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Hidden .dropbox_bi folder storing 87GB of files locally!
Hi, I've just recently set up a new Dropbox Professional account. After installing the desktop app on my Mac I also set up a backup of my external SSD, which completed successfully yesterday.
Standard Dropbox file sync seems to be working fine, and the Dropbox app says everything is up to date, but for some reason I now have a new hidden folder under my Mac user folder called .dropbox_bi. That folder is storing 87GB of files on my primary SSD, apparently related to the 220GB of data backed up from the external SSD.
Is this my life now? Or is there some way to recover that massive waste of precious primary SSD storage space?
Hi bea1356, if you're still being affected by this, please try the following steps:
- Navigate to https://dropbox.com/backup/all. You should see a page listing all of your active backups.
- Any affected external drive backups will have an adjacent icon indicating that there are restored files.
- Turn off automatic backup for each of these backups from the backup management UI:
- Open the Dropbox tray on your computer.
- Under “Sync and backups”, click on the affected backup. You should now see a page for managing the backup.
- Scroll down to the “Adjust settings” section.
- Find the “Automatically back up drive” slider.
- Turn the slider to off. This will pause automatic backup.
- Repeat for each affected backup.
- You should see free space on your computer start to go up.
- Wait until free space on your computer has stabilized. This may take 30 minutes or more.
- Turn on automatic backup for the affected external drive backups from the backup management UI.
- Open the Dropbox tray on your computer.
- Under “Sync and backups”, click on the affected backup. You should now see a page for managing the backup.
- Scroll down to the “Adjust settings” section.
- Find the “Automatically back up drive” slider.
- Turn the slider to on to resume automatic backup.
- Repeat for each affected backup.
- Return to https://dropbox.com/backup/all
- In the affected backups, you will find a folder containing any restored files. Verify that your backup already contains the files in this folder, then go ahead and delete it.
Keep me posted with any updates!
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- I have the same hidden file. 1tb ssd and this file is using 527gb. Can I just delete it.
Hi There,
I just found out I have the same problem but then wit 301GB. My iMac is not functioning anymore. Yesterday I deleted 156GB of other storage, but now my HD is full again. I looks like it has to do something woth the back-up of my external HD. Please help. Thanks.
Kind regards, Roland
Hi there, I've discovered the same issue with our M1 Mac Mini. My editor kept running out of space despite it having plenty.
I found the hidden dropbox_bi folder and it's 225GB!
It contains a long folder name and within that folder is a DropboxBackup folder which hold some files for our main storage desktop drive. What's going on as every time I clear space elsewhere, Dropbox steals it. The subfolder is called "Hard drive name (restored files). Can I delete this and have my space back?
Oh and to add to insult the Dropbox client won't run now due to lack of hard drive space!
Edit. I've been on live chat who don't have a clue, the last suggestion was to try looking at THIS THREAD!Told the person that it's okay to admit they don't know and they surely must have a system to pass to a tech department! All they ended up suggesting was to email support!
- I feel the original poster should have been given advice here rather than privately by email. Could have helped us all.
I have the same problem. 62 GB related to my copy of External HD. Any solution? Can I deleted this hidden folder? dropbox_bi. Thanks.
I'm currently in email exchange with Dropbox tech support and they have escalated it as they don't know. As soon as I hear anything back I'll post it here.
Thank you! I have made the query in the forum in Spanish too.
I'm also experiencing this issue - 236GB of space being taken up on my PC's main C drive, seemingly in relation to the backup of my external SSD. If I clear more space on that drive by deleting other files, it seems Dropbox is immediately filling that freshly created space. Have also emailed support.
- I have deleted the file, Dropbox came back with an error. Once I restarted Dropbox asked if I wanted to back up my external ssd’s which I clicked NO.
I’ll manage my own backups for external drives if Dropbox is going to take half my 1tb internal ssd. - Hannah
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey everyone, sorry for the delay here.
If you're still having this issue, can you please let us know, so we can send you an email?
Thanks!
