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Change Dropbox folder location on Mac

Hi
I have a Dropbox account with 1TB of space but the problem is I can't use it all as keep getting error message on my Mac saying not enough space? I am only using 1GB at the moment, the problem is my local harddrive is not big enough so I can't use the desktop folder listed under my computer and I originally got a dropbox account so that when I plug a camera into my Mac it would automatically backup all the photos using the desktop app.

How can I fix this problem, can I change the location of the local folder and have this on an external drive?

Many Thanks
Tim

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Rich

JohnnyR wrote:
And even more annoying is that I can't manually copy the dropbox folder in Finder (which is a 1000 times faster) and just point Dropbox to that location. Why is that not allowed?

Because if you move/remove the existing folder while Dropbox is running, Dropbox could see it as a mass deletion which would then be synced to your account online, deleting all of your files. But, with a few extra steps on your part, that's actually very possible to do.

Uninstall Dropbox. Once uninstalled, rename the existing Dropbox folder to Dropbox_OLD or similar. Reinstall Dropbox and use the options during installation to select the location for your Dropbox folder. As soon as Dropbox is done being installed, it will start to download the files from your account. Pause syncing or exit Dropbox. Move the content of your Dropbox_OLD folder into the newly created Dropbox folder. Resume syncing or relaunch Dropbox and allow it to index your files. This will take time, especially if you have a lot of files. Be patient and let it work.

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Stefanie

Hi Tim,

Dropbox can be used with an external hard drive as long as you can ensure the drive is always connected to your computer while Dropbox is running. If the drive is ever disconnected from the computer while Dropbox is running there is a small chance that the Dropbox software will start deleting files before realizing that the entire drive has been removed. Also, for Dropbox to work best you should make sure that the drive is formatted as HFS (Mac OS X).

To move your Dropbox folder to an external drive use the following steps:

Click the Dropbox icon in your menu bar and then click on the gear in the Notifications panel
Select "Preferences" from the resulting Dropbox menu
Under the “Account” tab, select a new location for the Dropbox folder by clicking on the drop down next to “Dropbox location:”
Let Dropbox move your folder and its contents to its new location

NOTE: The location you select is the folder the Dropbox folder will be moved to, rather than the folder your Dropbox files will be stored in.

A good alternative to moving Dropbox to an external drive is to take a look at our Selective Sync feature. Selective Sync is a feature that allows you to choose which folders to sync to a particular computer. It's a great option if you'd like to free up disk space without moving Dropbox to an external drive.

Please follow these steps to enable Selective Sync:

1) Right-click the Dropbox icon in the menu bar on the top of your screen

2) Click the gear icon

3) Select "Preferences"

4) Go to the "Account" tab

5) Select "Change Settings..."

By default, all folders in Dropbox automatically sync to any computer that's linked to your Dropbox account. If you'd like to prevent a folder from syncing to your computer, un-check the box next to the folder's name. Any folders you deselect will stop syncing to your hard drive, but will still be available through the website and on any other computer linked to your Dropbox account.

If you decide that you need the deselected folders back on your computer, go into your Selective Sync settings and check the box next to the folder's name. Dropbox will then sync the updated folder to your computer again.

To learn more about Selective Sync, please read this Help Center article:

https://www.dropbox.com/help/175

I hope this helps.

Tere P.1

Hi!

I have a Dropbox account. I would like to keep synchronized a Dropbox folder on my Mac, but also on my external hard drive at the same time; is it possible?

I have seen a previous comment on how to move the Dropbox folder to an external hard drive, but I do not want this. I do not want to move the folder, I want to have it on my Mac and on my external hard drive at the same time.

Thanks!

Tere

Mark

is it possible?

No it isnt. Sorry.

George V.3

I moved the dropbox to an external, but now when I go to the web browser or my iPhone to look at my files they are all missing but are still on my external. WTH help anyone

Gary B.20

I have purchased my MacBook from my employer. I plan to change the name of the MacBook. How will this impact my use of Dropbox? Will I need to change the name of the device in the security area of Dropbox? Reinstall Dropbox on my computer. I am not sure how to proceed.

