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Please help me stop an automated upload-process. It began after linking my new Laptop.
Hello,
Yes ... although this email is about Storage Space, as you will see below; there are good reasons I will NOT upgrade yet! Why? Basically because, important issues about transparency and trust have been damaged!
1. My name is GraemeH.
2. I’ve had my 'BASIC account' for quite a while.
3. I was already planning to upgrade.
4. Now, before the problem arose, I only used 1.6GB of my 2.2 GB 'free data'.
5. Then recently linked my new Laptop to it.
6. But did NOT authorise photos or files to automatically upload!
7. I was shocked that my data suddenly 'maxed-out' at 2.3GB.
8. Yet, despite removing heaps of that un-authorised upload; the space I created kept being re-filled!
9. My 1st Search involved combing through Dropbox for instructions.
- The section, "How to delete Dropbox backup" seemed like it should fix everything.
- Item No -2 advises, "Click the Sync and backups tab."
- Yet, weird-though-it-seems, NO information – nor options exist there!
- Neither via my Laptop, nor my phone.
- I checked many times for several days.
10. Meanwhile, that uncertainty is made even worse, having discovered unsatisfactory facts, about a tiny facet of Dropbox's operations.
- The way it doesn’t make things easy, even for Clients with big Accounts!! (See Section 11.)
- From that (following) data you will see, why I won’t be railroaded into 'upgrading' - straight away
- Simply because it suits someone else’s priorities!
- Especially because I suspect, Dropbox may be utilising un-acknowledged, covert, or deceptive ways; to artificially ‘max-out’ people's data-limits!
11. Okay now ... for my 2nd Search, I explored "Community Answers", to find someone – in those archived Records – who had the same problem: but got it sorted out.
- There I found a guy who had exactly the same issue.
- For 3 days, he & one of your guys emailed each other. But it did NOT get sorted.
- Anyhow, he got really frustrated with all the time he already invested. So, after thanking his helper, said, he would immediately transfer his files out of Dropbox; and close his (big) account.
- He wanted a Company, with better support & greater transparency.
- He said he’d only used 5.69 GB of data – from his Account.
- Then suddenly, the rest of the 13.25 GB (of space he bought): filled up with photos & other files.
- Obviously, he would have felt indignant.
- Cos despite his reasonably big Account, Dropbox's lack of transparency & absence of easily accessible, straightforward self-help - is ridiculous!
12. As validation, I have that guy's name, I.D., and dates he got assistance from Community support.
13. Now … those circumstances the other guy was trapped by, a couple of years ago, still exist.
- Cos that’s what I’m now tangled up in!
14. Presumably lots of other people also leave Dropbox, reluctantly, for these same reasons:
- Absence of easy access to crucial information.
- Consequent lack-of-opportunity to sort out issues quickly - D.I.Y.
- The transparency - which they assure us about - is mythic rather than consistent! (See the next dot-point!)
- In "10 tips for submitting your Dropbox ideas"– in a Sub-section entitled, "Be yourself" – it begins with this advice and self-perception:
- "Make yourself worthy of trust. We’re into transparency, honesty, and truth. ..."
- Such a pity! Cos obviously their insistence is NOT totally true!!
15. Anyhow, please help me to cancel that automated, uploading process. (Which would also help to RESTORE my confidence in Dropbox.)
16. Cos despite this extraordinarily time-wasting journey I'm still on; I continue to admire the simplicity and versatility of Dropbox.
From ... GraemeH.
My email: [removed per Community Guidelines]
21 Replies
Replies have been turned off for this discussion
- Nancy
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hi SpudupS1946-Dragon! Thanks for posting on our forum.
First of all, I’d like to thank you for all the feedback you’ve shared with us. It’s really appreciated, and I’ll make sure our team sees it, as well.
Now, as per the issue you’re facing, I’d like you to go to your Backups page here, and send me a screenshot of what you see there.
