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Forum Discussion
Dropbox backup deleting the original files on my backed up PC.
If this is the way Dropbox backup is going to work I may seek a different solution. Dropbox didn't just make a backup copy, it removed the files from my PC so that there is not a local copy. Is there a setting that I haven't found or is it intended to work this way? Please let me know as this is not an acceptable approach.
revik345 wrote:
Dropbox didn't just make a backup copy, it removed the files from my PC so that there is not a local copy.
While the "backup" feature does move your key folders, they're still local. They've just been moved into the Dropbox folder which is still local to your computer and a regular folder like any other.
same problem here! This seems very invasive! I did not approve them to take my files off pc. Now no way to keep them and many are deleted completely. Seems like a ploy to get us to buy more storage. Should be illegal.
I also found myself backing up files to the cloud *without wanting to*. I have never backed anything up to the cloud, have never given permission. I remember in the long process Dropbox initiates -- always just "one more thing to do" -- that I checked a "local" box.
All I wanted to do was to use Dropbox to receive some large audio files and I signed on only because it was really made difficult to do this as a non-subscribers. I am really regretting this. I feel conned.
Now I'm afraid to stop the process as I can see that people have reported lost files when they do this. How to undo this unwanted process without losing anything from my computer, please? "Invasive" is right, Tess (and super-user Mark who is a super-user and yet made the same mistake?)
I have been "burned" like you and also need to power off my computer as all kinds of things are cropping up ... it's incredibly slow and several big grey boxes appeared on the screen when I tried to navigate my Thunderbird email and are now stuck there, obscuring what I need to get to though I have closed the Tbird app. ... Also, I have no battery power and will be unplugging this machine very soon. That requires power down.
- Rich
Super User II
revik345 wrote:
Dropbox didn't just make a backup copy, it removed the files from my PC so that there is not a local copy.
While the "backup" feature does move your key folders, they're still local. They've just been moved into the Dropbox folder which is still local to your computer and a regular folder like any other.
Basically, They are Highjacking your files and holding them for Ransome - while getting you to upgrade. How is this not illegal !!!!
The same thing happened to me. Then they make it more than difficult enough to get some help to the solution - one that doesn't exist, except purchasing a higher plan! !!!!
Brian
totally agree!
I am sorry to say but you are totally wrong when you say that the folders just get moved. Delete one of the files on either the PC or dropbox and you will see it is GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Rich
Demoerin Delux wrote:
I am sorry to say but you are totally wrong when you say that the folders just get moved. Delete one of the files on either the PC or dropbox and you will see it is GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's not wrong. The key folders are MOVED into your local Dropbox folder. This causes those folders to sync with your account online, so anything you do in the folder, such as deleting a file, will be synced to your account online as well, and vice versa. Delete a file in your account, and it will be deleted from your local folder on your computer. That is the entire point of an application that syncs your files. Changes made to one side are automatically made on the other.
If you do not want your key folders (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, etc.) to sync to Dropbox, do not enable the backup feature. Those saying that they didn't enable it, and that they only re/installed Dropbox, have likely enabled it during the install by not following the prompts that appear. It's not possible for the backup feature to be enabled on it's own, or by a single click.
If you need to restore any files from your backups, refer to this help article.
Got it, Rich. I see that now. I was misled by the fact that several apps stopped working (temporarily) because they did not find files in their normal location. Thanks for the quick reply.
