "backup" function sucks. After long time learning, many times trying, I suddenly find the solution: Bye Bye Dropbox! There plenty tools over somewhere to do things I need.