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How can I cancel my computer backup?

I apparently selected pc backup when I installed Dropbox and naturally I'm out of storage on my Dropbox account now. I don't want and have no need to have my pc backed up to it. I have the desktop app but am not able to find the preferences section to stop it from backing up. I did try just deleting My PC from Dropbox but a message comes up and says if I delete "My PC" it says it will be removed from my Dropbox and from the computer. If I delete it in Dropbox, does that mean I'll lose everything on my laptop too? Sorry if it sounds like a newbie question but I am. 🙂 Any help stopping the PC backup would be greatly appreciated.

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Hannah

Hey @timq, welcome aboard our Community!

Indeed, with computer backup, if you delete your desktop files from Dropbox, they will also be deleted from your computer.

If you want to disable the backup feature, you can follow the steps here.

You'll find the Dropbox app's preferences, if you click on the Dropbox icon in your system tray.

Let me know if you have any questions.

All comments

Hannah

timq

When I click on the icon in the system tray, the window that comes up does not have a Backups tab.

Jay

Hi @timq, after clicking the system tray icon, did you click the icon on the top right to then view the Preferences option, and then the Backup section?

timq

Told you I was a newbie lol. Turns out I was not clicking the Dropbox icon in the system tray but the one in the taskbar. Thanks so much for all y'all's help. Got it changed.

stuarts14

What an absolute fiasco!

These instructions are UNCLEAR and AMBIGUOUS.

I've wasted my time on this, and now I have NO IDEA if my files are safe from being deleted by drop box.

eschurr

i agree! i'm computer savvy and i have spent a long time trying to figure this out and i'm still baffled. I vaguely remember being prompted by Dropbox to backup my PC, but the notification was an interruption to what i was doing and i just clicked "OK" to get rid of it....now i regret that. I can not figure out how to simply say "stop backing up everything." I've gone to the Backups tab in the Preferences setting of the desktop app but there's no obvious way to just turn it all off. When i open the tab everything is checked. If i uncheck the choices, the Save button is disabled. My only option now is to pause syncing, but that pauses everything! Please help.

dreambughell

I too have activated PC backup. I do not see a "preferences" tab when I click the upper right icon

stuarts14

Here's the obvious, related question:

WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT DROP BOX TO DELETE FILES FROM THEIR HARD DRIVE??

Please forgive me if I think drop box is deliberately "culling the herd" with this inanity

solargirl

I too have been trying to figure out how to know if my files are safe. They were automatically backed up without my asking for that and now (of course) Dropbox is telling me that I'm at my limit and need to pay for more storage. My files on my computer did not need to be backed up and now I cannot figure out how to un-back them up. This is so f*%$ed up!

Walter

Hey @solargirl, sorry to hear you're having issues with this.

It sounds like you enabled the computer backup feature upon installing the desktop app on your computer.

Have you tried following the steps outlined in this Help Center article to disable it yet?

PhilippePM

Hi, as said my Desktop is on Dropbox and I do not want that !

/Users/philippePM/Dropbox/Mac/Desktop is how it is now but I would like to supress the Dropbox in the middle. I surely did something wrong but I do not know what. Can you help ? Thanks.

Rich

@PhilippePM wrote:
Hi, as said my Desktop is on Dropbox and I do not want that !

You activated the computer backup feature, which MOVES your key folders into your Dropbox folder. Disable the backup feature and choose the option to keep content in folders on your Mac.

https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/desktop/how-to-use-dropbox-backup

PhilippePM

Thanks for your help. It worked. PhilippePM

pdolmsted

This didn't work for me. I though I disabled it (using a Mac Monterey) following the instructions and it's still there after a reboot.

If I go back to DropBox Preferences/Backup/Manage Backups I am presented with a window asking me to choose folders to back up. None of them are clicked. However, the "Mac" icon shows up on DropBox with the folder Documents that is merrily being backed up. What do I do to stop it?!

I'v tried removing it, rebooting it, and all sorts of other things. Can someone help?

Thanks,

- Peter

pdolmsted

This didn't work for me. I though I disabled it (using a Mac Monterey) following the instructions and it's still there after a reboot.

Hello,

When installing DropBox on a new machine I mistakenly enabled backups of my Documents folder (Mac Monterey).

