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Forum Discussion
Will deleting a file from my PC folder also delete its backup? How can I save up space on my device?
From what I understand there is the backup folder and the folder that is on the PC and is available in other applications. If I delete a file from the PC, does the backup folder also delete the file? If so, I can't save disk space! I intended to have files that take up a lot of space just in the backup and take them off the disk to save space.
- Nancy
Dropbox Staff
Hey ArturFerreira, thanks for posting here.
Can you please clarify what you mean when referring to the backup? Are you talking about computer backup perhaps?
If you delete a file/folder from the local Dropbox folder on your computer or from the folders that you’re backing up with computer backup, then this file/folder will also be deleted from our servers, as your updates will be synced there.
To save up space from your computer, you can use selective sync, which will only remove a folder from a specific device without affecting its copy on www.dropbox.com or make it online-only instead.
Let me know if I’ve misunderstood anything, though.
Hi Nancy, thanks for your help!
The question is: if I want to have PC files available in other applications, they have to be in the Dropbox folder to be synchronized. On the other hand, if I want to back up, the folders have to be outside the Dropbox folder on the PC, because it won't let me back up files that are inside the Dropbox folder itself.
If you have all the files in the Dropbox folder and they are synchronized, aren't they already protected in terms of backup?
- Mark
Super User II
If you have all the files in the Dropbox folder and they are synchronized, aren't they already protected in terms of backup?
Kind of.... however, the 2 are different systems if you are talking about Dropbox Backup and Dropbox syncing.
Backup, for example, doesn't allow you to share links/restore individual files or edit individual files as an example. However, it also protects things more from accidental deletions and changes.
Syncing allows you to do the above but can be less secure in terms of recovery if you delete things (30 days for free users as an example).
