I uninstalled the desktop app, but the Dropbox folder is still on my computer. Any help?

Thanks for that @User134679, and for sticking with me here while we look into this!

Let's try manually resetting the default folder location for the Desktop folder. You can exit out of the desktop app setup by quitting the app before taking these steps.

To do this, please navigate to the Desktop folder in File Explorer (not the folder in Dropbox) and then:

Right click the Desktop folder
Choose "Properties"
Go to the "Locations" tab
Choose to reset to default location.

This will reset the folder location to ensure that it's in the correct location. Once you've done this, can you let me know if you have the same issue when moving the desktop files from Dropbox to the actual Desktop?

If so, please try the previous suggestion once more to reinstall the desktop app and enable the backup.

All comments

Hi there @User134679, I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with this!

From what you've mentioned, the computer backup feature was enabled during the initial install of the app.

Since you've uninstalled the app from your computer, it should have now been disabled. Can you try moving the content of the "Dropbox > My PC > Downloads/Desktop/Documents" folders to another location on your computer?

Just to note, when you uninstall the Dropbox app on your computer, the Dropbox folder will remain on your computer but will no longer sync and will just be like any other folder on your computer.

Let me know how it goes!

I thing sync files with dropbox is not disablet because i still have file with name "My files in dropbox" and when i delete one file from it, it delete too in my computer..

Thanks for getting back to me here @User134679!

The "My files in Dropbox" should be a shortcut to the files within the Dropbox folder.

Can you let me know if you can move the files from there to another location on your computer, like drag and drop them to your Desktop?

Hi @Daphne

When I move it from that folder, it moves to the desktop, but in the folder "My files in dropbox" it's still .. Another thing is that if I decide to delete something from the desktop, it will be deleted from the folder "My files in dropbox " too.

Would you mind sending me a few screenshots @User134679? It would be useful to send a screenshot of:

where you see the "My files in Dropbox" shortcut.
the Desktop folder and the "My PC > Desktop" folder side by side.

Also, just to clarify, once you've moved the file from Dropbox to the desktop, if you delete the file from Dropbox is it also deleted from your Desktop?

Keep me posted!

Hi @Daphne

There are screenshots

Where i see the "My files in Dropbox" shortcut: https://ctrlv.cz/XDVE

The Desktop folder and the "My PC > Desktop" folder side by side: https://ctrlv.cz/GJA6

And answer for your last question:

Yes, when I delete a file from the dropbox, it is also deleted from the desktop. Conversely, this also applies if I delete a file from the desktop, it is also deleted from the dropbox. It's connected.

Thanks for those screenshots @User134679.

Can you drag and drop a file or folder from the "My PC > Desktop" folder to your actual Desktop and let me know if that removes it from Dropbox and keeps it only on your Desktop?

Hi @Daphne

I cant.. Beacuse when i create new file in My PC> Desktop it create on my Normal desktop too so it writes to me that I already have a folder named like this on the desktop.

Could you send me a screenshot of the notification that you're getting when you try to do that @User134679?

Language: Czech

Translate: The target item is the same as the source item

Screen: https://ctrlv.cz/VUQe

I see, thanks for that @User134679!

At this point, I would suggest to reinstall the Dropbox app on your device, and during the set up enable the backup for the desktop.

Once the setup is completed, you can then disable the backup correctly through the desktop app which should do the trick.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Hi @Daphne !

yes i have question/problem here: https://ctrlv.cz/GVg0

How can i fix it?

Thanks for that @User134679, and for sticking with me here while we look into this!

Let's try manually resetting the default folder location for the Desktop folder. You can exit out of the desktop app setup by quitting the app before taking these steps.

To do this, please navigate to the Desktop folder in File Explorer (not the folder in Dropbox) and then:

Right click the Desktop folder
Choose "Properties"
Go to the "Locations" tab
Choose to reset to default location.

If so, please try the previous suggestion once more to reinstall the desktop app and enable the backup.

Hi @Daphne!

Thanks for help

Everything is now fine

I'm very glad to hear that @User134679!

I'll just be a post away if you have any other questions or issues. 😁

I hope you have a great rest of your week!

S_e_hicks

Following your exact instructions has left me with no access my desktop (desktop doesn’t exist?????) and I seem to have most very valuable work data.

So now what??

Dropbox backup when it takes over your PC is the worst thing and tbh immoral

I’m screwed

Lusil

Hey @S_e_hicks, thanks for nudging us here and sorry to hear about this.

Do you see the files that you're looking for in your account when you navigate through the desktop app?

If you don't have the desktop app installed anymore, do you see them via the web?

I have exactly the same problem as @User134679. I had Dropbox installed because I had a few files I wanted replicated to another device. Then for some reason, the backup feature got turned on, and when trying to stop this I have the same mess with files in one place and links from another.

However, I can't find a Locations tab in the Desktop Properties to make the suggested change.

Hi @Larsn, just to check, is the Dropbox desktop application disabled according to the desktop app?

Have you already uninstalled the app? Does the device appear on this page?

I have uninstalled the Dropbox from my PC.

It does appear on the web page.

Try removing the device from the site so that it is no longer linked to the account.

Could you attach a screenshot showing the Properties of the Desktop folder showing that there is no Location tab?

Sorry, I must have looked in the wrong place.

I found the Location Tab, and clicked the 'Restore Default' tab, but nothing changed.

The path shown before, which was the correct one, was the same after.

I still have the issue with files and folders having the Dropbox in the pathway.

If that's the case, then it sounds like you haven't disabled the computer backup feature fully.

Can you see if any devices are still linked to your account from here?

This is what it shows.

Okay, it looks like only the mobile app is installed on a phone.

What is the file path you're seeing in Explorer? Are you able to move files out of the Dropbox folder directly?

I am not quite sure how I would do that. I can move them to Desktop, but I don't want all my folders and documents there.

As per below, it seems that the files are stored in Dropbox but linked from where they should be, or vice versa.

I really want to get this sorted, I don't trust the way the paths have changed.

Path shown if I start from ‘Local Disk (C:) and then go as per below.

If I go from This PC to Documents, I get this

It is the same documents in both places.

This is getting serious now, I just realised that due to this, now all backups that I have in the cloud are no longer working. Probably because I have not set up to back up the Dropbox folder.

I really need to get this sorted as soon as possible.

Just to clarify, if you right click the Documents folder in the Dropbox folder and click Properties, does it show a Location tab?

As you mentioned you uninstalled the Dropbox desktop application, this is why your Dropbox folder isn't syncing any longer.

That is right, I don't want it to sync, I just want to get rid of the incorrect links that screw up my hard disc and my backups.

How can I get this back to how it was before I even tried to use Dropbox?