Any help would be appreciated.

Ralf H.3

Hi I run my Mac with two extra RAID1 disks. I want to put the folders on the RAID1 disks into the Dropbox folder, so I have a backup locally through the RAID1 and remotely through Dropbox. Following the first example (Sofia replying to TIM), this should work correct?

Thx. Ralf

Roxy T.

Hi Sofia,

I did exactly what you describe, and it started moving the dropbox, however i got an "unexpected error occurred" and then it stops moving. Please help?

Roxy

JohnnyR

I have the exact same problem. I need to move my personal dropbox account on an external drive to my startup drive, but every time I try to change the location it copies 80-100 files out of 4000 and then stops with an error message "An uninspected error occured". Really annoying! And even more annoying is that I can't manually copy the dropbox folder in Finder (which is a 1000 times faster) and just point Dropbox to that location. Why is that not allowed?

Rich

JohnnyR wrote:
And even more annoying is that I can't manually copy the dropbox folder in Finder (which is a 1000 times faster) and just point Dropbox to that location. Why is that not allowed?

JohnnyR

Thanks Rich for helping me out here!

I actually went a different route: I quit Dropbox, disconected the external drive (which contained both my personal Dropbox and business Dropbox files). When I opened Dropbox I was able to point my personal Dropbox to the internal SSD, and at the same time ignoring connecting the business Dropbox for the moment. I let Dropbox do its thing on my personal stuff and when it was finished I connected the external drive again and connected the business Dropbox again, which Dropbox thankfully remembered where it was on my external drive. So now it works but with a lot of unnecessary hassle I think.

groove29

Thank you, Rich (super User)!!!!! I guess somewhere along the way I have become a power user or super user simply from being in the game for 30+ years and wanting to keep up with my data, music, etc. It feels like everywhere you turn for help (tech support lines, etc.) you're always talking to someone reading out of a manual who truly knows very little about the real issues you're tying to solve. I'm in the process of trying your method here to move my DropBox folder to a new external drive. I hope it works. (Already failed TWICE using the official DropBox method for moving DropBox folder to new location--about 350 GB's into the move it stops and says "try closing some files"---hahahaha---as if closing a handful of open files caused me to waste those precious hours!) Before I realized it (using your method, Rich, several folders had already downloaded from Dropbox online and for a few minutes I thought maybe I would just let it re-populate that way---then I realized how slow that was going to be! So I went ahead and paused the syncing and moved ALL folders from the newly named DropBox (Old) folder. It is copying now (190 GB of 1.65 TB and counting). I also selected the option to "replace all" for any folders already copied---something you didn't address--I hope this is OK. It was only around 25 GB or so at the most. When it finishes copying I will "resume syncing" as you described.

My DropBox folder is 1.63 TB and always growing. What I need is "strategies" for keeping data backed up and available. I don't understand why we can't get this information directly from DropBox Tech Support? Their main "go-to" answer is "we don't recommend that". C'mon man!!!! It is ridiculous to think everyone can keep their DropBox folder on the same internal drive of the same computer FOREVER and that it will never grow past a few manageable GB's.

I wish DropBox would add a special tech support area and hotline for longtime/powerusers so we could get some decent answers besides "we don't recommend that".

groove29

Stefanie, This method probably works fine if you only have a few GB's to move. It failed twice on me after moving around 350 GB's of my 1.65 TB DropBox folder. This is especially annoying since it wastes a lot of time and you have to start over. I thought one of the main points of DropBox is to allow you to backup and keep available LARGE amounts of data---not just for newbies who have their first or second Mac and a few term papers to keep track of, but also longtime users like me who have personally owned 10-20 Macs over a period of several decades and have amassed lots of data. There seems to be little support for us! Anyone who knows of good strategies for managing large amounts of data and having it readily available using DropBox please reply and thanks in advance. PLEASE DO NOT SAY "WE DON'T RECOMMEND THAT"!!!!!!!! =: )