I would like to stop this "feature" but cannot. I have removed it from Devices via security on dropbox.com

If I go to DropBox Preferences/Backup/Manage Backups I am presented with a window asking me to choose folders to back up. None of them are clicked. However, the "Mac" icon shows up on DropBox with the folder Documents that is merrily being backed up.

I'v tried removing DropBox, rebooting it, and all sorts of other things. It is still there as Mac/Documents on all devices that log in.

I have followed various forum discussions and this seems to be a known problem.

Can someone help?

Thanks,

- Peter

Jay

Hi @pdolmsted, if you're still experiencing issues disabling the computer backup feature, I'd recommend getting in contact with the support team directly for further assistance for them to investigate in more detail.

pdolmsted

Hi Jay,

I finally worked it out. I needed to remove the computer completely (unlink it), and then wait for it to finish syncing on other computers. Then because it was unlinked I could delete the folders and files using one of the other computers, and eventually relink the computer in question. Because there were 100Gb or so involved I needed to wait a long time between steps until everything had stopped syncing. I think that was causing the previous weird problems: it was still syncing and needed to purges it's system before trying something new. The message is "not to panic"!

I may go back to using Backup once I am comfortable with my new system and have it all set up.

Thanks,

- Peter

joanne l.3

I tried to disable my pc backup, however, when I go into my Preferences, then to the Backups tab where I click Manage backups and it only allows me to Set up the folders. I click on the Set up and it does not complete after hours of waiting. I've tried several times. Please let me know how to disable the PC back up.

Nancy

Hey @joanne l.3!

If you’re only seeing an option to set up your backup, then it sounds like it’s already disabled for your Dropbox account. However, you can definitely send over a screenshot of what you see on your end, so that I can double check this for you.

Besides that, can you clarify if you’re still seeing your Documents/Desktop/Downloads folders on your Dropbox account?

joanne l.3

Hi Nancy,

The process continues for hours without completion and cannot be canceled.

The backup appears to be completed in the dropbox folder with my files. However, almost all my folders, files, and shortcuts are missing from the desktop except for a few.

Thanks for your help.

Joanne

Megan

Hey @joanne l.3, sorry to jump in here!

What is your app's syncing status as we speak? If you visit your account on the website, are you able to see the folders being synced there?

joanne l.3

It have completed the sync.and I see the folder and files in dropbox. I just cannot disable the the future backup. Also, the backup removed most of my folders and file from the desktop. How do I get it all back and in the same place? Thank you. Joanne

Jay

Hi @joanne l.3, if you want to disable the computer backup, you can follow these steps here.

felixthecat

I do not need dropbox for much so, for years I've had the basic. I recently saw that it has a new folder that I think is a backup of my complete PC and has obviously, exceeded my capacity. It asks for an update that I do not need. How do I get rid of the new folder? How do I go back to how it was? Thank you!

Hannah

Hey @felixthecat, thanks for reaching out to the Dropbox Community!

I moved your post to this thread, which is relevant to your case.

It sounds like you have enabled our backup feature. If you want to disable it, you can follow the steps here.

AaronLevenstein

Solution:
1) Backup your dropbox files on your computer
2) Create a new dropbox account under a new email.
3) Copy files from old dropbox to new one.

SkippiJo1

Following

I have exactly this issue

I didnt realise I was backing up the entire PC, and there is no easy option to turn it off. Three hours spent on this already today. Waste of time and puts me off getting a dropbox account.

Megan

Hi @SkippiJo1, I'd be happy to help!

Have you followed these steps, in order to disable Backup? Do you face any errors, or problems when you try to do so?

Keep me posted!

SkippiJo1

Hello Megan thanks for offering to help.

yes I did follow Dropbox guidelines but
"4.Under Adjust settings, click Disable backup."
Was not available

The only solution was to move my files out of Dropbox folder on my pc, erase Dropbox app from my PC. then visit Dropbox on the internet and erase all my files

I will not be using Dropbox again if I can avoid it
I find it far to buggy and laborious in almost every respect

I've currently spent two long hours today just trying to upload a tiny pdf to a shared folder (I have editing permission)

OVYM

If I click on the Dropbox icon on my computer desktop, it brings up an empty file since I don't have any files stored in Dropbox. I have been through all settings online and can not find where to disconnect back-up, yet Dropbox says that my storage is nearly full because of back-up. I can't see anything being backed up and yet keep getting messages that my storage is nearly full.