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How can I keep my files local and not online only?

I have a new computer & I've been trying to download my DB files to my new computer. I've just discovered that YOU decided I need to save space on my hardrive & half my files are on some cloud rather than downloaded to my computer. I DON'T WANT THIS. I've tried everything to download everything on Dropbox to my new computer & I've spent way too much time trying to remedy this--- way more time than I needed or wanted to spend! I am not interested in Local or online whatever it's called. Just leave my Dropbox alone. So, how do get my Dropbox back to the way I had it? How do I get rid of this cloud crap? The so-called solutions I read so far do not work for me. And, please, in the future, LEAVE MY DROPBOX ALONE.

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Juunas

Hi!

Do you have a Dropbox Plus/Professional/Business subscription? If yes, it sounds like the new installation might have been completed with Smart Sync "make folders online-only" selected.

I found this help article on Smart Sync. More specifically you could try the following steps:

How to save hard drive space automatically

If you haven’t opened files and folders in a few months, they’ll become online-only. To change this setting:

Click the Dropbox icon from the system tray or menu bar.
Click your profile picture or initials.
Click Preferences... from the menu.
Click Sync.
Choose your work Dropbox account.
Toggle the On/Off setting under Save hard drive space automatically.

(In your case, you would want this setting to be Off)

How do I sync online-only content to my computer?

You can open a file as usual through your application or Finder. Dropbox downloads the entire file to your computer.

To sync a file or folder without opening it immediately, you can make it local:

Open the Dropbox folder on your computer.
1. Click the Dropbox icon from the menu bar.
2. Click the folder icon.
3. Choose Open folder.
Locate the content that you want to sync to your computer.
Control-click or right-click the file or folder.
Choose Smart sync.
Choose Local.

(In your case, you would want all Dropbox content set to Local)

How can I choose a default setting for new content?

Click the Dropbox icon from the menu bar.
Click your profile picture or initials and select Preferences... from the menu.
Click Sync.
Choose your work Dropbox account.
Change the selection for Smart Sync Default:
- Admin default: the default setting chosen by your team admin.
- Local: all new content downloads to your computer.
- Online-only: manually download files to your computer when you need them.

(In your case, you would want all new Dropbox content to be set to Local)

Finally, you might want to consider disabling Smart Sync altogether, if you wish, by disabling system extensions on Dropbox website settings.

Hope this helps!

Joonas

All comments

Juunas

Hi!

Do you have a Dropbox Plus/Professional/Business subscription? If yes, it sounds like the new installation might have been completed with Smart Sync "make folders online-only" selected.

I found this help article on Smart Sync. More specifically you could try the following steps:

How to save hard drive space automatically

If you haven’t opened files and folders in a few months, they’ll become online-only. To change this setting:

Click the Dropbox icon from the system tray or menu bar.
Click your profile picture or initials.
Click Preferences... from the menu.
Click Sync.
Choose your work Dropbox account.
Toggle the On/Off setting under Save hard drive space automatically.

(In your case, you would want this setting to be Off)

How do I sync online-only content to my computer?

You can open a file as usual through your application or Finder. Dropbox downloads the entire file to your computer.

To sync a file or folder without opening it immediately, you can make it local:

Open the Dropbox folder on your computer.
1. Click the Dropbox icon from the menu bar.
2. Click the folder icon.
3. Choose Open folder.
Locate the content that you want to sync to your computer.
Control-click or right-click the file or folder.
Choose Smart sync.
Choose Local.

(In your case, you would want all Dropbox content set to Local)

How can I choose a default setting for new content?

Click the Dropbox icon from the menu bar.
Click your profile picture or initials and select Preferences... from the menu.
Click Sync.
Choose your work Dropbox account.
Change the selection for Smart Sync Default:
- Admin default: the default setting chosen by your team admin.
- Local: all new content downloads to your computer.
- Online-only: manually download files to your computer when you need them.

(In your case, you would want all new Dropbox content to be set to Local)

Finally, you might want to consider disabling Smart Sync altogether, if you wish, by disabling system extensions on Dropbox website settings.

Hope this helps!

Joonas

Juunas

Hi there!

Unfortunately my reply keeps getting caught in the forum spam filter, hopefully it can be restored soon for some suggestions.

Regards,

Joonas

Rich

@Juunas wrote:
Unfortunately my reply keeps getting caught in the forum spam filter, hopefully it can be restored soon for some suggestions.

It's likely being caught due to the number of links you're including. I've released it from the quarantine.

mb425

I agree with all the above!! Surprise! some of your files are online only and now you get to figure out how to fix that. Nice!

I know how my files are set up. I know how big my disk is. I like both exactly how they are. Please stay out of it.

BTW: this worked for me "disabling system extensions on Dropbox website settings."

randols

Having the same problem. Never asked for the files to be removed from the hard drive. Save hard drive space automatically was set to OFF. Make new files LOCAL. Still dropbox decided to remove them from the local drive. Why?

Daphne

Hi @randols, thanks for joining us here!

I'd be happy to assist you with this, can you just let me know if the files were already Smart Synced before you applied these settings? Or did the files become "online only" after you have set them to be "local"?