Since you mention that your photos are being automatically uploaded, I’d also like to check the possibility that camera uploads has been enabled on your computer. Please check these steps, and let me know if the feature is currently enabled.
If you face any issues along the way, I'll be happy to further help.
Hi Nancy,
First, here is the screen shot.
Second... I cannot find the "steps" you ask for.
On WindowsOn macOS- Open your Dropbox desktop app preferences.
- Click Backups.
- Note: Click the dropdown next to Enable camera uploads for to switch between Photos only or Photos and videos. ...
(1) The information, "Enable camera uploads for to switch between ..." is NOT available.
(2) Nor is there a "dropdown next ..." to it!
(3) I believe I've got the current version of Dropbox.
(4) Actually, I've been finding 'discrepancies' of this sort, between (a) instructions & (b) what is actually there - when I proceed as directed: is extremely frustrating!
(5) Cos the waste of time involved has been enormous.
(5) So, hopefully the help you give from here on, will sort things out quickly.
Regards from GraemeH
P.S. Have I been doing something wrong? Cos this is the second time I got the following message. Yet when I review my email - nothing was changed.
- Hannah
Hey SpudupS1946-Dragon, thanks for the screenshot.
Based on that screenshot, it doesn't look like you have the backup feature enabled at all.
Can you let us know more about the files that you saw getting uploaded?
Also, if you take a look at your plan page here, what's the breakdown of your usage? Is your space taken up by backup files?
Hi Hannah,
1. Here is the information you asked for.
- Now … after I linked my new Laptop to Dropbox, the existing data I’d already used, went from 1.6GB to 2.3GB.
- I never used Dropbox to store photos!
- Heaps of photos transferred from the Laptop, but later some files and screenshots as well. Please take a look … cos this next screenshot confirms that.
- Having discovered that upload, I removed HEAPS of photos.
- The space available went down to 2.2GB.
- Then more photos – and some files – were uploaded; and it went back to 2.3GB
8. Sooo ... what happened?
9. How do we fix it?
1 0. And get back to my previous 1.6GB?
Cheers from GraemeH
- Jay
Hi SpudupS1946-Dragon, since you only have private files on your account, you'll need to manually check your files and folders in the Dropbox folder to see what could be taking up your quota.
Perhaps you have an app or service that is moving files into your Dropbox folder, or another machine you own is syncing files to your account. Have you checked the events page to see where the new files were added from?
Hi Jay,
1. Following your advice, I clicked on “events page” (in your text) and scrolled down.
- Could not find info about “where the new files were added from?”
- While there, I counted 142 deletions I made, on 13/12/2023.
2.Then, in the “Search” window I typed “Where were the new files added from?”
- After clicking the “Search Icon”, nothing happened.
3. Next, I clicked on, “All events” and a drop-down window opened.
- None were active.
4. Now, the next 5 screen-shots (from Dropbox) is Stage -1, of addressing the following request by Jay. (Stage -2 completes that, by comparing 3 screen shots, from my Laptop: at Item Nos. 9 – 12 below!)
- He said, “you'll need to manually check your files and folders in the Dropbox folder to see what could be taking up your quota.” (Which is actually the difference between 1.6 - which I had already used; and the ' maxed out' 2.3 GB.)
- This series-of-five screen-shots clearly show that (a) heaps of photos were uploaded. And (b) they clearly trace across to my Laptop!
- Cos as you will see, the (i) images and (ii) File-names – of both sets are IDENTICAL!!
What we clearly see here is 5-sets of photos’.
5. This 2nd shot shows which set of (uploaded) photos I’m about to open.
6. Now I’ve selected the second photo - & also enlarged it – in the 2nd screenshot, below.
7. Obviously, this screen-shot is a photo, of miniature sculptures, arranged by the artist.
8. Hannah & Jay give different reasons for being skeptical, that any photos (or other files), were uploaded by Dropbox; from my Laptop. Jay suggested that …
- “Perhaps you have an app or service that is moving files into your Dropbox folder, or another machine you own is syncing files to your account.”
