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Forum Discussion
My storage usage is over the Basic limit and I can't access my files to delete them.
Help, I didn't want to sync all my files to dropbox and now I'm over my limit and can't access any files so I can go below this limit. Syncing has been stopped but what happens to my files on my comp...
vladgasan
Dropbox Product Manager
Dropbox Product ManagerThanks for the update UmiS. Based on what you shared, it looks like you found two old backups in your account settings and deleted them. That explains why your storage dropped back under the limit.
To answer your questions:
Why those backups appeared
Dropbox Backup can automatically offer to back up external drives when they are plugged in. If you accepted the prompt in the past, Dropbox created an External Drive Backup for that device. These backups are stored in your account even if you no longer have the drive, which is why they were using space.
Did the external drive also back up everything from Dropbox?
No. External Drive Backup only copies data from the drive into your Dropbox account. It does not copy files in the opposite direction. So your external drive should not contain a mirror of all your Dropbox files unless you manually placed those files there yourself.
How to stop Dropbox from backing up your external drive in the future
When you plug in an external drive, Dropbox may show a prompt asking whether you want to back up that drive. To prevent this:
- Open the Dropbox desktop app.
- Go to Preferences.
- Open the Backups tab.
- Turn off any setting related to automatically offering to back up external drives.
- If Dropbox shows a prompt in the future asking whether you want to back up the drive, choose “Not now” or “Don’t ask again.”
These steps ensure that external drives will not be backed up unless you explicitly start a backup.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
