How can I stop the Dropbox app from syncing my Downloads folder?

Question

TLDR: I don't want Dropbox to sync any of my Macbook files. I just want my original Dropbox folders that I set up years and years ago.

Hi there, please be patient with me - I'm a self-professed millenial idiot who barely knows her way around computers, let alone Dropbox. I've been using Dropbox for ages but just basic knowledge since I don't fuss around with the settings or anything. I'm using a Macbook Air and I get warnings all the time that my Dropbox storage is about to be full because it keeps syncing stuff from my Macbook onto my online storage. How can I delete all my Macbook files from the Dropbox storage while retaining all the files on the laptop? I tried deleting the Downloads folder and it deleted the files in my actual Downloads folder on the laptop.. So now I have a Selective Conflict folder as well 😅🙃 Please be very specific in your tips and if you can, can you make them idiot-friendly? I'll be following along step by step. Thank you in advance!

Hannah · Answer

Thanks for your updates, @mommycamsie!

Is this computer still linked to your account? You can see a list of your linked devices at the bottom of this page.

If it's still linked, to delete the backup, you'll need to unlink it by clicking on the trash icon next to it.

After that, you should be able to delete your backup files from your backups page as normal.

Just make sure to check the backup files first and download anything that you might need before deleting them.

mommycamsie · Answer

Hi Walter! There's actually no ellipsis button. I think the (…) are just because the name of the device is too long to show in full!

Walter · Answer

Thanks for the screenshot @mommycamsie - much appreciated. What options do you get when you click on the ellipsis (…) button?