External drive auto backup

Thanks very much Steve D. I am sorted now!

As a new user of Dropbox backup I am struggling. I now find that since I implemented automatic backup I am unable to manage my files. I no longer have the ability to rename or delete files in any of my folders. It also means that I cannot move a new version of software into my Applications folder. Obviously I cannot operate like this! A reminder that I am on a MacBook Air with M1 processor running MacOS Monterey Version 12.2.1. Help please. 

This thread is for problems related to setting up an external drive to be backed up. Is that what you are talking about, or are you talking about automatic backup of Mac folders such as Desktop, Documents, and Downloads?

I'm talking about automatic backup of folders. Should I create a new thread?

Hi JohnDawson, how are you today? 

You should be able to find out more in regards to Computer backup in this Help Center article. 

If you need to disable it, follow the steps shown there and that should do the trick. 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi Megan. Thanks I am fine. The link you gave me didn't work. My point is that I DO wish to automatically backup my data to Dropbox but I still need to be able to manage the files on my hard drive.

Hi John. Yes, a new thread might help other people down the line, but I suppose a moderator can weigh in on that. You said you are fine, so I presume you have unchecked the boxes for backup and Dropbox put things back the way they were. At this point, I recommend that you test with a folder that you don't care much about to see how things work before going all in. For me, the Downloads folder was good for testing since I don't use it as a permanent home for anything. You should be aware that when you select a folder for backup, Dropbox actually moves that folder to the Dropbox folder (yikes!) and creates an alias in the original location presumably to make the move transparent to you and other apps that use the folder. These new folders in the Dropbox folder are hidden, but you can see them by showing hidden files in finder: shift-cmd-dot(.). The folder is named .Mac or something like that (don't remember). You can do a "Get Info" on the standard folder (such as Downloads) in your home folder to find out that it is not a "real" folder, but rather a pointer to the one in the Dropbox folder. 

Thanks for your very helpful reply Steve D. I will try your suggestions. My objective was to be able to backup all my data automatically whilst still operating normally on my MacBook. I'll get back to you if I need any more guidance. Thanks again.

P.S. The "Thanks, I am fine" was my response to Megan's "How are you today" - not a comment on my technical situation? 😂