- The answer is No, to both of your suggestions!!
- None of the photos or other files which (spontaneously) uploaded to Dropbox; are on my Tablet, nor phone! They only exist on my Laptop!!
- All those images were old photos – which I SCANNED to my Laptop!
- None were transferred to another machine!
9. What I’ll do now, is prove to you that those pictures …
- Are on my Laptop.
- Since they do NOT exist on another machine – this is where they came from!
- And the only system I have, that’s able to ‘auto-upload’ files: is Dropbox!
10. Okay, here is a screen-shot of photo-files (on my Laptop.) Notice the highlighted 'folder' …
- Has the same name, as in earlier screenshots; from inside Dropbox.
- “Z - Coburg West P.S - Mini-SCULPTURES - Gr 4 Coburg West”
11. This time please notice “I’ve selected the second photo” once again. (See No. 6 above!)
12. Here is the same photo …
- Obtained direct from photo-files on my Laptop.
- This photo and File-name are the same: as those you already saw in (See No. 6 & 7 above!)
13. Okay … I could provide the same evidence, for hundreds of other photos!
- Cos the originals of all photos (spontaneously) uploaded to Dropbox, actually
- Exist on my Laptop: and only there!
14. FINALLY … I request that from here on – until fully resolved; my Case be handled by someone, with the Seniority required to …
- Sort out this mess.
- Take responsibility for awkwardness itemised below.
- Before emailing Dropbox, I spent heaps of time researching the problem.
- That was made far worse by Dropbox’s, totally in-adequate printed directions: about cancelling automated uploads. (See ‘Item No. 9 from my 1st email.
- Even directions – and suggestions made by Hannah and especially Jay, may have been procedurally correct. But did those clarify anything at all, for you?
- My 1st email to Dropbox’s “Community assistance” gave a clear overview (in Item Nos.9 & 11). I showed that suitable, clear ‘diagnostic, & trouble-shooting strategies’ were not provided by Dropbox.
- Yet vivid evidence I obtained from the Community assistance ‘Archive’ (see Item No. 11) makes it clear; I’m certainly not the first person to be messed-about, like this!!!
- Which is why my initial contact, was careful to be very clear.
- For I hoped, targeted attention would be given right from the start!
Therefore, as well as cancelling the ‘auto-upload function’ for me; I ask you to consider …
- A meaningful explanation of what caused the problem.
- Plus suitable redress – for the cumulative & enormous nuisance caused: by each of the above contributing factors.
Regards from GraemeH
- Jay
Can you right click that specific image from Explorer and choose Properties, in order to determine the exact location of that file?
Hi Jay,
You asked for “that specific image from Explorer … in order to determine the exact location of that file.”
- So, via Explorer and Properties I provide the following 3 screen-shots.
- Cos that sequence also helps to authenticate exactly where “that specific image” came from.
- Among heaps of folders on my laptop.
- Which was why I used that technique 2X in my previous email.
- The image in question being - that photo of miniature sculpted figures in a band: which I forwarded to you yesterday.
Screen-shot -1
Screen-shot -2
Screen-shot -3
Cheers from GraemeH
Hi Jay,
I omitted to point out an ambiguity - cos you didn't specify which file-source to obtain that data from. So I now clarify what I did.
The 3 screen-shots I just sent to you (above), were from photo files – now on Dropbox. Which were uploaded there by an automated system.
In other words, “that specific image” you wanted, was obtained from there – using “Properties”. Not from files still on my laptop!
From GraemeH
- Hannah
Hey SpudupS1946-Dragon, you most probably have enabled the Camera Uploads feature, but let's make sure.
If you select one of those photos and follow the steps here to locate its version history, do you see the name of the device the photo was added from?
Is it the computer you're currently using?
If it is, try following the steps in this article, to see if you can disable that feature and let us know how it went.
