Take Your Search Game to the Next Level with Dropbox Dash 🚀✨ Curious how it works? Ask us here!
Forum Discussion
Solved
Dropbox system data is taking up a large amount of space from my computer, after installing the app.
We've had a Dropbox account for years, but I hadn't installed it on my MacBook Air because I was afraid that it would take up too much space. Since we're having trouble with OneDrive, we decided to use Dropbox and I installed it and then made all of my files online only. However, now more than 100GB of my 256GB drive is full with system data, most of which wasn't there before. Is there something that Dropbox leaves behind when copying files from OneDrive to Dropbox? Is there anything I can do about it?
Can you mouse over the Dropbox icon on the status bar and see what it says?
5 Replies
- Nancy
Dropbox Staff
Hi exeterhistory! Thanks for posting this on our forum.
First off, can you send me a few screenshots of what you see on your end?
More specifically, I'd like a screenshot showing your hard drive space being used by Dropbox system files and one more of what you see when opening your Dropbox folder, so that I can double check the current syncing status of your files/folders there.
Feel free to give me a nudge, once you have more info.
Hi Nancy! Thank you for your response. I ended up completely erasing my Mac and building it back from scratch, which cut my system files down significantly to a reasonable level. So, one problem is solved, but I have run into another. Since I don't have a large enough hard drive to keep much of what's in Dropbox on my computer, I have everything set to live online. After removing everything and reinstalling Dropbox, it wasn't showing any of the files in the Dropbox app on my computer that are in Dropbox. I ended up downloading everything from two of the folders onto my hard drive and then moving it to Dropbox, which created duplicates. I've finally solved that issue, but it's not ideal to have to create new folders on my computer in the Dropbox folder and then move everything through the Dropbox website in order to see them on my machine. There must be a way for everything in Dropbox to show up in Dropbox on my computer. I'm sure that I'm missing something very basic. I would be fine with only adding "Curator", but they should all show up.
I'm including two screenshots -- one of our basic structure in Dropbox on the website, and one of the basic structure of Dropbox that appears on my MacBook Air. (In File Explorer, I have pinned a few folders that are in the "Programs" folder for easier access.)
- Mark
Super User II
Can you mouse over the Dropbox icon on the status bar and see what it says?
Thank you, Mark! I should have Googled more before asking you. I found the ability to sync from the Dropbox icon, just as you said. I'm all set now. Thank you, again!
- Mark
Pleased you are sorted :D
