Dropbox has taken over files into my PC, and how I can restore them

[dsm5]

I bought a new PC a couple of years ago and decided it would be a good idea to install Dropbox.  I am not a techie and somehow every single document and file that I have created, despite being saved to my PC, was also saved in dropbox.
I really did not want this to happen as I wanted to keep dropbox for the important and quick-to-access stuff.
The really bad news was that it also decided to transfer massive historic files into itself without my wanting it too, hence the knotweed analogy - I simply couldn't find a means of stopping it as none of the google search steps matched what I was seeing in dropbox. There was no 'pause syncing' button.

Today I deleted a few unwanted files but decided to remove the software from my desktop.  

Every single file that I had saved to my PC has been removed, this even though they were only meant to be saved on my PC, not in dropbox.

I accessed the app and emailed certain files to myself but they cannot be downloaded.  How is this even possible?
What's the solution to:

1. Preventing dropbox from stealing every piece of my data and storing it in itself if / when I re-install it?

2. Recovering my spreadsheets etc without manually reconstructing them?  That would take days and a huge amount of lost income.

Thanks if you have read this far.

[Rich]

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@dsm5 wrote:

... somehow every single document and file that I have created, despite being saved to my PC, was also saved in dropbox.

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You likely enabled the Backup feature, which MOVES your key folders (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, etc.) into your Dropbox folder so they can sync to your account online. This option is presented to you during installation, or you can enable it manually after installation. It's never enabled without first prompting you. To prevent your key folders from being moved to Dropbox, don't enable the Backup feature.

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Today I deleted a few unwanted files but decided to remove the software from my desktop. Every single file that I had saved to my PC has been removed, this even though they were only meant to be saved on my PC, not in dropbox.

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You removed Dropbox without first disabling the Backup feature and moving your key folders back to their original location. Since those folders were now located in your Dropbox folder, deleting the Dropbox folder also deletes those key folders.

You should still be able to restore your files from the backup.

[dsm5]

Thanks for your reply.

I thought I would leave it until a quieter moment today in case I made another mistake. 

Another question / issue:  I cannot download anything whatsoever, from any external website.  I have tried to open a report by logging in to my account on a company's website but a text message pops up telling me in a long message but essentially that the destination cannot be found and may have been removed.

Surely removing desktop shouldn't compromise the ability to access material from unconnected websites?  

Thanks again.

[Megan]

Hey @dsm5, how are you today?

Do you maybe have a screenshot of the error you receive when you try to download content to your device? Where do you try to save it? 

Let me know more!

[dsm5]

[dsm5]

Hi Megan,
I've uploaded a photo of the error message which you have hopefully been able to see.

I have two PCs.  Some of the files are / were saved on both.

Using the PC from which I have removed Dropbox, I can now not do any of the following:

'Export / Print Portfolio' from my pension provider platform

Download a report from a different company to the one above

Open a word or excel spreadsheet which I have emailed from my second PC (it opens in email on my second PC but doesn't when I try to open the attachments in the PC from which I removed Dropbox)

'Captcha' does not work on online shopping sites anymore 

If I had realised Dropbox would entangle itself into the inner workings of my daily life, I would never have installed it but hopefully you can resolve it and I can learn how not to repeat my error.

Regards,

Daphne

[Jay]

Hi @dsm5, did you disable the computer backup feature for your device?

Is the Dropbox desktop application still installed on your machine, or have you uninstalled it?

[dsm5]

Hello,

It is still installed but disconnected now via my phone app.  It's proving difficult to reconnect it again for some reason.

[Jay]

What error are you getting when reconnecting it?

Could you try these steps to restore the default location of the Desktop folder.

[anonymous]

A few related things. Why won't Dropbox download files with their original properties? I keep getting pop-ups that say "Are you sure you want to copy this file without its properties". But I WANT the files WITH their properties. I've been searching Dropbox help, google, doing Dropbox support chats,  the stupid chat robot, etc to find an answer but am coming up with nothing. I also tried to copy the files from my hard drive to a usb drive but got the same message - it seems that backing up my hard drive to Dropbox allows Dropbox to hijack my hard drive even though I never changed any settings to do that. I can't access any of my files directly from my hard drive, all of them have the Dropbox green circle and white checkmark. When I click on a folder on my hard drive the path says it's in a Dropbox folder. Even if it's syncing/backing up shouldn't it just be making copies? Not taking control of my hard drive? Thanks so much for any help you can give!!