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Desktop, Downloads and Document folders have disappeared on macbook after uninstalling dropbox

Hi all,

I recently moved all my files in Desktop, Downloads and Document folders to iCloud to back them up before uninstalling dropbox. As soon as I uninstalled dropbox, these folders have disappeared on macbook, only their alias exist on the macbook. When I look at the same folders in iCloud, it is empty. Perhaps I didn't unsynch Dropbox from my macbook before uninstalling, and my folders are somehow still in my Dropbox account (which I don't know how to access now)?

I can see there are similar but not exactly the same queries here. The other queries and their solutions doesn't seem to apply to my sad case. Help and suggestions much appreciated. Thank you.

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Accepted answers

Hannah

That's great to hear, @tomikobako!

Before you delete anything, can you check how the backup of the particular computer appears here, in your backups page? Does it look active?

If so, you should be able to go through the steps I linked in my previous response, to disable/delete the backup.

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Nancy

Hi @tomikobako, and thanks for posting on the Community!

It’s possible that before uninstalling the Dropbox app from your computer, you didn’t follow these steps to disable computer backup on your desktop app.

If you visit this page on your web account, are you able to access all of your computer folders perhaps?

Let me know what you find.

tomikobako

Hi Nancy,

Thank you for writing back. I went to that page and I can see that there is my Desktop, Downloads and Documents folders with files in them. I tried to install the Dropbox desktop app again to see if I can bring those folders back to my macbook's local files but my laptop came back with "insufficient permissions". My screenshots say something like it can't save it to that folder because it's no longer there... What is the problem here do you think? Is it a problem with not deleting the Dropbox app properly (I just copied all files to iCloud, then uninstalled Dropbox), or is it something to do with how my macbook is set up?

Don't really know what/who to ask now...

Regards,

Tomiko

Hannah

Hey @tomikobako, sorry to jump in here!

It sounds like this was caused by uninstalling the Dropbox app without disabling the computer backup feature on your Dropbox app.

Now that you reinstalled Dropbox, if you go through the steps to enable backup, what do you see? is it prompting you to set things up from scratch?

tomikobako

Hi, thanks for the reply… I can’t download Dropbox or anything else, it says the location doesn’t exist to do so.

Nancy

Hey again, Tomiko!

Can you send over a screenshot of the message you keep receiving on your end?

Did you try to download the desktop app via this link?

tomikobako

Hello Nancy,

Thanks for that link - it worked. I'm somehow relieved.

Now what do I do, to get my macbook's folders (Desktop, Downloads, Documents) operating again?

Regards,

Tomiko

Hannah

What happens if you try to follow these steps, Tomiko?

tomikobako

Hi, thank you for replying! I’ve installed Dropbox again, it’s synched with my Mac, I can see the Dropbox folder with my mac’s Downloads, Desktop and Documents folders within it BUT these folders are still not showing in my mac.
Should I go ahead and delete Dropbox as you’d suggested before?

Hannah

That's great to hear, @tomikobako!

Before you delete anything, can you check how the backup of the particular computer appears here, in your backups page? Does it look active?

If so, you should be able to go through the steps I linked in my previous response, to disable/delete the backup.

tomikobako

Hi Hannah,

Thanks - the back ups automatically happened between my Mac and Dropbox after reinstall. I was then able to untick the folders that I wanted back on my Mac and that worked. I can now use my Downloads, Documents and Desktop folders on my Mac and the backups have been disabled.
I guess I’ll just leave Dropbox there… it seems unsafe to delete the app?

Walter

If you made sure that the Backup is disabled now, you should be safe to uninstall the desktop app if you like as outlined here.

Let us know if you have any other questions @tomikobako

tomikobako

Hi Walter,

Thanks for the reply, I made sure backups were disabled then “quit” Dropbox from the menu bar. But when I dragged Dropbox from Finder menu to trash, it said it couldn’t because some “extensions are being used”. Every so often Dropbox will reactivate(?) and I notice it because suddenly my Mac goes very very slow. I quit Dropbox again from menu bar and Mac operates at normal speed. ?

Jay

Hi @tomikobako, could you try quitting all open applications and anything running in the menu bar, including the Dropbox desktop application, and then try uninstalling the app using the steps my colleague suggested, to ensure no other apps are trying to use the service?