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Forum Discussion
Mapping Dropbox to network drive in Windows 7
I want to map Dropbox to a network drive and link to my Dropbox in the cloud versus the Dropbox on my computer. I want to conserve my hard drive space and access, open, and save files to my Dropbox through my network drive. I can do this with other cloud-based storage systems. Can I do this with Dropbox?
No, it can't. The normal Dropbox client does not work the same as the mobile clients, and there's no way to map a virtual drive or folder to your Dropbox account.
If you're running Windows 8 or 10, you can install the Dropbox app from the Microsoft Store, which is a mobile client. Just know that you will not be able to access any files while offline (unless they are marked as a favorite/available offline).
Found this and it works
1 Create a folder on any local drive
Example
(c:\Dropbox)
2 Hit the Windows or start button and choose Run:
3 Type: CMD to bring up a command prompt window
4 Load a command prompt and use the following :
subst x: c:\Dropbox
This will create what looks like a normal internal drive linking to that directory
5 Open Dropbox and Choose advanced installation. Choose the folder you’ve created (x:\)
Finish Dropbox installation
6 Quit dropbox immediately after finishing installation
7 Return to command prompt and remove the virtual drive mapping with
subst x: /d
8 Map the drive to your network drive/NAS.
Open any windows window
Press Map Network Drive
Assign the Mapped Drive to X
Choose the Network Drive Location you’d like Dropbox to sync to
9 Re-open Dropbox- How is this working out for you? I know that local disks support modification changes to files and folders, but network shares do not. Even if you fool Dropbox using SUBST, you might want to test and see if your modified files are being uploaded to Dropbox. Dropbox will upload changes each time Dropbox is started (since it does an initial sync), but don't be surprised if subsequent file changes are not sent to Dropbox until Dropbox restarts.
An easy way to test is to:
* start Dropbox,
* wait for the full sync (green checkbox on Dropbox system tray),
* create a text file in a Dropbox folder.
* Does the new text file get uploaded?
* now edit the text file.
* Does the edited text file get uploaded to Dropbox?
I'm not trying to put Dropbox on a network drive. I'm trying to have a virtual drive on my PC point to Dropbox in the cloud so I don't take up space on my hard drive.
I have a similar concern---was there any solution to this application?
I'd like to map a network drive on my PC that accesses my dropbox so I have access to the files when connected to the internet, but do not necessarily have to have them permanently downloaded to my PC. This becomes critical when as my drobox size exceeds that of my hard drive.
I want to point my drop box to my mapped network drives from my NAS it is stupid that I cannot.
- Rich
Super User II
No, it can't. The normal Dropbox client does not work the same as the mobile clients, and there's no way to map a virtual drive or folder to your Dropbox account.
If you're running Windows 8 or 10, you can install the Dropbox app from the Microsoft Store, which is a mobile client. Just know that you will not be able to access any files while offline (unless they are marked as a favorite/available offline).
- Ihave a large dropbox and a small laptop ssd. This is what i do:
If you have an old pc at home, install dropbox on it then share the dropbox folder on the networkusing windows file sharing. From your laptop make a network drive mapping to this folder.
On the laptop you dont even need dropbox installed for home use. If you need access to dropbox files while away from home use selective sync on the laptop to grab the required files. If you do the sync while you are on your home lan dropbox will use the lan sync function and sync directly between the server and your laptop.
Not sure if it meets your needs - but it might be useful for someone reading this thread. I use mac now but it worked with pcs also yes there is, expandrive will do what you ask
I bought a new laptop with a smaller HD because I thought I would be able to do this too. I appreciate Dropbox automagically syncing files between my PCs - which have plenty of hard drive space to spare, but my laptop does not have this luxury.
I don't want to use selective sync because that will only allow me to view the specific folders/files.
Most simply stated, can Dropbox on my laptop act the same as Dropbox on my phone or tablet?
I expected the same fucntionality to be available now out of the box. All new laptops basically have mo more disk space,so all need to be in the cloud.
I could set up onedrive and other services as a mapped drive relatively easy, but dropbox is still pending.
Are there any plans to use Dropbox as a mapped drive?
Not being able to map a network drive limits the functionality of Dropbox as a cloud storage solution.
yeah , I want this too
- Robert S.
Super User alumni
Sorry, Dropbox isn't supported on network drives.
Note sure if you're still interested in a cloud service with mapped drive, but Box (not Dropbox) just came out with a mapped drive option - called Box Drive of course.
- Robert S.
It won't work, Dropbox doesn't support symlinks.
Rich, thank you for the reply. I am running on a Surface, so your suggestion for the Microsoft Store app is a great suggestion that I will try later today.
