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LynnMGallagher's avatar
LynnMGallagher
Helpful | Level 5
7 years ago

How do I delete files from Dropbox without deleting them from my computer and other devices?

I do not use Dropbox for backup storage; I use a different service for that.  But friends and fellow students sometimes want to share files in Dropbox, so I set up a free account.  Somehow, I don't k...
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  • Daphne's avatar
    Daphne
    6 years ago
    Hey peeps! 
     
    So I think there may have been some confusion here DG123. If you made a copy of the music folder into your Dropbox folder, then when you deleted the files from your account, you are right that the Dropbox folder copy will have been removed. The original folder will not have been affected at all as it has no connection to Dropbox.
     
    However, if the music folder was moved into the Dropbox folder and then the files deleted then you essentially moved the original copy and then deleted it. 
     
    If you no longer have the music folder on your desktop, then I can suggest you restore the folder from your Deleted files page. Then, allow the folder to sync to your desktop and then move the newly synced music folder out of the Dropbox folder onto your desktop.  
        
    Also, keenum_law, sorry for the tardy reply, I'm hoping that at least answering your question will help others with the same query!
     
    In this case, you can copy the content from the Dropbox folder and paste it in another location. If you remove the files from your account then, as it is shared, it will remove the files from the other connected Dropbox accounts. However, if their files are also saved on their devices, then these will not be affected by the copied being removed from their Dropbox.
     
    Let me know if you have any other questions - Thanks!
Nancy's avatar
Nancy
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

Thanks for posting here, @RINGDING!

 

To make sure I get this right; do you wish to delete files from www.dropbox.com without deleting them from your local Dropbox folder? If yes, then you can ignore those files instead. 

 

Do you want to delete files from your Dropbox account, in general, without affecting any local copies on your laptop (outside of the Dropbox folder)?

 

Have you enabled computer backup perhaps, and you’d like to turn it off while returning your files to their original place on your laptop instead?

 

Let me know.

--------------

[Moderator Note: The post was edited for clarity/more information/details.]

 

RINGDING's avatar
RINGDING
Explorer | Level 3
2 years ago

I want to delete files from my local dropbox folder and dropbox.com and not delete the original file on my laptop.

  • Nancy's avatar
    Nancy
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    2 years ago

    RINGDING, in this case, you can delete your files either from the Dropbox website or the desktop app, and if you have a separate copy of them in another location on your laptop, these won't be affected at all.

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