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How can I re-link the desktop app to my existing Dropbox folder on my external drive?
Hi,
My situation is as follows:
- I have a DB account with >1TB of data that is synced with an external hard drive;
- I periodically load files into my DB account either by copying onto the external hard drive, or by uploading using the web-interface;
- My computer broke, at a point in time that my online DB account was not synced with the external hard drive;
- I have a new computer and would like to re-link my online DB account with the hard drive.
How do I re-link my online DB account with my external hard drive, even when the two are not currently synced (i.e., there are files in my online account that are not present on the hard drive, and files on the hard drive that are not on the online account)?
Thanks,
C.
there are files in my online account that are not present on the hard drive, and files on the hard drive that are not on the online account
Because you're in a mixed state with files at each end that need to sync, I wouldn't risk it. Start fresh with a new Dropbox folder. Allow everything to sync down to the new folder, then move the unsynced files from the old Dropbox folder to the new one.
Otherwise you possibly risk overwriting files on the drive with an older version from online, and vice versa.
5 Replies
- T_theresa_A
Community Manager
Hi there ctte and welcome to the Dropbox Community 🎉. I’m so glad to see that your issue was resolved and questions answered thanks to Rich and Hannah's amazing assistance.
By the way, my name is Theresa, and you might see me popping up around the Community 👩💻. I absolutely love hearing from our members and learning how they use Dropbox in their daily lives 💙.
If you're open to sharing, I’d love to hear how you use Dropbox 💡. Who knows, you might inspire some helpful tips we can share with others or even spark ideas to pass along to our internal team 🤗.
T 😺 (Dropbox Community Manager)
Ok, thanks very much.
Charlie
- Hannah
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey @cttedwards, you've got this right, indeed, this would be the safest option in your case.
Let us know how it goes or if you need any other info or guidance!
Hi Rich,
Thanks for the response. If I have:
- On my online DB: files A & B;
- On my external hard drive: files B & C.
The correct procedure is:
- Create a fresh DB download that syncs files A & B to a new drive;
- Copy file C from my old external drive to the new synced drive.
Otherwise there is a risk that either A or C may be lost.
Have I understood that correctly?
Thanks,
Charlie
- Rich
Super User II
there are files in my online account that are not present on the hard drive, and files on the hard drive that are not on the online account
Because you're in a mixed state with files at each end that need to sync, I wouldn't risk it. Start fresh with a new Dropbox folder. Allow everything to sync down to the new folder, then move the unsynced files from the old Dropbox folder to the new one.
Otherwise you possibly risk overwriting files on the drive with an older version from online, and vice versa.
