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Forum Discussion
Desktop Application Will Not Allow Existing Dropbox Folder to Be Used. Error: "The folder already contains a Dropbox directory."
I have been a happy user of Dropbox for years. Until recently . . .
Dropbox recently quit working properly. The latest issue today was that it failed to load the "platform plugin windows." The Dropbox popup suggested that I reinstall Dropbox. So . . . I dutifully reinstalled Dropbox as recommended. However, I do not like to have my Dropbox located in the default . . . Users/User/Dropbox location, but on a separate hard drive.
So as soon as Dropbox opens the first time, it starts syncing to the default location (yes, development team, that needs to be fixed too -- please include an initial inquiry on first startup after install to make sure you are using the directory the user actually wants!).
I paused the syncing, opened the Preferences, went to "Account" and attempted to select a different Location, as ostensibly permitted by the preferences interface. However, when I went to the drive that contains my Dropbox, it refuses to allow me to use that location, because -- wouldn't you know it! -- there is already a Dropbox folder there. Duh! Dropbox told me to reinstall the application, but I don't want to delete everything from my computer and re-sync the entire Dropbox. Of course I already have a folder called "Dropbox". Just let me point to it.
Please, please, fix this ASAP, and don't tell me that this is something you "are aware of and are working on." A decent programmer could solve this issue during his lunch hour.
Bottom line: Dropbox needs to allow the user to specify where they want the Dropbox folder to be or where it already is.
You should not select the Dropbox folder but the folder you wish Dropbox to be placed in. Then it will be installed in that folder.
If its on a 2nd drive and not in a folder, simply select the Drive in the chooser window.
At least this is what I am thinking based upon your post. I made this same issue at first when trying to move Dropbox all those years ago.
The installer will let you choose the location. It on the last screen before it closes under the advanced settings. Many users myself included think Dropbox was already being installed in the default location at this point in the process but it was still waiting.
@Eric No, it doesn't. You ignored words in that article. Even the one you linked says you may experience issues.
Here's a better worded version:
If you're moving your Dropbox folder, and the selected destination is on removable media (such as a removable USB drive or memory card), Dropbox may not be able to create the Dropbox folder.
We strongly recommend choosing a location on an internal drive. If the Dropbox folder is located on removable media, and this media becomes unavailable, you may a variety of problems, including:
- Issues with extended attributes
- File system incompatibilities
- Poor syncing performance
- Unwanted deletions
Even without Dropbox's help, this is a non-argument. Disconnection of an external drive even if Dropbox is not running at the time, may lead to data corruption due to the way removable drives work.
While it is true that fixed drives are also susceptible to it, it is FAR less likely to happen because factors like caching policy, on-boot check policy and the fact that internal drives are more likely to have a journaling file system, to name a few (on top of the ones Dropbox already lists).
- Rich
Super User II
I have my Dropbox in a container that I can move around onto external drives, thumb drives, and the like. As long as I map it to the expected drive letter, Dropbox doesn't care what kind of media it is on. I've been using this approach for years.
And in that scenario the computer thinks it's a local drive, which is why it allowed you to place the Dropbox folder on it. This falls back to my comment about tricking the application to make it work. The application clearly prevents you from placing the Dropbox folder on removable media when it's able to detect that the media is actually removable. Refer to the error message that I posted previously.
I've reached out to my contacts within Dropbox and they have confirmed that the practice is still discouraged for the reasons mentioned here and in the help article that Simpson posted (thank you, by the way, I always forget about that one). The article that I posted will be reviewed to see if the wording needs to change.
Thanks, Rich, for the follow up. I apologize for my brusque comment earlier.
I've been using external media for a long time, so I wanted to make sure others knew it was possible and that Dropbox will generally work fine. Are there any risks? Yes. But the software can "support" it. The only issue I've run into is the unrelated problem that prompted me to start this thread in the first place.
I haven't tried creating a new dropbox or moving a dropbox for a while, so maybe my approach is a "workaround" as you call it. I'm still curious, though, why Dropbox has an FAQ that specifically says you can have a dropbox on external media. Let us know what you find out.
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It seems there are a few different aspects users should be aware of:
1. Moving a dropbox to external media, using the dropbox app. The error message you flagged would suggest that this operation is not supported, at least not in all cases. I agree with you there, although I haven't personally tried moving my dropbox with the app recently.
