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LynnMGallagher's avatar
LynnMGallagher
Helpful | Level 5
8 years ago
Solved

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
    7 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!
Daphne's avatar
Daphne
Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
7 years ago
Hey DG123,
 
Just to clarify, there isn’t any tagging or way that Dropbox can track files outside the Dropbox folder. When you move something from the Dropbox folder to another place on your desktop, these files are not “tracked” in any way, Dropbox will see this action as simply deleting the files from the account as they are no longer there.
 
Did you check the folder path of the music folder you found from the file explorer search with the method I mentioned previously? Was the copy within your Dropbox folder or elsewhere in your desktop?
 
When you refer to a blue checkmark, are you referring to a sync icon that looks like the one below? This icon shows that the file is syncing with your Dropbox account."Sync in progress" icon

It wouldn’t make any difference if you copy the files to or from Dropbox, the behavior would be the same in that only the Dropbox folder copy would be deleted. 

 
Let me know if this helps to clarify matters - Thanks!
TerryDactyl2's avatar
TerryDactyl2
New member | Level 2
7 years ago

I approached this a slightly different way: I renamed the file I wanted to delete on Dropbox and deleted that renamed file.  Renaming the file seemed to break any link between Dropbox and the file on my computer; so, when I deleted the renamed file, the original file remained on my computer. 

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