If they were already smart synced before applying this setting, you'll need to set these to local manually. You can do this easily by right clicking the Dropbox folder itself and choosing "Smart Sync - local".

Let me know - thanks!

randols

These were always local on this computer (I have set this folder differently on my laptop). The folder is enormous. But I want a copy locally on my main computer. Dropbox must have defaulted to

I use a Mac. Not sure what you mean by "right clicking the Dropbox folder itself" since that doesn't seem to do anything.

randols

Screen Shot 2019-11-14 at 8.59.49 AM.png Edited by moderator

mb425

Hello,

Try this out:

1. Right click on your most top level dropbox folder (I keep mine on my desktop) called DropBox.

2. Select the option near the top to view your folder on dropbox.com. A browser will open.

3. Go to your user icon on the far right at the top of the page. It looks like a gray stone with a smiley face on it ( a whole other mystery and discusion).

4. Go to settings

5. Go down the menu a bit and find "Dropbox system extension"

6. Shut it off. I believe this is the root of all the problems. When I did this my folders went back to the conditions I was used to prior to all of this. I never did use smart sync. It sounded scary.

mb425

This is what you are getting into. I can see where is might be useful if you have too much on your hard drive but then some of your files only exist on dropbox. Unsure what happens if dropbox goes away for some reason. Maybe make sure you have at least one computer that has ALL of your files on it too and back it up to time machine (mac).

https://help.dropbox.com/sync/make-files-online-only

randols

If I do that on my main computer, what will happen to my laptop where I do use selective sync and don't want everything local? I get a warning that I will be logged out on all devices and smart sync won't be available if I change the settings. I can give it a try, but it still sounds a bit iffy.

mb425

It sounds like your needs from Dropbox are a bit different than mine. I got all my information from this well written solution earlier in this thread. I think it might work for you too.

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Files-folders/How-can-I-keep-my-files-local-and-not-online-only/m-p/350370#M53247

baddy

i totally agree with you - hate this new online-only cloud thing!

Daphne

Hey all, thanks for all your updates here!

I just wanted to clarify for you @randols, if you disable the system extension, it would be for your account rather than per device. You'll be able to turn it back on again though if you want to try this out.

If you select all your top level folders within Dropbox you'll be able to change all content to local rather than doing this action for each folder.

@baddy, did you have the chance to take a look at the accepted solution post here to check out the suggestions?

I hope this helps, keep me posted!

lguichao

Thank you, what a bunch of smart (irony) people (nah) at that nice (irony again) company.
I'm not pissed at all about all this (irony once more).
Thank you Dropbox. I really am grateful for all this cr*p, I mean, for these amazing new features that I am so glad to pay more for.

jupiter1

I do not find the "Dropbox system extension" on my menu. I only have Basic and do not have Smart Sync. I don't have reliable internet so need my files to be local at all times. Please help me get them back on the computer.

Lusil

Hi there @jupiter1, thanks for joining us on this thread.

Since you mention that you're on a Basic (free) account, could you let me know if you are having trouble syncing with the desktop app?

You can check its status by hovering or clicking on the Dropbox icon that's next to your computer's clock.

Could you also go to the web and see if the files you're looking for are listed there?

jupiter1

Yes, I am having trouble syncing as Basic does not have the space to accommodate all my files. But that is ok as I DO NOT want any of my files in the cloud. I was only using Dropbox to share a couple of files with one person. I don't need it to take my files to the cloud. I have 3 large hard drives. I am a photographer, I have thousands of images, I want them on my drives where my editing program can find them, NOT in the cloud where everything takes 4 minutes to open. I just want to put my files back where they were on my local drives and on my desktop where I need them. Please help.

Lusil

Do you have your computer folders (like Downloads and Desktop) synced with your account, by any chance?

If so, you can turn computer backup off and move the files back to where they were, by following these steps.

jupiter1

I have tried these instructions, however, I cannot get past the screen that allows me to select the folders to backup as it says I need to upgrade to a paid version of Dropbox because there is not enough space to backup even one of my folders. I cannot get past this screen to turn off backup.

Lusil

Could you send us a screenshot (without any personal info), just to have a better visual of it?

mcouvill

This is still a problem. Never used Smart Sync. Never had the option during install to be local only. Since most of my work is at remote locations without internet connectivity it is IMPERATIVE my files are local. Not knowing this was being done caused me to lose a deal because the presentation I THOUGHT I had was not on my system.

The solution I found was to install Google Drive, uninstall dropbox and cancel my subscription.

I don't know what brilliant Product Manager decided that the primary purpose for the existence of Dropbox was no longer going to be the default. The fact they bury the option on the website only to change means it was done with forethought. Poor forethought. Have been a Dropbox advocate for 6+ years, but no more.

Keokan

I hate them for have done that: probably I will leave Dropbox for Google Drive.

TalViking

I got so fed up with Dropbox's idiosyncracies and the terrible update mess they leave every time, that after 10 years, I am de-installing Dropbox. My files will go on a separate drive and I actually everyone to do that, it is just not worth the cost and aggravation.