WalterKemble

Are you saying you can't create an alias? i.e. FIRST "copy" what you want to it's own folder in the new location •create the alias ...place a copy of the alias where the original dropbox folder is -rename it to match "Dropbox" (that won't change the scripting and with other upload/download sites [Logic Pro X] the host [Dropbox] only recognizes the name that you see -it doesn't drill down to find see if it's being redirected) then delete the originals? tip -be sure your trash is NOT set to delete immediately -that way you can retrieve them if it doesn't work ...good luck ...I'm new to Dropbox so I could be completely wrong. I just figure if Logic Pro lets me do it most sites will 'cuz Logic is pretty finicky.

If anyone can help me this, that would be grand. Thanks!! xoxo

I want to use selective sync. I don't want DB syncing or being online with my devices full-time. I keep one folder of stuff in DB they are backing-track music files. I use DB to transfer them to my phone.
Here's the problem: I go to dropbox.com and click on my (avatar) and then settings/account -returned is a list of "email preferences" with boxes to check for i.e.
•almost full, •a new app has connected, •many files were deleted at once ...etc.
At the bottom of that it says "No folders excluded," but there is no option for me to choose to excluded some ...which is what I want to do. Thanks -I must just be missing something -hesitant to reinstall it on my desktop incase it deletes the files ..they too SIX hours to upload. Cheers xoxo "

WalterKemble

see if my answer here is helpful. xoxo

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Installation-and-desktop-app/Change-Dropbox-folder-location-on-Mac/m-p/223605#M44410

groove29

Thanks Walter. I am in the middle of trying something like your suggestion---as posted by another user--basically "unlink dropbox and uninstall/delete the app. All folders/files remain in tact. Reinstall DropBox and specifcy new location. After install and sync from web begins, pause sync and copy all files/folders from OLD DB folder into new one, copying over any files/folders that were already created too quickly before you paused sync. After copying (1.65 TB takes MANY hours even just copying locally via Thunderbolt), then resume sync, wait for Indexing, and... you should be golden.... we'll see in another day or so when this completes!!!!

As for your question, very simple: Dropbox Icon, choose the gear icon, then choose Preferences, then choose Account, Selective Sync, Change Settings. You will see a list of ALL your DB folders with checkmarks. Just uncheck a few of them and they will no longer be synced locally.

WalterKemble

Thanks for the speedy reply. Sounds like you have it all in hand. 1.65 TB at one go must take a day or two to uplod. I don't have the ultimate speed connection but it's higher than average and it took over 6 hours to upload 8 files about 85mb each. I'm running a 27" iMac -new last Dec. custom build from Apple with every upgrade available.

As for my dilemma -the problem is the absence of the labels/icons/functions that you are referring to. I was thinking of trying Safari instead of Chrome. I've clicked "Block Nothing" for this site on chrome.

LoL so ...#1: there is no gear icon ...there is the 3-dot kind at the bottom left of the page.

#2: When I go into settings/account there is nothing labelling or referring to selective sync nor can I find a gear icon there either.

Technology is miraculous when it works. Good luck with all your uploading if you find yourself with time o

@groove29 wrote:
Thanks Walter. I am in the middle of trying something like your suggestion---as posted by another user--basically "unlink dropbox and uninstall/delete the app. All folders/files remain in tact. Reinstall DropBox and specifcy new location. After install and sync from web begins, pause sync and copy all files/folders from OLD DB folder into new one, copying over any files/folders that were already created too quickly before you paused sync. After copying (1.65 TB takes MANY hours even just copying locally via Thunderbolt), then resume sync, wait for Indexing, and... you should be golden.... we'll see in another day or so when this completes!!!!

