Multiple Computer Accounts but Single Dropbox account

[Matt S.21]

I want to have multiple accounts on my PC to allow for different i-Tunes libraries but allow dropbox to sync the same location on the drive. Is this possible?

Ex: c:\dropbox is synced via the same dropbox account for both windows accounts.

This came up as an issue because it seems like the dropbox app installs to the user profile instead of globally to the machine. I don't want to corrupt my files by syncing from the same machine twice. Is there any issue with what I'm suggesting?

User1 and User2's windows profiles both point to c:\dropbox and use the same user@dropbox to sync them?

[Mark]

It should work if you install Dropbox twice - once on each user profile and set up the Dropbox location as the same for both.

[Paul C.38]

@Mark Mc:

I'm trying to do the same thing (have a common Dropbox location on the PC for multiple users). I noticed that in addition to creating the Dropbox folder under each user's profile, it also created separate "program" locations for each user (again under each of their profiles). And there seems to be no way to modify these behaviors when installing the Dropbox application. I did manage to move the Dropbox programs to a common location (under Program Files) and re-point the shortcuts to the new common location. And I managed to move one of the user's Dropbox (files) location out from underneath their profile to a common (C:\Dropbox) location. But I can't "move" the 2nd user's Dropbox (files) location out from underneath their profile to the same common (C:\Dropbox) location, because Dropbox says that the C: folder already contains a Dropbox folder and refuses to point the 2nd user's Dropbox (files) location to the common folder. So I don't think you can do what you suggest. Have you actually done this? Or do you know of another way to accomplish this?

Thanks in advance for your assistance,
Paul Chadwick

[DaveC2 · Accepted solution]

Don't bother to move the installation files, the auto update feature puts each new version in the user profile anyway.
Additionally and more importantly it also uses the user profile location to house its local database of what its up to for that user.
.
On the local DROPBOX folder, This can be migrated to a common location for multiple user accounts, you are only facing a "your dumb Im cleaver prompt", once you have the folder at C:\DROPBOX (example) on the 1st account, shut that account down, and proceed to the 2nd account, RENAME the C:\DROPBOX folder to C:\DROPBOX-OMGWHYDOIHAVETODOTHIS! and then point the 2nd user accoutn DB app to use C:\DROPBOX, and then once established, SHUT IT DOWN. Go back to the C:\DROPBOX folder (which might have a few files in it by now) and REMOVE the folder, then rename C:\DROPBOX-OMGWHYDOIHAVETODOTHIS! to C:\DROPBOX, then start the DB app up again.
It will tell you all types of wonderfull things about what its up to, but it will really just index the files it found and compare them to the cloud copies, find they are the same and eventually say "UP TO DATE".
.
WARNING WARNING WARNING > READ THE FOLLOWING
Do NOT use selective sync on either of the machine accounts, the other account doesnt know what you are doing, so if you selectively sync a folder out of dropbox with account 1 when account 2 starts up, it thinks the folder has been erased, and syncs that erase into the cloud.
.
If you must use it then COPY the folders out of Dropbox first, unsync them, then MOVE the copy back in (it wont sync on that account now), then go to the second account (which wont see them as gone since you moved them back in) and then unsycn them from that one as well.
(this is asking for it tho!)

[RichardOgg]

Nope - I've tried just pointing two instances to the same location. It will not allow you to switch the Dropbox location to a location where Dropbox files already exist - just like someone else said.

However, possibly you can rename the Dropbox folder temporarily while you make the move as long as the other instance of Dropbox is not running. But I see there are potential problems with this if one is using selective sync - which I do for business reasons.

[Rich]

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RichardOgg wrote:

But I see there are potential problems with this if one is using selective sync - which I do for business reasons.

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Yes... DO NOT USE SELECTIVE SYNC when you're syncing multiple installations to a single Dropbox folder.

Scenario: You use Selective sync and uncheck a folder on the first installation. Dropbox removes that folder from the local Dropbox, as it should. You later load up installation 2, where the Selective Sync settings have not changed. It sees that a folder has been removed. It checks online, sees that it's still there and tells Dropbox to delete it. The files are now gone from both installations and your account online.

[ic_alex]

There are 6 user accounts on a computer that all need to access the same Dropbox account. Using Windows 10 Pro.

I have installed Dropbox on the primary Admin account.

It is installed to C:\Dropbox

Selective Sync is on. There are 4 folders that were made from the Dropbox.com prior to the installation.  They load into my Dropbox folder. Everything looks good/normal.

I then installed Dropbox on a standard user account, as I go through setup, in advanced options, I changed the install location to C:\ (so it uses the same C:\Dropbox location) and turned Selective Sync off on the 4 individual folders. It lets me do this. From this standard user, I added a file to one of the 4 existing folders. I log back onto the Admin account, I see Dropbox sync the file in. 

So here is where I am confused. I see where people say turn Selective Sync off for all accounts. I don't see an on/off switch for Selective Sync. I only see where I can uncheck folders. I've unchecked all the folders on all standard accounts. If I uncheck them on the Admin account too, they all disappear from C:\Dropbox and it defeats the purpose of me having anything installed. I see an option to Unlink Account option. Is this what people mean when they say turn Selective Sync off?

This one Dropbox account is accessed on the one computer with its 6 different users + a cellphone. Then there are a few other Dropbox accounts on a few other computers that use those same 4 folders. I can't risk one of my 6 users losing an entire folder worth of work. 

Please help me make sure I have the syncing/linking/updating set up so that files will update accordingly but one user won't be fighting another user. I want files to update regardless of which user is logged in. Ideally we don't want to be at the mercy of one specific user having to login for this computer to have up to date Dropbox files. 

[DBRMS]

"Turn off selective sync" just means make sure ALL folders are checked (don't uncheck any folder). Once you are syncing all folders, selective sync is essentially 'off'

[mbf]

Mark, your suggestion does not work.

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