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New Windows 11 Laptop Installation

rmac1949

Bought a new Windows 11 laptop and activated Microsoft OneDrive. Tried to install Dropbox and received the message you can't backup with one Drive and Drop Box. I tried to stop the One Drive sync of desktop and documents, but this is not possible. I stopped OneDrive from launching but this didn't help. I uninstalled One drive, rebooted and this didn't help. Uninstalled/reinstalled drop box and rebooted this didn't help. Now every time I try to set up Dropbox it's giving the same message "Can't back up to both OneDrive and Dropbox". One Drive is not even installed anymore. Desktop and Documents is the only folders that I'm trying sync. PLEASE HELP!

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Rich

@rmac1949 wrote:
Now every time I try to set up Dropbox it's giving the same message "Can't back up to both OneDrive and Dropbox". One Drive is not even installed anymore. Desktop and Documents is the only folders that I'm trying sync. PLEASE HELP!

Like Dropbox, the way way OneDrive "backs up" your Desktop and Documents is by MOVING them into the OneDrive folder. In order for Dropbox to be able to back up those same folders, they need to be located in their default location within your user folder. If you uninstalled OneDrive without disabling the backup option first, the folders likely remained in the OneDrive folder instead of being moved back to their default location.

You'll need to restore the folders to their original location before Dropbox can back them up.

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Rich

@rmac1949 wrote:
Now every time I try to set up Dropbox it's giving the same message "Can't back up to both OneDrive and Dropbox". One Drive is not even installed anymore. Desktop and Documents is the only folders that I'm trying sync. PLEASE HELP!

You'll need to restore the folders to their original location before Dropbox can back them up.

rmac1949

I cannot thank you enough! That was spot on. They need to post this in the knowledge base.

mreinhar2001

@rmac1949 I have been trying to figure this out for two days. There are questions and answers going back to 2020, but the answers are all vague. So, I just figure out how to fix this and I am posting it here for the next poor soul who tries to install Word as part of Microsoft and gets unwanted OneDrive backup blocking Dropbox backup in the deal.

1) Find the OneDrive icon in the taskbar tray on the bottom right of the computer screen. It may be in with the group behind the inverted "v"

2) If it is grayed-out, you will have to sign in to your OneDrive account

3) When the OneDrive icon is white, left-click on it

4)Click the gear wheel in the upper right-hand corner

5) Go to Settings

6) Click the Backup tab menu

7) Click the "Manage Backup" button

😎 Click "Stop Backup" for each type of information that you do not want to be backed up in OneDrive so you can back it up in Dropbox

9) Click on the Dropbox icon in the taskbar tray

10) Click your personal icon in the farthest upper, right-hand corner

11) Choose Preferences in the drop-down menu

12) Click the Backups tab

13) Click the "Manage Backup" button

14) Choose the folders you want to have backed up in Dropbox

15) Choose "Save" and let Dropbox back up the types of folders that you want to back up to the Cloud.

I hope this works for you. I know it is very aggravating. I am surprised that in two years, Dropbox never typed out instructions to deal with the message that tells people who accidentally started OneDrive that Dropbox cannot back up folders backed up to One Drive.

I hope this helps others, too!

barkworth

How do I get the option NOT to use onedrive in Windows 11? I want dropbox back as an easy place to access my files. I am not interested in using OneDrive. I have turned off file sharing - but cannot get to my dropbox account easily.

Megan

Hey @barkworth, let's jump right into this!

Can you let me know what you mean when you say that you want Dropbox as an easy place to access your files, and how OneDrive gets in the way at the moment?

Have you searched the web for ways that you can disable OneDrive on your Windows device?

Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there!

barkworth

I think I have done something to fix it, but I am not sure what. Some of the problem may have been simply that Windows 11 displays things differently from Windows 10, and so what i used to know how to do no longer worked. I did read and try some of the things suggested online. POssibly, it took longer for the changes to become effective than I expected. I do not know. At least now I can find my files easily. Thank you for getting back to me.

Megan

Any time @barkworth!

If you need anything else, just let me know! 😎