Disaster: Dropbox removing external disk support for Mac users :(

[Jon C.10]

In case anyone's unaware... if you're a Mac user storing your Dropbox on an external drive, you'll shortly lose that ability.

https://talk.tidbits.com/t/dropbox-drops-support-for-storing-files-on-an-external-drive-and-onedrive...

https://help.dropbox.com/installs/macos-support-for-expected-changes

Just confirmed this with DB support (see below).  Gutted - been with Dropbox for years and our entire video team flow is based around it 😕

>Hi there, I read today that you are scrapping the ability to store the Dropbox folder on external disks, on OSX. I'd like to ask more about this please.

> Hello Jon, and thank you for contacting Dropbox Support. My name is Joseph, and I will be more than happy to look into your request, right away.  

That is correct Jon, as part of the Dropbox for macOS update, the Dropbox folder must be located in ~/Library/CloudStorage.

>This is a showstopper for us, and will mean we have to move to another service. We have a large distributed team using DB for video work, no way it'll fit within internal drives.
Is there a workaround?

> I totally understand and I apologize for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, there is no workaround on this as changing the location of your Dropbox folder is no longer supported by macOS.

>This change doesn't seem to have hit us yet - we're running a variety of machines inc Ventura
What will trigger its enforcement? Can we stay on an earlier OS or Dropbox version?

>The updates happening automatically every time the Dropbox app is restarting, for example if your device never restarts it should maintain the older version but we can't guarantee full functionality on older versions of the application.

>So what will happen - if we have a Dropbox folder on an 8TB drive and a tiny internal drive - will it try to clone stuff across and eat up the space? What's the mechanism?

>That's right, it will try to move the content on your internal drive until it has no space and gives you an error.

>Is Smartsync still supported? I.e. will it move stuff to being online only if it won't fit?

>It is, however it is now known as online-only.

[ArthurPix]

@leeharris Thanks for registering your concerns. This is a loooong thread, and practically everyone feels similarly. Happily, until we hear otherwise, we’ll be able to continue using our external drives, as long as we’re happy with using the old API. If anyone has a contrary experience, we’d like to hear from you.

[gfawcett777]

I was told by a Dropbox support rep that there was no workaround. He did not give me an option to use the old API. FYI.

[leeharris]

Yes, I think I feel a little more relaxed; misery loves company!

[ArthurPix]

@gfawcett777 I’m so sorry your experience has been so lousy. I am hoping that a Dropboxer will want to record your experience if they haven;t already. I know that at least a number of their engineers are truly concerned that everyone be able to manage their DropBox as she or he prefers.

[TheMainOne]

@gfawcett777

Drop your box is beyond ridiculous now. I canceled my account and the only maintain the free version which I don't use. 

There is no reason to continue with them really. Even big users needing lots of speed and space are getting hosed with all of this nonsense. It's better to make a jump now than ultimately get wiped out when quickly they force us to use the main hard drive. 

Their engineers have showed themselves to be inept and useless. The company leads no one anywhere. Their woke BS has truly tanked the company. 

And regardless of what anyone believes about their woke BS, we can certainly see that they hoodwinked their customers by not even communicating with us about this until they were basically caught red-handed. Even then, they have been less than forthcoming and tried to make this go away by listing it as having been solved.

Hear me drop your box… This. Is. Not. Solved. Not till you get off your asses and solve it.

There is one clear answer. If other companies can resolve this, drop your box can. They simply don't want to or they are completely inapt and in capable. I basically feel that it is the last.

(by the way, I would love to have someone challenge me on the woke BS issue so that I can continue that part of the discussion indefinitely. Opportunity? Or warning? You decide. But if you respond I will continue to point out what I think is probably the biggest failure of this company. Like they say, "get woke, go broke").

[TheMainOne]

@shinbeth 

Yes, I am disgusted with your lack of being ahead of this issue. You knew this was coming. You had to because you are big enough to get the lowdown from Apple. Tell me I'm wrong? 

So why did you fail your customers by not getting out ahead of this issue? Answer that specifically please! 

Why have you marked, or someone in the company, marked this issue is resolved? It is not resolved. It's ridiculous that you tried to hide it like this. 

In my opinion, drop your box is probably the most ridiculous excuse for a company I've ever seen. I have canceled my paid account as I'm sure many others have and will in the coming days and weeks and months. 

Next, I have demanded repeatedly that you answer to your Woke BS about your hiring manager who said publicly that she would hire black people just because of their color over any qualified other people. And this is a white hiring manager. The whole debacle is one of the biggest embarrassments I can imagine a company having. And still, there has been no response as to whether or not this woman has been punished, fired and what specifically has happened to right this wrong. 

My family is multiple races. We all think this is a huge embarrassment. We all want a chance to be hired for any job we're looking for based on our qualifications not our skin color. We can make a difference about our qualifications. We have no choice about our skin color. Grow. Up. 

Please tell us what you have done to correct this horrific wrong that was publicly espoused. Tell us what you've done to fix it so that it will never happen again in this company. Go on… Tell us.

I bet what we hear is crickets all the way around. Figures. 

Shame on you for all of these huge errors in judgment.

[psalcal]

If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a real SJW @TheMainOne   Good luck with your evangelism.. 😉  

[ArthurPix]

@TheMainOne I’ve been one of the loudest complainers about this issue, but this thread has nothing to do with the merits of affirmative action or lack thereof. Please express your grievances in an appropriate place, which is NOT THIS THREAD. Good luck with your evangelism elsewhere. 

[TheMainOne]

Hi @ArthurPix

When I want your advice, I will be sure to ask you directly for it. In the meantime, I will feel free to come in whenever and wherever I like.

However, since we both seem to be handing out free advice, let me suggest that This problem that we both seem to now be talking about, which is great, is symptomatic of the bigger problem. They are acting irresponsibly. If they were not, things would be much better. I think we could both agree to that.

So I will feel free to take my own advice and not offer more advice to you. Hopefully you will do the same and we will get along fine. Otherwise, every time you respond to this, I will too like I said in my post. at least you were warned.

I don’t consider this evangelism as I am not talking about religion. I am talking about a serious problem of drop your box being irresponsible.

Thanks again for continuing the conversation. In one way, I do hope you continue as I would love to continue to bring attention to the masses of the reality of what this company has done.

I was a paying client. For many years. I brought numerous people to this company. In retrospect I feel like I owe them an apology.

Wishing you all the best.

[TheMainOne]

@psalcal

Fantastic to see you again my friend. And thank you for keeping the conversation going.

It thrills me that so many here are interested in keeping this conversation going. And I don’t blame you. I do too. I think white drop your box has done is despicable to say the very least.

If there are more responses I will elaborate further. So hopefully we will get more responses.

Thanks again and I wish you well.