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Stop creating a file (.dropbox.device) on every device I connect to my pc!

Simple solution had at least an option in the settings to disable this feature.

I red a lot of messages in this community going back over a year now... and I understand why it's being created to help your software with notification... but I am sure their is a better way of doing this without writing an unwanted file on every external device.

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Walter

Hi all - thanks for ongoing patience and feedback on this.

Could you please let us know if you notice this behavior after installing our latest, stable version of the desktop app found on this page?

Thanks so much!

All comments

Hannah

Hey @bob99, thanks for reaching out to our Community and happy Monday!

Would you mind sending me a screenshot of this file as it appears on a connected device?

Also, have you maybe enabled our camera uploads feature on your Dropbox desktop app?

Thanks!

VicVega

I have the same question. And I think you can move forward with replying to us without asking for a screenshot. You work for Dropbox! How about asking the person next to you? Or do a Google search, or just plug an external drive to a Windows PC with the Dropbox client installed. Don't ask the end user for more information that can so easily be obtained at your own fingertips.

bob99

Here are two screenshot:

Can't seem to find camera upload...

Gigabyte

Please tell me how stopped creation of these files on all devices connected to the PC? This is terrible! Files are created, including on client devices, which we connect to our PCs and we receive indignation from them as well!

Identify devices by VolumeID and store settings locally. Why write them to devices? Moreover, for example, for me, any synchronization and import of photos for ALL devices is turned off. What additional files can there be in this case, if the Dropbox should not import anything from anywhere?

Jay

Hi everyone, if you're plugging in an external drive to your computer, if you choose not to back it up to Dropbox, then to prevent the app from prompting about the same drive in the future, the dropbox.device file is created there. This isn't locally stored in the Dropbox desktop application.

If you delete the file, then the app will again prompt if you want to back it up, each time it is deleted.

Gigabyte

Hi.

I am not making backup of any disc. And I don't plans to create them. Why do I need have these settings (files) on all connected drives?

It is necessary to stop their creation. The program interferes into user's individual space and litters there.

Also, when I connect a USB flash drive from the camera, the file is created there, and Adobe Lightroom Import reports an error: The files are not photos or videos. And this is also a problem just, because the Dropbox decided to remember something on this device. This doesn't apply to Dropbox and Dropbox shouldn't monitor my external drives.

Please add a settings to stop this. Your support board already has several threads about it and peoples are outraged by the creation of files.

Gigabyte

What if I insert another user's external drive into my computer, who uses Dropbox and has different settings? For example, he makes backups. My Dropbox wiil be use settings of another user's from a file on disk?

And the file that will write my Dropbox to external drive of another's user will force its dropbox to follow my settings? This is very, very strange!

Montecristo

Hi! Have you found any solution?

I connect a lot of usb's that are not mine, I must avoid this files from being created (I had to turn off load on startup and close dropbox each time I use an usb, otherwise I can't delete them, but the bad part is that now most of times my dropbox files are not updated because sometimes I forget to open it again...).

I don't either use dropbox backup, I have automatic reprodution off, and there isn't a way to disable camera uploads...

I'm seeking for an application that blocks every dropbox access to all drives (but the one installed in), but it would be better a not-so-intrusive work in dropbox app and being able to disable camera upload / usb files creation...

VicVega

Hi Montecristo. Sadly, as you can see from the replies from Dropbox staff earlier in this thread, they either don't understand what we're after, or they don't care. We're left to our own devices. I've given up and decided to start getting used to seeing these useless files, cursing the incompetent staff each time, and I stopped recommending Dropbox as a solution for my clients, referencing their despicable customer service. If you find a third-party fix for this, please post it here.

Scorps

This is ridiculous! Stop littering my (and other people's) drives! Disabling the attached option does not help. Any solutions?

Screenshot 2022-02-22 14.03.14.png

drumuser

I agree!

This is totally unacceptable, why the HELL does dropbox need to add it's files to devices??? Please stop this. Dropbox should use the "My Dropbox" folder and it's internal Programs locations and nothing else.

drumuser

here is the screenshot, I inserted a USB stick today 24/02/2022 and dropbox app created that .dropbox.device file:

And I have the option to ask about backing up devices UNCHECKED.

please stop this behaviour

MrTom

I use Dropbox for my business on my Windows PC. I repair tech and computers and I plug devices into my computer all the time. I'm trying to transfer my customer's data to a 1TB USB drive. A while after I plug it in I see a ".dropbox.device" file created on my customer's USB drive.

There's no option in Dropbox (Backups->Camera Upload) or online to disable ALL camera uploads. Just "Photos Only" and "Photos and Videos". I also tried changing my AutoPlay in Windows 10 since there's a link in Settings, and that didn't work either. I delete the file, eject the drive, then reinsert the drive and it gets created again!

