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Forum Discussion
Change Dropbox folder location on Mac
Hi I have a Dropbox account with 1TB of space but the problem is I can't use it all as keep getting error message on my Mac saying not enough space? I am only using 1GB at the moment, the problem i...
JohnnyR wrote:
And even more annoying is that I can't manually copy the dropbox folder in Finder (which is a 1000 times faster) and just point Dropbox to that location. Why is that not allowed?
Because if you move/remove the existing folder while Dropbox is running, Dropbox could see it as a mass deletion which would then be synced to your account online, deleting all of your files. But, with a few extra steps on your part, that's actually very possible to do.
Uninstall Dropbox. Once uninstalled, rename the existing Dropbox folder to Dropbox_OLD or similar. Reinstall Dropbox and use the options during installation to select the location for your Dropbox folder. As soon as Dropbox is done being installed, it will start to download the files from your account. Pause syncing or exit Dropbox. Move the content of your Dropbox_OLD folder into the newly created Dropbox folder. Resume syncing or relaunch Dropbox and allow it to index your files. This will take time, especially if you have a lot of files. Be patient and let it work.
Hi Sofia,
I did exactly what you describe, and it started moving the dropbox, however i got an "unexpected error occurred" and then it stops moving. Please help?
Roxy
I have the exact same problem. I need to move my personal dropbox account on an external drive to my startup drive, but every time I try to change the location it copies 80-100 files out of 4000 and then stops with an error message "An uninspected error occured". Really annoying! And even more annoying is that I can't manually copy the dropbox folder in Finder (which is a 1000 times faster) and just point Dropbox to that location. Why is that not allowed?
- Rich
Super User II
JohnnyR wrote:
And even more annoying is that I can't manually copy the dropbox folder in Finder (which is a 1000 times faster) and just point Dropbox to that location. Why is that not allowed?
Because if you move/remove the existing folder while Dropbox is running, Dropbox could see it as a mass deletion which would then be synced to your account online, deleting all of your files. But, with a few extra steps on your part, that's actually very possible to do.
Uninstall Dropbox. Once uninstalled, rename the existing Dropbox folder to Dropbox_OLD or similar. Reinstall Dropbox and use the options during installation to select the location for your Dropbox folder. As soon as Dropbox is done being installed, it will start to download the files from your account. Pause syncing or exit Dropbox. Move the content of your Dropbox_OLD folder into the newly created Dropbox folder. Resume syncing or relaunch Dropbox and allow it to index your files. This will take time, especially if you have a lot of files. Be patient and let it work.
- Thanks Rich for helping me out here!
I actually went a different route: I quit Dropbox, disconected the external drive (which contained both my personal Dropbox and business Dropbox files). When I opened Dropbox I was able to point my personal Dropbox to the internal SSD, and at the same time ignoring connecting the business Dropbox for the moment. I let Dropbox do its thing on my personal stuff and when it was finished I connected the external drive again and connected the business Dropbox again, which Dropbox thankfully remembered where it was on my external drive. So now it works but with a lot of unnecessary hassle I think. Thank you, Rich (super User)!!!!! I guess somewhere along the way I have become a power user or super user simply from being in the game for 30+ years and wanting to keep up with my data, music, etc. It feels like everywhere you turn for help (tech support lines, etc.) you're always talking to someone reading out of a manual who truly knows very little about the real issues you're tying to solve. I'm in the process of trying your method here to move my DropBox folder to a new external drive. I hope it works. (Already failed TWICE using the official DropBox method for moving DropBox folder to new location--about 350 GB's into the move it stops and says "try closing some files"---hahahaha---as if closing a handful of open files caused me to waste those precious hours!) Before I realized it (using your method, Rich, several folders had already downloaded from Dropbox online and for a few minutes I thought maybe I would just let it re-populate that way---then I realized how slow that was going to be! So I went ahead and paused the syncing and moved ALL folders from the newly named DropBox (Old) folder. It is copying now (190 GB of 1.65 TB and counting). I also selected the option to "replace all" for any folders already copied---something you didn't address--I hope this is OK. It was only around 25 GB or so at the most. When it finishes copying I will "resume syncing" as you described.
My DropBox folder is 1.63 TB and always growing. What I need is "strategies" for keeping data backed up and available. I don't understand why we can't get this information directly from DropBox Tech Support? Their main "go-to" answer is "we don't recommend that". C'mon man!!!! It is ridiculous to think everyone can keep their DropBox folder on the same internal drive of the same computer FOREVER and that it will never grow past a few manageable GB's.
I wish DropBox would add a special tech support area and hotline for longtime/powerusers so we could get some decent answers besides "we don't recommend that".
- Are you saying you can't create an alias? i.e. FIRST "copy" what you want to it's own folder in the new location •create the alias ...place a copy of the alias where the original dropbox folder is -rename it to match "Dropbox" (that won't change the scripting and with other upload/download sites [Logic Pro X] the host [Dropbox] only recognizes the name that you see -it doesn't drill down to find see if it's being redirected) then delete the originals? tip -be sure your trash is NOT set to delete immediately -that way you can retrieve them if it doesn't work ...good luck ...I'm new to Dropbox so I could be completely wrong. I just figure if Logic Pro lets me do it most sites will 'cuz Logic is pretty finicky.
If anyone can help me this, that would be grand. Thanks!! xoxo :) I want to use selective sync. I don't want DB syncing or being online with my devices full-time. I keep one folder of stuff in DB they are backing-track music files. I use DB to transfer them to my phone.
Here's the problem: I go to dropbox.com and click on my (avatar) and then settings/account -returned is a list of "email preferences" with boxes to check for i.e.
•almost full, •a new app has connected, •many files were deleted at once ...etc.
At the bottom of that it says "No folders excluded," but there is no option for me to choose to excluded some ...which is what I want to do. Thanks -I must just be missing something -hesitant to reinstall it on my desktop incase it deletes the files ..they too SIX hours to upload. Cheers xoxo " :)Thanks Walter. I am in the middle of trying something like your suggestion---as posted by another user--basically "unlink dropbox and uninstall/delete the app. All folders/files remain in tact. Reinstall DropBox and specifcy new location. After install and sync from web begins, pause sync and copy all files/folders from OLD DB folder into new one, copying over any files/folders that were already created too quickly before you paused sync. After copying (1.65 TB takes MANY hours even just copying locally via Thunderbolt), then resume sync, wait for Indexing, and... you should be golden.... we'll see in another day or so when this completes!!!!
As for your question, very simple: Dropbox Icon, choose the gear icon, then choose Preferences, then choose Account, Selective Sync, Change Settings. You will see a list of ALL your DB folders with checkmarks. Just uncheck a few of them and they will no longer be synced locally.