2. Storing a dropbox on external media. For example, on initial setup will Dropbox allow me to create the initial dropbox on external media? The FAQ would seem to suggest that this is possible, but we'll have to confirm.
3. Mapping a container to a drive letter. This clearly works and has never been an issue for me. Dropbox doesn't care whether the container is on my hard drive, an external drive, a thumb drive, or my phone. You might be right that this approach is a "workaround". The software can certainly handle it, although it might not be a good solution for some people.
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BTW, is anyone else experiencing terrible lag when typing a comment here in the forum? Also, I cannot paste any text in the comment box. Is that normal?
- Rich
BTW, is anyone else experiencing terrible lag when typing a comment here in the forum? Also, I cannot paste any text in the comment box. Is that normal?
No, and no. I do that regularly, like with your snippet above that I pasted in. You do have to right-click on the active line though (or use keyboard shortcuts). If you try to right-click on the white space below the active line then you won't get the paste option. It's something stupid with Zendesk's system.
Right-clicking the active line:
Right-clicking elsewhere:
Hey guys,
It seems like there are a number of discussions here. At my office our only concern is that we need to be able to sync an existing folder. So far, only files inside the "\Dropbox\" folder will sync. That's just not good business process. We are looking forward to being able to specify our own folder. It's the only way we would make a real investment in the software.
Personally speaking, at home I have had my Dropbox folder on an external USB drive - as the primary location - for several years without incident, loss, etc. Whenever I go out of town the drive is unplugged and stored in my safe. When I plug it back in, Dropbox syncs it up normally without issue. Not sure why there are so many reported problems here but it works great for me. A good analogy is the mobile app - why would the app have problems the moment I lose my data connection? To me it is exactly the same methodology with portable media. Once an external/removable/portable media is connected it syncs normally just like the app does when you regain data signal. This point reveals that they are using different - and conflicting - syncing rules with their desktop app than they are with their mobile apps.
It doesn't seem like it should be any big deal to simply build that rule into all versions of the app. As a Product Manager it's a key requirement I would give the development team.
This may have been mentioned before, but as i have had to do this a few times i find this is the easiest way .....
download and install Dropbox as usual, I am now on windows 10 so it automatically makes a folder in my C drive (not wanted there as i have a separate drive for all my docs in D) so i allow it to make folder, then go to my D drive and rename original folder 'dropbox2'.
Go to the dropbox icon in bottom right corner, right click so you get the dropbox status screen, it will show it is already indexing, click on settings icon in right top corner, go to 'preferences', then 'account', click on 'move'.
because you have changed the name of original dropbox, you can point it to the original drive you want it in, (eg D:\) once you have done this, (yes i know it gives you 2 dropboxes, getting to that) go to that drive (eg D:\) and rename new dropbox to dropboxZ or anything you like, then rename OLD dropbox back to just 'Dropbox' it should show the syncing icon straight away.
you may need to pause the new dropbox before doing this although i have found it works either way.
once you are sure the original dropbox is updating, you can remove it or just rename, just while you make sure everything is syncing ok, it can be confusing as there will already be folder titles in there, so make sure you remove the correct one!!!
good luck but be careful
- Rich
That will work just fine, Philippa, and it's how I pre-populate Dropbox on a new computer. I install Dropbox on a new computer and immediately pause syncing or exit the client. I copy the Dropbox folder from the old computer to the new computer, replacing the new Dropbox folder that was created, then resume syncing. Dropbox will re-index everything and then start syncing normally.
Just schlogged thru another Microsoft Windows update
and now, Dropbox has "forgotten" my DropBox folder location.
After signing in, Dropbox for Windows is furiously downloading Gigabytes of data to my C:\User\User\Dropbox folder WHICH IS NOT, NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN THE CORRECT LOCATION.
Irritatedly, I stop Dropbox, sign-out! sign back in, wade thru the 2-factor authentication AGAIN, and finally point Dropbox to the correct folder AGAIN.
I don't have the same level of problems with OneDrive, nor with Google Folders.
I am rapidly aproaching the position that as an Android user, Google is the way to go.
It is not that I don't know how, it is I don't want to have to retrain Dropbox on every Microsoft Windows computer I use everytime an update happens.
I'm using Microsoft Windows so I already have enough irritation.
Confusion(Confusius younger brother) once said;
Irritating people is NOT a successful long term business model.
