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Moved files but they're gone from Dropbox even though they're online-only
Hi,
I have a problem with space on my hard drive and I wanted to make all files on line only, and occasionally make backup on external hard drive.
I have moved a lot of files to hard drive but then they have vanished from dropbox, although I have marked them as online only.
And some files that I want to delete, I cant because it says that they are being used...
I guess I`m facing more than one problem here. Could you please help me, I`m new on dropbox...
Please reply on [removed per the Dropbox Community Guidelines]
1 Reply
- Mark
Super User II
Hi Slobelix
Basically what you want to do you cant do how you are doing it.
So first of all if you move anything out of Dropbox it will delete them from Dropbox - because they are no longer in the Dropbox folder. So you have to copy them to the external drive.
The second thing is if you mark as online only there is just a placeholder placed at that location (think a Shortcut to the file). Copying and pasting those will literally copy and paste the shortcut - not the actual file as THEY are on Dropbox. Dropbox will download the files locally if you need to open them.
To backup like you want you need everything local (so space will be an issue for you) AND THEN copy them to the other drive.
There is no way, at all, with Dropbox to do those things automated (i.e. online only and send to another location, or, even just backup to another drive).
