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Remove Link to Local Downloads - Mac

I installed dropbox on my Mac,

I tried to stop it from taking over from iCloud but i mistakenly gave it permissions to sync my downloads folder. Now it is asking me to upgrade (my dl folder is large). I only need to use dropbox for a few documents so don't want to upgrade.

I have signed out and uninstalled locally but i can't get rid of teh link in my account, see below. Any help would be greatly appreciated here!

Thanks,

Joe

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Hannah

Hi @Joet123, thanks for your post and happy Monday!

It looks like you have enabled the computer backup feature on your Dropbox application.

To disable this, you'll need to reinstall Dropbox, sign back in to your account and then follow the steps here.

Let me know if you need anything else!

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Hannah

Joet123

Thanks for the info

pszorro

I have the same issue and the answer given didn't work. I previously paused Dropbox sync because I knew I'd run out of room on the free account. I downloaded Dropbox again and reinstalled and DB still wants to sync and I can't stop it. PLEASE HELP! I don't want all my files on Dropbox!!! Thanks!

pszorro

Hi: I am a new dropbox user and after downloading the software app I mistakenly started syncing all files in my "Documents" folder. Now in Finder is see that dropbox has begun syncing my files in my "Documents" folder. Now I cannot see them in my computer. I have the Basic dropbox storage. I do NOT want all my files in dropbox. I cannot find a way to stop the syncing process. I can no longer see in my computer all those files that the syncing process is still trying to work on as they appear in my Documents folder as "my files in dropbox". Basically all those files have been sort of "held hostage" by the syncing process and I am afraid I will lose them in cyberspace or something if I do something wrong. Can someone please provide instructions on how to stop the initial syncing process (which hasn't completed the initial backup to dropbox) and put back all my files into my "Documents" folder as they were originally before I downloaded dropbox? Appreciate your help!

Megan

Hi @pszorro, thanks for posting today!

Have you tried disabling the Computer Backup feature, using the steps shown here?

Let me know!

pszorro

Hi Lori, Thanks for the quick response! I turned off backup per the instructions in link you referred to. The reply I get is "Syncing is paused". So I have 2 questions: 1) Is backup really off? (doesn't appear to be. Remember, I don't want DB to backup files.) 2) In Finder, all the files that use to show up in my Documents folder are now in a folder named "My Files in Dropbox". (See screenshot) I want those files to appear on my mac and not in DB. How can I get the files that were transferred to DB back on my mac?????

Thanks! ....Paul Screen Shot 2021-07-14 at 5.29.34 PM.png Screen Shot 2021-07-14 at 5.36.20 PM.png

Megan

Hi @pszorro, thanks for writing back!

Can I ask for a screenshot of what you see when you open your app's Preferences, under Backup?

That way, I'll be able to check if the feature is indeed off.

When disabling the feature, you should then be able to see two options:

"Keep content in folders on this Mac/PC," then your files and folders will be available in their respective locations on your Mac.

"Leave content in Dropbox," your files will remain in your Dropbox account.

pszorro

Hi Lori, I'm enclosing 3 screenshots from my preferences on DB under "backups-->manage backups". First one is with "Documents" unselected by me. (It shows Documents selected when I enter this page)

Screen Shot 2021-07-16 DocumentsNotSelected.png T

The second one is of me selecting files to be on my mac.

Screen Shot 2021-07-16 SelectingFilesOnMac.png

The Last shot is showing what happens next after selecting "Stop Backup". It shows that sync has been paused. It has not been STOPPED! That is my problem! I can't get DB to STOP syncing!!!!

Screen Shot 2021-07-16 SyncingPaused.png Why can't I STOP DB from syncing????

Megan

Thank you for all the detailed screenshots @pszorro!

I would like you to locate your Dropbox icon (on your task bar, next to your WiFi) and click there.

Hover over Syncing paused in the white bar at the bottom of the window that appears. Click Resume syncing.

pszorro

Hi Lori, Why should I resume syncing? My fear is I'll reach the "free" limit for storage therefore, DB will want to continue syncing, but I'll have no storage. Then I don't know what would happen if I can't stop syncing. It appears to me that DB syncing can't be stopped until all the files I've in my Documents folder have been copied into DB. Correct?

....Paul

Megan

Hi @pszorro!

In order for the feature to be disabled, and for all the changes to be applied, you would need to resume syncing.

If you keep the syncing process paused, the app doesn't function, therefore any changes you made aren't visible.

pszorro

Thanks for the response Lori. So what happens if I run out of space for my "free" DB account? Will I have to upgrade? Will syncing pause until I upgrade, etc, etc. Thanks! ....Paul

Megan

Hi @pszorro!

If you ever reach your account's quota, all that happens is that the Dropbox desktop application won't sync anymore.

The app will not sync any new files, but all the content will remain safe.

If anything else comes up, you know where to find us.

pszorro

Thanks Lori! One last question - I only want 1 or 2 files in DB. How do I get all the files that got synced to DB off of DB? I dragged and dropped them onto my Mac Finder, but all the same files are still on DB! Thanks! ....Paul

Jay

Hi @pszorro, did you move or copy the files from the Dropbox folder?

If you're certain you have a copy of the files elsewhere on your machine in Finder, you can delete the originals from your Dropbox folder, which will then be deleted from the Dropbox site assuming the app is syncing.

pszorro

Thanks Jay! ...Paul