As for your question, very simple: Dropbox Icon, choose the gear icon, then choose Preferences, then choose Account, Selective Sync, Change Settings. You will see a list of ALL your DB folders with checkmarks. Just uncheck a few of them and they will no longer be synced locally.

n your hands feel free to contemplate or discuss my options .xoxo

groove29

I'm assuming you're running the desktop APP for DropBox. When you have the app open, you should see a DropBox icon near the top right of your screen, near the wifi status, etc. It's hear that you should be able to find the gear icon after clicking on the DropBox icon.

WalterKemble

Thanks!! ...after several hours of combing posts I found that was the one detail that was confusing everything -Finally I Googled "What is the system tray?" and found out everyone has been talking about the MENU BAR!! AhHa!! Call me Sherlock. LoL we don't have a system tray on a Mac.

I have been reading endless varying decriptions of of similar problems well-meaning replies with the remedy. It seems to me a lot of confusion is caused by not knowing how a screen looks in a different browser or OS, or, what the corresponding terms are in different systems.

So "I" have learned somthing today that will be beneficial when speaking with non-mac users.

Some people went so far as to say Dropbox preferences would be found in "System preferences. Indeed a couple of 3rd party apps have controls there i.e. Adobe Flash, Logitech Keyboar it is however, rare.

When people direct someone to click the Dropbox icon to set preferences, a Mac user automatically clicks the icon within the app or on it's webpage to get a dropdown menu. Apps are sandboxed and not allowed to address global settings or crisscross with other apps. Each app must remain selfcontained and limited in what it can influence over the machine's OS. Thanks for your concise reply ...I with I'd read it a few hours ago!! xoxo

WalterKemble

Yes. there is a Dropbox icon in the menu bar. Far more prevalent is the Dropbox icon in the webpage. I'm not entirely clear if there is a separate desktop app for Mac or it is just using Dropbox via the website. I've downloaded whatever it is that downloads from the links here "get the latest version." Interestingly it downloads and installs without the requirement of me entering my password ...almost unheard of on a desktop Mac. Cheers . I'm trying to turn off email notifications and it's not working ....3 alerts on Dropbox equals over 10 email notificaionts . xoxo

groove29

This worked---thank you so much Rich Super User! I actually finally got a similar answer from DropBox support but only after MUCh complaining and begging for an answer that would help someone like me with a 2TB DropBox folder. It still takes a long time, but at least it WILL finish and eventually Index and Sync everything. Next time I think I will try copying my DropBox folder in segments (using your same technique) because even copying directly from disk to disk using thunderbolt drives, apparently some files in my DropBox didn't make it over the first time--I'd use the segment copying technique to try to isolate which folders are giving me trouble. Probably some large video files or something like that. But it didn't matter that much anyway because when I resumed Sync, eventually EVERYTHING was copied and synced.

groove29

Thanks Walter! Yes, we all need to understand better the translation between Mac lingo and PC lingo. I'm Mac all the way so .... that's mostly what I know about. One tip for those who use external drives for their DropBox folder (God forbid!!!! but this is a MUST for folks like me who hav 2TB DropBox folders).

TIP: Click on DropBox icon in Menu Bar (Desktop app)--upper right side of your Mac OS screen, to the left of Wifi status, etc.---Click on Gear on upper right of dropdown DropBox menu, Click on Preferences in next DropDown Menu, and under General, UNCHECK "start DropBox on System Startup"---this way you can make sure your external drive is connected before MANUALLY starting Dropbox. I also make sure to QUIT DROPBOX MANUALLY before I shut down my computer. If you occasionally forget and try to start DropBox without external selected, it will warn you and just choose QUIT DROPBOX and attach the drive and try again. I've been using this technique successfully for around 5 years. There is no real reason to have DropBox start up automatically every time you turn on your computer. Just be aware when it's on and when it's not. If you forget to turn on DropBox and sync before leaving the house, you won't have your lates files or edits available to you.

[This thread is now closed by moderators due to inactivity. If you're experiencing a similar behavior, feel free to start a new discussion in the Dropbox Community here.]