Hello Dropbox Community,
Thanks in advance for those willing to read through my issues and more thanks to those who can give advice. I will attempt to explain in enough detail the issues.
I'm using MacbookPro macOS Big Sur v11.4. I also use VMware 12.2.1 with Windows 7 Home Premium x64 bit for one windows based application. My Mac desktop and computer is is viewable and accessible through my VM using windows. NO files are store in windows. ALL files are on my Mac.
I have been using Dropbox for a number of years but only for shared files between friends accessible on the web with icon in Mac my menu bar. It's worked well until now.
I also have a Dropbox icon in Finder menu. Nothing on my desktop.
Recently I must have received a prompt for syncing/backup and I responded thinking it wouldn't hurt, and be additional to my existing backupdrive...my bad. It has caused heaps of problems;
Dropbox began syncing all my files and of course I had too many files for Dropbox basic. So after the warning message I paused the Sync (via the icon in the Mac Menubar).
Logging into Dropbox via the web I could see all the files (in a newly created folder by Dropbox, not me!) and deleted them, thinking they were a duplicate. I discovered that my desktop was missing a whole heap of files. I knew I couldn't resume the syncing as I would need to pay for more space and I didn't want to do either. So I went to my Mac Time Machine backup and restored what I could, knowing I would have to live with losing some files over the few days since it all began. I am unsure if there are other files missing as the sync/backup (whatever it was doing) appeared to be very random - odd files from odd folders.
I thought all was resolved until I went to open my VM - Windows would not open. I discovered the filepath was via Dropbox (?!?!?!) and since I had deleted the files it couldn't be found. Arghhh! I have managed to reload windows, however I can't see my Macbook desktop anymore, hence can't open my application or files. This problem remains and once my issues with Dropbox are resolved I will most likely need to reload VMware and Windows. But Dropbox issues still remain.
Even though syncing has been paused, I have discovered that Dropbox via FINDER seems to be where ALL my Macbook files live - not on my hard drive? (See image attached) It shows in Dropbox as My Mac (Elizabeths-Macbook-Pro.local) in FINDER. Every time I add a document to the desktop, it appears in Dropbox via FINDER.
What I would like to do is remove Dropbox from FINDER - ensuring my files revert to their original place in my file structure which I would think should be Macintosh HD. There is a screen shot showing current contents of Macintosh HD with folders; Desktop, Documents & Download, showing as locked (these were the folders originally checked for dropbox syncing via web but are now unchecked).
To prepare I have copied all my Desktop files & folders and also all files & folders in ‘Documents’ onto a separate drive. (I also have regular Time Machine backups.)
Any help to resolve this would be very, very appreciated.
Dropbox via the Web
Dropbox on my Computer via Finder
Macintosh HD on my Computer via Finder
