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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 t...
Jay
Dropbox Community Moderator
Dropbox Community ModeratorAs mentioned previously, anything with a green tick is already synced to Dropbox, and will automatically sync if you add or edit any data there.
If the Dropbox icon, or any files and folders, has a red x on it, like in this article, then that means that those files couldn't sync for some reason. In a sense, this could be what you're referring to in 3, for any files waiting to upload when you get enough space on your account.
Hi Jay & Hannah, 18 /01/2024
1st … my apology.
Earlier today I looked for a reply from Jay. Having noticed my email (sent yesterday) wasn’t listed – nor any replies; it didn’t occur to me that ‘email-storage No.1’ must have got full. And therefore new emails were transferred to ‘No.2’! (Actually, I never been in this type of situation before.)
Meanwhile … I modified yesterday’s email and re-sent it this morning. Then having checked its ‘status’ (on-line); discovered that both versions – plus replies from both of you - were stored in ‘No.2’. (Sooo … I owe both of you an apology!!)
Seems like GOOD news though! Starting to look like, problems with my Dropbox may get sorted out!
Cos Hannah’s recent email (which I didn’t find till today), (1) suggested: the Camera Uploads feature was probably enabled. (2) Then provided a Link “... to locate its version history to … see the name of the device the photo was added from.”
Okay now, what these 2 screenshots confirm is – those photos were all: “Added by Graeme Hoel Desktop.”
* A question for Jay. Thanks for your feedback about the Green-dots. But when you said, “… anything with a green tick (1) is already synced to Dropbox, and will automatically (2) sync if you …”
- Does the 2nd use of the word “sync” mean – those files would then upload to Dropbox - if space is available?
- Which of course is exactly what I don’t want to happen!
- And when linking my new laptop to Dropbox, I certainly did not select that option!
Okay … where do we go from here? Cos I need space 'freed up': the difference between 1.6GB - 2.3GB.
From GraemeH
Hi Hannah & Jay, 18 /01/2024
Just realised, I overlooked Hannah’s second request, namely:
“Is it the computer you're currently using? (The answer is Yes – my new laptop!)
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.”
Actually, it isn’t possible to hardly even begin doing that! Bizarre though it seems, the “steps" you directed me to: don’t open!
As a matter of fact, I was already directed to go through those exact-same procedures, by Nancy; after receiving my 1st email from you guys. The outcome back then was exactly the same as: when I tried exploring that again – a few minutes ago. So, in a moment, despite me expressing it differently to you below; what I typed in my reply to Nancy, was this same message.
- What follows is the proforma that opened from Hannah’s link.
“Turn photo uploads on or off in the Dropbox desktop app.
- 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.
- Click Change AutoPlay Settings next to Import photos and videos to Dropbox.
- Click the dropdown under Removable drive.
- To turn on camera uploads, select Import photos and videos (Dropbox).
- To turn off camera uploads, select any other option.
- Repeat step 4 for Memory card.”
- The problem is, after I “Click backups” …
- There is no “Dropdown”
- Nor any text about, “Enable camera uploads for … etc”
- Sooo … nothing opens to click on.
Therefore the options connected with Nos. 3, 4 & 5 don’t become available!
I drew attention to this back then! When I replied to Nancy’s email.
Anyhow, up-to-date we have solved 1 issue. (1) Folders & Files that uploaded to Dropbox came from my new laptop. And I did not initiate an automated uploading system.
But what do we do now?
From GraemeH.
- Hannah
Thanks, Graeme.
Just to clarify, the files with the green check mark icons mean that they are synced/uploaded to your Dropbox account, so you should be able to find those on the Dropbox website as well.
As for the steps to disable Camera Uploads, can you send us a screenshot of what you see in the Backups tab?
Hi Hannah,
- I begin at the Task-bar, in the ‘up-side-down ^’ window. And click the Dropbox icon, that has a red arrow on it. (The regular icon has not been working, since my Account ‘maxed-out’!)
- Next I checked the ‘blue -GH’ button.
3. Now checked “Preferences”
4. “Backups” is now checked.
5. Here I checked “Manage Backups”
6. And of course … here we are back at this window: which I did not set up: when linking my new laptop to Dropbox!!!
7. Meanwhile I checked “Photos and Videos”. But once again, obviously I selected none!!!
8. Now I check “Change AutoPlay Settings”
9. Which opened this window.
10. This time I checked “Removable Drive.”
Now I am speechless – due to wider implications of what just opened up!
11. Finally I checked “Memory Card.”
Now I’m even more shocked by further implications – of what is FINALLY emerging!
12. Meanwhile, I have 2 screen-shots from my phone which help to further authenticate, this fact. I wanted neither my smart-phone – nor laptop – to participate in automated uploading of photos or files to Dropbox!
13. Here in particular, under “Features,” Note that (1) “Camera uploads”; & (2) “Configure passcode” – are both “OFF.”
14. Wow! Hannah … you, Jay and I, finally have clear evidence, that my laptop was highjacked by a sophisticated application: to ‘max-out’ my ‘Basic Dropbox Account.’ That’s what the ‘smoking gun’ shows: but not only about circumstances I experienced: nor only about people with ‘Basic Accounts’!
15. But please let me know what procedures will be used to remove from my account, all that 0.7GB of un-authorise, uploads of Folders and files.
From GraemeH.
- Hannah
Thanks for the screenshots, Graeme!
So, indeed, from the AutoPlay settings, it seems that the saved options were to import your photos and videos to Dropbox, so once you switch that option to, let's say, "ask me every time", the importing will be disabled.
Now, if you'd like to bring your account under quota, all you have to do is move the files you don't need to have in Dropbox, out of your Dropbox folder.
You can move them anywhere else on your computer and they will be removed from Dropbox, thus clearing up your Dropbox space.
Hi Hannah,
Is there a location or window in Dropbox where all those unwanted, 'auto-uploaded' folders and files are grouped together? So I can find and delete them very quickly?
From GraemeH.
- Hannah
Happy Monday, Graeme!
They should be in a folder named "Camera Uploads". Can you check and let me know if you can find them?
