Dropbox configuration for dummies

[phthomas71]

Hi --

Is there a Dropbox Configuration for Dummies tutorial that people would recommend. I subscribed to Dropbox 10+ years ago for cloud backup, and have kept my subscription ever since. In that time, Dropbox has evolved and pivoted to collaboration instead of simple backup storage. Every time I need a file, it's incredibly painful to find it.

I have Dropbox integrated in Finder of MacOS 14.1.1. When I try to open files PhotoShop files from Finder, I get a message that the file is "empty." When I try to copy it to my desktop to get it local, Dropbox pops an unhelpful message, warns that I'm moving the file and it will no longer be accessible in Dropbox.

As a result, I have duplicates of files everywhere because I don't trust Dropbox and I don't trust I'm using the correct files.

I accept that I've avoided dealing with this problem and it's now compounded. It seems like I only encounter problems like this during off-hours, but doesn't change the fact that Dropbox makes me fight my computer. It makes me less efficient and does nothing but make me hate Dropbox.

I'm ready to abandon Dropbox and move entirely to iCloud or OneDrive, as I have bundled subscriptions with Apple and Microsoft. I'm hoping this might be an easy fix and I can avoid starting over with an entirely new filing system.

Even the labels below are useless. Where's a simple "sync" or synchronization tag? We know this is "Dropbox." Do we really need to map basic features to branded names to understand the basic features of a subscription service?

[Nancy]

Thanks for posting this here, @phthomas71. 

Feel free to check out this page for more info on how Dropbox works. 

As for your Photoshop files, can you send me a screenshot of how they appear within your local Dropbox folder in your Finder, and also send me one more screenshot of any errors you keep getting? 

Give me a nudge, when you’re ready.