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Dropbox Backup 2024 version can't sync among computers

I have 3 computers: Let's call them

Computer 1 (desktop)

Computer 2 (desktop, different location)

Computer 3 (laptop)

For a couple of years, the files in Computer 1 were in the Mac user folder (Documents, Downloads, and Desktop), not the Dropbox folder. I used Dropbox Backup to keep these backed up. These made a copy in a special folder in Dropbox > Mac.

The Dropbox > Mac folder was easily accessible from Computer 2 and Computer 3. Whenever I worked on those computers, I worked entirely within this folder, keeping everything nicely in sync among all three computers, and everything was easily accessible via the Mac Finder like any other file.

Now, due to a recent change to Dropbox Backup, the Dropbox Backup from Computer 1 is only accessible via the web interface. It is no longer accessible in my Finder in Computer 2 or Computer 3. Those files, which were previously available on my local drive, seem to have been totally deleted.

Moreover, I cannot download these files from the web because it says "Attempted to zip too many files." (I have approximately 175 GB in this backup)

Moreover, if I attempt to "Restore" the backup from Computer 1 onto Computer 2, Dropbox prompts me to create a new backup of Computer 2. I don't need this, but I was forced to accept it in order to proceed with the Restore. Then, after accepting the new backup, I cannot restore from Computer 1.

At the moment, the only was of accessing my important files is via the web, and the only local copy is on Computer 1, which is in a different location. Please help me restore this to the old system, where I can have three computers always in sync.

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Comments

Mark

There is no way to restore back I'm afraid.

Здравко

@upty wrote:
... Please help me restore this to the old system, where I can have three computers always in sync.

Hi @upty,

Better don't rely anymore on extravagant features like Dropbox Backup. While you need sync only, backup is not intended for such a usage! Just create a simple folder in your Dropbox folder named Documents and put everything you need to keep in sync there. Turn off your Dropbox Backup (on every machine it has been on) and just... sync without backup. 😉 You will have one more Documents folder - use the one that's in Dropbox folder that you created. That's it.

Hope this gives you idea.

PS: Never do more that you need actually - you don't know what'll get back. 🙂

upty

Thanks. Yes, I have realized that this is the most likely way forward. For now, I am trying to use Rewind to rewind the contents of the previous Backup folder, which is still showing in the Dropbox but now as a regular Dropbox folder. So far it seems promising, but it will probably take some time to rewind 175 GB. I will report back further. Then it will be just another Dropbox folder, as you suggest.

upty

Dropbox Rewind has concluded, and appears to be a satisfactory solution in this circumstance. I do think there should be a better migration for customers in this scenario, but I hope my experience will help others.

greenlilymuseic

I had a honeymoon period of between 6 months and a year with Dropbox when it pretty much kept synching from my Macbook pro --- then, it was rocky, undependable, then it just quit synching. Any advice here from a Dropbox rep did not help at all. I am switching to using a PC from Mac this week, and hoping I will have a better outcome on Dropbox.