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Dropbox removing external disk support for Mac users
In case anyone's unaware... if you're a Mac user storing your Dropbox on an external drive, you'll shortly lose that ability.
https://help.dropbox.com/installs/macos-support-for-expected-changes
Just confirmed this with DB support (see below). Gutted - been with Dropbox for years and our entire video team flow is based around it 😕
>Hi there, I read today that you are scrapping the ability to store the Dropbox folder on external disks, on OSX. I'd like to ask more about this please.
> Hello Jon, and thank you for contacting Dropbox Support. My name is Joseph, and I will be more than happy to look into your request, right away.
That is correct Jon, as part of the Dropbox for macOS update, the Dropbox folder must be located in ~/Library/CloudStorage.
>This is a showstopper for us, and will mean we have to move to another service. We have a large distributed team using DB for video work, no way it'll fit within internal drives.
Is there a workaround?
> I totally understand and I apologize for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, there is no workaround on this as changing the location of your Dropbox folder is no longer supported by macOS.
>This change doesn't seem to have hit us yet - we're running a variety of machines inc Ventura
What will trigger its enforcement? Can we stay on an earlier OS or Dropbox version?
>The updates happening automatically every time the Dropbox app is restarting, for example if your device never restarts it should maintain the older version but we can't guarantee full functionality on older versions of the application.
>So what will happen - if we have a Dropbox folder on an 8TB drive and a tiny internal drive - will it try to clone stuff across and eat up the space? What's the mechanism?
>That's right, it will try to move the content on your internal drive until it has no space and gives you an error.
>Is Smartsync still supported? I.e. will it move stuff to being online only if it won't fit?
>It is, however it is now known as online-only.
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- Yeah I am aware of Google Drive limitations as a music producer, graphic designer, video editor and programmer myself so I intend to use G Drive as a backup to store all the stuff (about 14TB) I currently have on an external drive and since I don't want physical drives anymore (only keeping one forthcoming 8TB external SSD SanDisk v3 dongle to keep backing up my Macbook Pro Time Machine with it). Because the problem is Dropbox REFUSES to offer more than 2/3/4TB data plans for Personal or Pro accounts (I don't wanna migrate to this lame Business account, which I've tried before, and is a totally different product with 3-user system and all that, it's not allowing a smooth transition just the way Personal and Pro are).So on G Drive I will store only large videos and .zips that I need there to offload my current external drive data on it. I will keep Dropbox to minimum on my internal Macbook Pro drive for files such as Logic, Ableton etc. indeed. Because I know Dropbox has no problems with file compatibility. I have also read that G Drive has file size limits, like 750GB per day, and 5TB for each file, than Dropbox doesn't seem to have (? - not sure about that) This could be an issue if I intend to upload like a whole image copy of my TimeMachine backup on G Drive (instead of Dropbox) as well, with stuff like CarbonCopyCleaner, onto it. But other than that, it doesn't seem to be too problematic.It really is a shame that Dropbox is not offering 10-30TB plans just the same way G Drive is logically offering since 2020. Looks like Dropbox lives in the past. Who needs less than 10TB nowadays, people in India or Bangladesh with low internet and hard drive? lolYeah end of the off topic. But the lesson here (1) never trust Dropbox with external drives such as shown in this thread (2) Dropbox is not (yet) a satisfactory option for modern 2023 people from developed countries with professional storage space needs (10TB+) and (3) G Drive is not ideal since it's not as smooth (and fast) as Dropbox in terms of sync system, selective sync (G Drive having removed this feature that means your Mac doesn't index the offline files, but personally I don't care since it's more a storage space for me rather than a 'Dropbox' space there) and file compatibility (as you described for certain files it can conflict, it's not as smooth as Dropbox), but if used for certain file types (videos, .zip etc.) it's pretty awesome to be able to store 10TB to 30TB and ditch my mechanical 12TB hard drive instead, that we all know, will fail one day so it's better to have all your data on a Cloud (for me).To fix all this and avoid storing data only on a Cloud I will soon purchase a Macbook Pro with 8TB internal (hopefully 12TB option coming with the M3 in mid-2024) or a Mac Pro with 2x8TB internal, and pray that Dropbox FINALLY extends the Personal and Pro plans to 10/20/30/Infinite TB option plans in 2024 or 2025 (and not the Business plan that as I explained before is not the same as Pro/Personal folder). Only then, I will stop my G drive and move everything back to Dropbox. And if Dropbox still refuses to comply, I will contact their Enterprise service, maybe I can pay their programmer to simply extend my current Pro plans to more TB (but I guess this will cost a fortune lol).Last resort, I will build my own NAS but that's always risky and I've read it's slower to sync vs. having a Cloud like Dropbox (which is known for being super fast). And it's also an issue to only have one NAS in one physical location, in case my house burns or there's a burglary. So I guess I'd need two NAS in two separate locations at any given time. Quite a headache and not as real-time syncing as Dropbox. So again, Dropbox really has to fix their plan asap...
- Wonderful news! Thank you for listening, we look forward to more details. JC
What is the advantage of the File Provider API ?
I'm going to ask you because I can't seem to get back to the initial poster.
I have quite a bit "in the cloud" in dropbox right now. I would like to move it all out of dropbox and onto my external drive. I am not going to deal with this (I'm in the process of upgrading a mac mini, that has 1TB SS to a mac mini 2 that will only have 512gb on it. There is no way everything I have in the DROPBOX can fit on the new mac mini).
So, can I just drag everything into the external for now ... (It's 2TB) and I'll deal with either adding to the Apple iCloud or a different service.
I don't understand. Won't we be able to store the files on dropbox online only and pull them down when needed? I actually JUST set up an iMovie library on Dropbox this morning. It took a ridiculous amount of time to upload an 800mb MB! film - it was a 30 second video for Pete Sake. I'm in the process of upgrading to a macmini2 with only 512gb on it. I have a Mac mini 1TB that currently has 850 gb used. I need to already move everything and planned on working from a 2TB External.
So, bottom line, can I just drag everything out of drop box - right now! - and stick in on the 2TB external, then either do Google or some other cloud service and be done with dropbox?
I'm really confused over this. If I've got most of files and folders current set for DROPBOX online only how is this going to affect me? Does it? I don't have the Dropbox app on an external. ie it reads users>Homefolder>Dropbox>xyzfolder. So, if this is the case, when does this issue affect me. I'm certainly not going to choose "Okay" or "start" until I know what's going on. I want to "downsize" my 2014 Mac Mini (1TB) to a 2023 Mac Mini2 (512gb), and planned on putting the videos in dropbox and pull them down to work on them; do I need to now just put them on an external instead? I basically use DROPBOX for storage so how does this change my situation? Any insight is appreciated.
On Friday, Dropbox posted this comment...looks like they are pausing the rollout until they implement a solution.
It doesn’t affect you.
