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Forum Discussion
Can I have the same files on two different computers with different hard drive sizes?
I should be really grateful for some foolproof advice please - that is, so I cannot mess it up.
My iMac has a nice big 2TB hard drive and every file sits on it within the Dropbox folder in Finder.
My MacBook has only a relatively small hard drive and I have been too nervous to install the Dropbox app.
So instead, I have to download from the Dropbox webpage whatever I need to work on and then upload it back when I have finished - all very time consuming.
I'd very much like to install Dropbox on my MacBook in such a way that a few selected folders which I need regularly automatically sync - they would then be on the MacBook's hard drive and if I amend them, that change would automatically happen online too. And to have the rest of the folders visible in Finder even though not on the MacBook's hard drive so that I can easily open them when I need (provided that I have internet access at the time)
I think this is possible and, if so, I'd be really grateful for a step by step instruction in simple language !
Thanks so much
- Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Hey Michael K.26, thanks for posting your query to the Dropbox Community and happy Monday!
You can definitely have access to the same files from both your macOS computers.
When you install the Dropbox app on any computer, the app can recognize if there's enough space to sync your files as "available offline" (which will take up hard drive space) or "online-only" (which won't take up physical space).
You can read more about this here, but if you have any questions, please let me know.
Thanks!
Thank you Hannah
I have read the article and some others which link from it.
But when I download the Dropbox app onto the MacBook, how do I make sure it immediately starts from a position of "online only" for all folders ?
If I can do that, I can then selectively make certain folders offline
Thanks
Michael
- Hannah
Hi again, Michael!
The app should ask you how you want to sync your files, when you sign in to it, so you should have control over that.
