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tjanderson
4 years agoHelpful | Level 6
Turning on dropbox backup but folder name is weird
I had tested the Dropbox Backup feature in the past so I know that when turned on my Computers should be added as My Mac (Unique Mac Name). I decided to turn it back on again when setting up two new Macs that I have but the backup now creates the folders as just Mac, Mac (2), Mac (3)
I've gone through the steps of unlinking Dropbox from each computer. Checking their names in System Preferences and also in the Security tab of my Dropbox account. The computer names are correct in Dropbox but the backup feature is still creating the folders as just Mac
OK, they are finally rolling up a Beta update for Dropbox Backup that will let you rename and I was able to do it! You can do go through Dropbox Backup in the app, disable the backups on all the computers there, and then restart them. Then, re-enable backups and it should move you over to beta so you can now rename things!
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- milesdudley4 years agoHelpful | Level 5
I have the same issue. I have removed all PC's and deleted all files reattached my "new" desktop and it still names it PC2.
I DONT WANT THIS!!! i WANT TO SEE MY PC NAME!
Is there no way to fix this???
- milesdudley4 years agoHelpful | Level 5
I have the same problem.
I have tried all teh steps above.
THIS should now be the only PC being abcked up ALL OTERS HAVE BEEN DEACTIVAED AND REMOVED however it still list this PC as #2. This is frustration. I HATE IT!
Please allow us a way to rename this folder.
- milesdudley4 years agoHelpful | Level 5
I FULLY AGREE AS WELL.
This is awefull it does not siplifiy ANYTHING!!
Please undo this. I reformated my PC now it shows up as PC 2 BUT IT'S NOT!
It makes me feel like I a=have anotehr PC being backed up but Im don't.
- mheck3 years agoNew member | Level 2
I agree. Not being able to rename the backup folder WITH THE NAME OF THE COMPUTER BEING BACKED UP is INEXCUSABLY STUPID. No, really. Seriously stupid. Like, actually moronic. Bad enough that I wonder what their company drug policy is. Seriously. Truly, truly dumb.
This app is getting harder and harder to take seriously. I don't know what's wrong with those guys.
- nichole3 years agoHelpful | Level 5
It honestly seems a security/privacy flaw to me that, despite unlinking the device from your account, if you set up Dropbox on it again, it gets assigned the same folder name. Dropbox should have no idea the same device is being linked because I disassociated it with my account. So why has Dropbox not actually forgotten its existence? It's very suspicious to me.
- Tenayshus3 years agoHelpful | Level 5
I've been a dropbox customer since 2010.
THIS feature is a JOKE! I have had dropbox since 2011 and USED TO love it! Did the meaning of the word "sync" get changed at dropbox? Because there is no "SYNCING" going on at all. "SYNC" used to mean dropbox kept all of my files organized and up to date across all my devices.
I will be going to ANY OTHER CLOUD service. I am not a fan of other cloud services, but at least they keep my files straight.
Bye bye
- klepp09063 years agoCollaborator | Level 10
Ugh, same problem. its pegging my main PC as PC2 after a format/upgrade to windows 11. unlinked everythign from my dropbox account, restarted and tried to set it up again.
guess i wont be using that.
can win with cloud services. tried putting libraries in onedrive but stuff just gets perpetually stuck on sync so figured id shift gears and come to dropbox. nope, dropbox has to sequester things off in their own "PC" folder and on top of that they have to append numbers and you cant change whatever it decides.
good times. local backups it is. - klepp09063 years agoCollaborator | Level 10
so is a plan in the works to address this behavior? what happens when i format again? PC3? then i build a new pc to replace this one, PC4?
Its kind of important to address this. some people have a whole slew of scripts that run based on paths and locations and once youre entrenched having crazy names appended to the same environment that are unchangeable and unremovable is absurd at best. I was able to swallow the murder of symlinks but this one is preventing me from using it altogether. - cpate93 years agoNew member | Level 2
Is this still the case? Why doesn't it use the device name or computer account name? It's incredibly inconvenient to use a naming convention like this. Especially if you're trying to access files via terminal but the name has parenthesis in it.
- tjanderson3 years agoHelpful | Level 6
Hannah Hopefully you can pass this along to the Product Owner for Dropbox backup cause this is still a MAJOR downfall to Dropbox backup and to me makes the claim listed in the dropbox backup marketing https://www.dropbox.com/backup?_tk=social extremely suspect.
Also the marketing slide does not accurately reflect how Backup actually works. What the picture shows the name as Cobalt in reality is going to be Mac (4) or Windows (2). Maybe the feature to use computer name instead of the OS is rolling out but for now all I see is a lot of false claims from what Dropbox says they do and what they actually do. Would love to see that change
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