Sometimes I do NOT WANT ANY FILE TO BE WRITTEN TO A DRIVE at all! If these drives had a write protect switch, I would use it, but they don't.

How can I make Dropbox stop writing to my external drives without having to close Dropbox while I work, then run Dropbox when I'm done?

Megan

Hi there, @MrTom, how are you today?

Can you send over a screenshot of the settings you've applied after clicking "Change AutoPlay Settings" in the Backups tab of the app preferences?

Thank you so much!

MrTom

@Megan Well I don't use the Dropbox app, I use the Dropbox software for Windows. These are my Windows Auto Play settings.

mailmail2

Serious Bug Issue Feb 2022 with dropbox windows client creates .dropbox.device in all USB devices it does not follow or honor any windows 11 settings. Admins please inform the developer of windows exe to have a proper test with windows and to check for bugs to not create .dropbox.device file in all drives connected via usb

The setting to disable this does not work properly on dropbox windows 11 client. Autoplay in windows is disabled / still this file gets created in usbs

sample issues raised before with no proper solutions

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-files-folders/What-is-dropbox-device/td-p/532122

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-files-folders/dropbox-device-getting-installed-on-my-USB/td-p/192867/page/2

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-installs-integrations/Stop-creating-a-file-dropbox-device-on-every-device-I-connect-to/td-p/545734

Rich

@mailmail2 wrote:
Serious Bug Issue Feb 2022 with dropbox windows client creates .dropbox.device in all USB devices ...

This is not a bug and is the intended behavior. Dropbox uses this file to remember your backup/import preferences for that device.

mailmail2

have you tested the usecase before replying ? The setting to disable this is not working. Please don't jump the gun

Megan

Hey @MrTom, & @mailmail2!

Would it be okay for me to reach out to you via email, in order for us to have a closer look into this?

Keep me posted.

kenleese

This behavior is TOTALLY unacceptable. How can I prevent the ever-worsening DropBox Windows client from creating unwanted .dropbox.device files on USB devices?

MrTom

@MeganWhy bug me through email and waste my time since I'm not the only one with this issue. To see the issue, install the Windows client for yourself and plug in a drive. As @Rich stated earlier, it's an intended "feature" to graffiti my external drives, but it cannot be disabled. That's the issue, where's the disable checkbox?

kenleese

Please get rid of this IDIOTIC annoyance.

VicVega

Hi everyone in the thread. As you can see, the supposed Dropbox staff responding to these messages are likely just poorly-coded bots. That’s what they seem like to me, anyway. Because failing to scroll up and read the message history is a result of just that, poor code. I don’t know how to attract the attention of a real human being here. Me I’m thinking about migrating to OneDrive.

MrTom

@VicVegaA lot has changed in cloud storage since Dropbox in 2007.

"In November of 2012 it had 100 million users. A year later, it had doubled in size to 200 million. It was now poaching top talent from Google, Facebook and other big tech companies."

"Apple launched its own cloud storage service later in 2011, iCloud, but this didn't hold back Dropbox's growth. In January 2012, Dropbox was named startup of the year by TechCrunch, and in 2016, the company was ranked #2 on the Forbes Cloud 100 list."

Is this that same company?

Megan

Hey everyone!

I've contacted our Team, and it seems the best way to go about it would be through our ticketing system so we can have a more specific look into what's causing this.

Both me and the team understand this is far from ideal, and we're here to help you all locate what's causing it and how to proceed next.

If any of you haven't tried to disable the feature, please give it a go. For the ones that you've tried it and you still face the same behavior, I'd be happy to reach out in order for us to investigate further.

If you're on a paid plan, you can always contact our Support team here.

Reply back to me, letting me know if that'd be okay, and I'd be happy to do so.

Thanks everyone!

Scorps

Megan, could you, please, verify if you are a human or a bot? Totally unrelated replies all the time. Our problem is that THERE IS NO WAY TO DISABLE THIS FEATURE!!!

I suppose we're gonna have to start bombing Dropbox contact emails and hope that there will be a human reading them at some point and possibly forward the idea to the developers after receiving a few hundreds or thousands of emails with the same request. Let's give it a go!

Rich

@Scorps wrote:
Megan, could you, please, verify if you are a human or a bot?

There are no bots on the forums. The only bot is the automated chat bot on the Support page.

VicVega

@Rich We’re not so sure anymore.

mailmail2

Seems you need to least consider that people are reporting here taking their valuable time and appreciate that and raise the issue internally . But your so called program manager says that it needs to got through the ticketing system. So please do post it in your ticketing system !!!! . Why have people not reported it before ? cause it did not happen before with old build of the windows client . Something broke some regression test or its intentional ??????????

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mailmail2

people without understanding or have not tested using windows client and two USB devices please stop replying in this thread .. and after removing auto play and what ever these people told and we need a check box to disable creating this file