Re: Accidentally synced all my computer files to Dropbox

Hey Carol G.1, thanks for reaching out to us.

It looks like you've enabled our computer backup feature on the Dropbox application.

You can disable it and move your desktop folders back to their original location, by following these steps.

The steps you sent me to has one big problem. It says click the dropbox icon and select the Sync & Backups tab. There isn't such a tab!  What do I do now?

Hey Carol!

If you click on the Dropbox icon, then on your initials/profile pic and then on 'preferences', do you see it?

Every answer I get tells me to click on the 'burger icon'. I don't see such an icon. Maybe I should try MacDonalds (frustrated joke)

I've found a page with the backups listed with checkboxes beside each one. Above the list is a download icon. If I click on it, will it give back my files and cancel backup?

I've done that that and I get a box with a list of links --  view sync issues, snooze notifications.  I've clicked all those links and no ref to backups.  No burger. This is making me very nervous. I need all that info,etc back on my computer,and I must not lose anything!  

After clicking on your initials/profile pic, you'll need to click on 'preferences'; do you get this option?

es, I've done that before and clicked on Backups. There's an option for Manage backups but when I click on it, opens a Welcome to Backups Let's get started. Sorry to bef taking up so much of your time. I'm really feeling dense about this.

Don't worry about it, Carol, we'll figure this out!

Did you previously uninstall the Dropbox application perhaps, and then reinstalled it?

If you go to your backups page online, do you see that the backup of this computer is active?

I haven't uninstalled, reinstalled or anything. On my backups page, it lists Mac-done-8/30/2023 2:15 p.m.  1.09 GB.

I've been away from my computer for a couple of hours. I just woke it and everything on my desktop (except the HD and Time Machine icons) has disappeared!  Under the message box there's a notice that my content was auto-saved at 9:50 p.m..  What does that mean?

BTW, I've been using Macs since they replaced the Lisa and been on Dropbox for years and this has me baffled. Thanks for hanging in with me.

Hi from me as well, Carol G.1!

Can you please go to this page, and send me a full screenshot of what you see there? I’d like to have a visual of what you see, if you don’t mind, and guide you further.

You can upload your screenshot here by clicking on the small camera icon above your message box, right before you post your reply on the forum.

Let me know when you’re ready.

Hi. I have only been on the computer for a short time since we last communicated, so didn't read your message until now. I have the screenshot you wanted but it's late and I'll have to contact you tomorrow. I was poking around and saw the manage backups link, so I clicked it and the Mac backup was listed there with a delete option. I decided I had to try it and I clicked delete.  When I looked at my desktop all the things that had disappeared were back. And Mac isn't in my Dropbox folder. So maybe I fixed It?. I have no idea how the backup started in the first place so I'd like to prevent it from  automatically starting up again.

HI Carol G.1, the Dropbox Backup feature has to be enabled by the user, so it's possible you enabled it during the first installation of the Dropbox desktop application. 

Provided you don't enable it in the desktop app settings, it won't become enabled by default.