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Forum Discussion
GollyRojer
7 years agoCollaborator | Level 9
Dropbox Re-installation Won't Use Previous Folder
McAfee found a virus in Dropbox file win32api.cp35-win32.pyd and couldn't quarantine it, so I uninstalled Dropbox and re-installed it. The file is clean now, but I need Dropbox to use the folder it w...
- 7 years ago
Hey there GollyRojer - sorry to hear about this.
You should have gotten an "Advanced" option when re-installing our software on your computer normally which in turn would enable you to point your Dropbox Folder to your pre-existing one. Did you see that at all?
When you re-install the Dropbox software and you do not want to re-download all of your files from the server, you need to choose the "Advanced" setup option during the installation process. Then you need to choose the parent folder of the existing Dropbox folder as the location for this new install.
Let me know what you find and we'll take it from there, if needed that is. Thanks!
Walter
7 years agoDropbox Staff
Hey there GollyRojer - sorry to hear about this.
You should have gotten an "Advanced" option when re-installing our software on your computer normally which in turn would enable you to point your Dropbox Folder to your pre-existing one. Did you see that at all?
When you re-install the Dropbox software and you do not want to re-download all of your files from the server, you need to choose the "Advanced" setup option during the installation process. Then you need to choose the parent folder of the existing Dropbox folder as the location for this new install.
Let me know what you find and we'll take it from there, if needed that is. Thanks!
- GollyRojer7 years agoCollaborator | Level 9
Hi, Walter, I appreciate the reply. I did find an article that told me what you said, so I uninstalled again and ran installation again.
It's difficult to understand why an option that is available during installation is not also available afterward. I realize that on a shared computer a user might be either inadvertently or deliberately trying to use someone else's folder, but that is also the case during installation. A simple "Are you sure?" or "Use existing folder" would be so much nicer than having to re-run installation just to get to that option.
- JCKruger6 years agoNew member | Level 2
Hi Walter
I Found Advanced setup and chose it. It offers the parent location and I then select it.
I then get the message "There's already a folder called Company name Drobox."
Please help. I'm so fustrated that this has to be so difficult.
JC Kruger
- Walter6 years agoDropbox Staff
You'll need to point it to the prior level of your folder structure JCKruger.
For example, if your old Dropbox folder was added to: C:\Desktop\Dropbox you would need to choose C:\Desktop and the client will try and create a new Dropbox folder.
If you're connecting with the same Dropbox account as before, Dropbox will detect the existing folder and will then prompt you to merge the Dropbox folder. Upon merging the desktop version of Dropbox will check the existing files and the server versions and update accordingly.
Let me know how it goes!
- JCKruger6 years agoNew member | Level 2
Hi
Walter wrote:You'll need to point it to the prior level of your folder structure JCKruger.
For example, if your old Dropbox folder was added to: C:\Desktop\Dropbox you would need to choose C:\Desktop and the client will try and create a new Dropbox folder.
If you're connecting with the same Dropbox account as before, Dropbox will detect the existing folder and will then prompt you to merge the Dropbox folder. Upon merging the desktop version of Dropbox will check the existing files and the server versions and update accordingly.
Let me know how it goes!
Hi Walter
Thanks for the reply.
Please see above at step 2, I choose the same parent folder as you mentioned. I'm quite clear on that step.
And then, please see point 4b. It gives me the option to merge ("do you want to add all the files in that folder to your dropbox") and then I select yes. It simpy returns me to "theres already a folder named..."
Would you like to check using teamviewer?
Regards
JC Kruger
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