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AmandaNT's avatar
AmandaNT
New member | Level 2
8 years ago
Solved

Move some files from Dropbox to external drive, and then delete those files from my account

I have 140GB of files which I need to pass on to another designer via an external hard drive. How do I take everything off my Dropbox (I won't need them anymore) and put them onto an external drive f...
Delete
sync
  • Elixir's avatar
    Elixir
    8 years ago

    Hello Amanda,

     

    I imagine you are syncing the files to your computer hard disc. You can copy the files/folders from your computer hard drive to the external hard drive. Dropbox folder is just like any other folder in your computer, whatever you save inside the Dropbox folder, it is replicated in the Dropbox cloud and any other connected devices. If you no longer required those files, you may delete those files from your computer, and it will be deleted from Dropbox cloud, so would not take up space anymore.

     

    However, note that if it is a shared folder with others, the files will also be removed from their Dropbox account/devices. If you do not want that way, please get back to us. There are ways to unshare a folder, and remove the files only from your Dropbox account, but not from other members. 

Lusil's avatar
Lusil
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
7 years ago
Hey there axmk2000, 
 
Your Dropbox folder is just like any other folder on your hard drive, where files move instead of copy when they are dragged and dropped. For this reason, if you:
  • Dragged and dropped the file: It should be removed from the Dropbox folder and exist only in the new location. 
  • Copied and pasted the file: Then it would exist in both locations (the Dropbox folder and wherever you pasted the file into). 
In any case though, if you see that the file exists in both the Dropbox folder and the new location, please note that these would be considered to be two separate files. 
 
In other words, if you delete the file in your Dropbox folder, the file that’s in the other location will not be deleted, and vice versa. 
 
Let me know if you have any other questions or if you’d like me to further elaborate!
Здравко's avatar
Здравко
Legendary | Level 20
7 years ago
Lusil wrote:
...
For this reason, if you:
  • Dragged and dropped the file: It should be removed from the Dropbox folder and exist only in the new location. 
  • Copied and pasted the file: Then it would exist in both locations (the Dropbox folder and wherever you pasted the file into). 
...

Hi Lusil,

I want to put here one note. Your statement is not not absolutely correct. Drag and drop operation is location context sensitive! So, the common qualification "in the new location" is incorrect. Your statement would be correct if restricted to "in new place on the same drive", for example. When You drag and drop something inside some drive then the default operation (without using additional modifier key - ctrl) is move (like cut and paste). When drag and drop is between different drives (without using additional modifier key - shift), the default operation is copy (like copy and paste). Current discution context is for move between different drives!

  • Lusil's avatar
    Lusil
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    7 years ago
    Thanks for the looping me back and apologies for missing that core point in the query, Здравко! 
     
    axmk2000, since you do mention in your original post that:

    it still shows as linked to Dropbox

    Could you please elaborate a bit on this and possible send me a screenshot (without any personal info) so as to have a better understanding of what you’re seeing? 
     
    Thanks in advance!
    • axmk2000's avatar
      axmk2000
      Explorer | Level 4
      7 years ago

      Thanks to both of you for your interest in this question!  I realized that the files are NOT showing as linked, but as shared.  So now I feel a little silly - I didn't look closely enough at the icons.  But now I'm just curious why they show as shared.  Let me explain:

      So, the original folder is "DAY OF SCOTUS" which shows up in Dropbox on my PC (in MS File Explorer) and in Dropbox online.  It's a shared folder. On my PC the Dropbox folder icon, which normally has just a green checkmark on it (showing it's synced to the Dropbox cloud), has the little people on it too, showing that it's shared.

      (Apologies for no screen shots - I couldn't figure out how to drop them in here.)

      I copied the whole folder over to my C: drive.  It, too, shows up in File Explorer; the folder icon does NOT have the green check mark, but it does have the little people.  To me this means that it is still shared (somehow) but not being synced.

      I copied it over to an external drive, too, with the same result.

      I've tested changing a file in the original folder & confirmed that the files copied to C: & the external HD are not syncing.  So now my only question remains - why do I still have the icon showing the folder as shared in the instances on my C: & external HD?  This is probably some kind of random artifact & not worth any more of your time.  But I am curious :)

      • Lusil's avatar
        Lusil
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
        7 years ago
        Not to worry axmk2000, we are here to help after all. :wink:
         
        At first, bear in mind that the Dropbox folder on your computer is just another folder like any other, but with syncing capabilities. You can tell if a folder/file is in the process of or has completed syncing from the relevant syncing indicators (:arrows_counterclockwise: or :white_check_mark: respectively). 
         
        Having said that, the folder and file icons on your computer are OS-based. This would explain why when you copy-and-paste a folder outside of your Dropbox folder, it carries the relevant icon - despite the fact that it’s not shared anymore. 
         
        You can ensure this by checking out the options that appear when you right-click on the shared folder that’s in your Dropbox folder and the right-clicking on the folder that you copied to your external hard drive. 
         
        Finally, since the folder isn’t residing in your Dropbox folder anymore, please note that any changes you make to it will not be synced across to the website, other connected devices, or anyone else that has access to the original shared folder. 
         
        I hope this helped to some extent, but do let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers!

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