Remove Dropbox completely from my computer

[ColinD]

Removing Dropbox from my computer is proving to be a nightmare. My computer Operating system is Windows 10.

I have managed to un sync from my account and deleted all the folders concerned in my Dropbox account. 

On my computer the Dropbox folder is located C:\Users\dough\Dropbox and it contains a "PC" folder in which contains Desktop, Documents, and Downloads. 

Whenever I uninstall or delete the Dropbox folder I lose all the content from those folders Desktop, Documents, and Downloads. 

I have no need for Dropbox and wish to remove it completely from my computer, would you please explain to me how to do this.

I would appreciate it very much. Thank you.  

[EdNewbold]

I, like hundreds of other people, am experiencing the SAME SITUATION with the Windows "Can't redirect into reparse point, please choose different target path" error.  This is DISGRACEFUL on Dropbox's part that the don't have a solution to fix this and are obviously trying to IGNORE it.  I am so sorry I waster my money on such a lousy company.

If any of you have had this condition fixed, please let the rest of us know how you did it.

Thank you very much,

Ed in Ohio

[coronado3779]

I have the same problem.  If I delete dropbox I lose all the files.  This is unacceptable. 

[Nancy]

Hi @coronado3779, I hope you’re well. 

Just to make sure we’re on the same page, can you clarify if you’ve also enabled computer backup on your device and if you’ve taken any steps to turn the feature off? 

I’d like to see what you’ve tried so far, so that we can check this further. 

Keep me posted!

[FrustratedUserB]

When I follow these steps, I receive an error message stating "Can't redirect into reparse point, please choose different target path."

Any further suggestions?

[Walter]

Hey @FrustratedUserB, sorry to hear about this.

Can you please clarify if you have the desktop app installed on your computer or if you've uninstalled it at some point in the past?

[FrustratedUserB]

The application was uninstalled from this PC. 

Thanks! 

[AnnHHunter]

I had the same problem. It came to my attention because some other apps stopped working after I backed up my computer on Dropbox.  I fixed it eventually only by working with Apple support for several hours. Luckily, Apple support will respond to requests quickly and work with you in person to solve individual issues, which Dropbox won't do unless you have the highest level subscription. Basically I had to recreate my original file structure and copy the files into it from the Dropbox app. I also had to redo all the aliases and shortcuts I had set up to access key files quickly.

The problem with getting off Dropbox is created because if you download the app, Dropbox lures you into backing up all your files on Dropbox, and then when you click yes, rearranges the structure of the files on your computer. They don't give you any warning ahead of time that it is going to happen. They don't have an undo option to reverse this operation if you change your mind. Once I had disabled the option and rearranged my files so that everything worked again, Dropbox still tried to get me to do sync with it again and also seemed to do strange things to my Desktop, until I removed all Dropbox applications from my computer.  

Dropbox is still a useful tool for sharing files if you work only via the web without downloading the app. It's no longer a viable backup tool in my opinion.

[Walter]

Thanks for clarifying that @FrustratedUserB 

Could you also clarify which steps you're following and send us a screenshot of the exact error you're getting?

[FrustratedUserB]

Steps being followed are: 

1. Right click the Desktop folder
2. Choose "Properties"
3. Go to the "Locations" tab
4. Choose to reset to default location.

[Hannah]

Thanks for the clarification here.

Can you please try the following steps, to see if they help?

1. Click the Dropbox icon in your system tray.
2. Click your profile picture or initials.
3. Click Preferences.
4. Click the Accounts tab.
5. Press 'alt+H'keys and at the same time click the Reset OS folders locations button.

6. Click 'Continue' to proceed.