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Opting out of cloud storage?
I've been a Dropbox user for about 10 years. Today, I was greeted with a demand from my Dropbox client to move all of my Dropbox synced folders from ~/Dropbox to ~/Library/CloudStorage. I've done...
Hey sfsdfd, thanks for taking the time to provide additional info on your query.
Allow me to clarify that even if you update your Dropbox application to Dropbox for macOS on File Provider, you'll still have the option to have your files available offline.
Even if you don't make the choice to initially sync them as available offline, you can still manually do so afterwards, with a simple right-click choice.
The usability of the app remains the same, with the added option to switch your files to online-only, to save up hard drive space.
However, we do appreciate your feedback on this and I'll make sure to pass it along to our team.
Let us know if you have any other questions.
I second the very well-outlined opinion of this thread's author.
One additional datapoint is that in my case i'm using an alternative file-browser (not Mac's finder). This file-browser (Path Finder) does not have an indication of the file's status (cloud or local), so i usually rely on a "common" setting that ensures all my files are stored locally (then i enable or disable sync for each individual folder in the advanced tab). This has always worked, but not after upgrading my mac OS all the sudden my files start living in the cloud, and are no longer available locally. This move made me loose my face a number of times while traveling in Japan on low bandwidth, and I don't find a way to restore my files to reside locally. My Mac locks while trying to load data that i thought was local, but is now all the sudden offlined for some random reason. Please explain to me how i can keep my files locally, and give me back my control or i will cancel my subscription.
I want this answer as well - all files sync'd on all devices as my default... I reviewed the thread seems no one has the answer
- Megan
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hi Darrin Harris F, I hope you're doing well!
If I understand your questions correctly, it seems you'd like to know if you can sync as available offline, all of your files.
During installation, you should be asked how you wish to sync your content: available offline, or online only.
However, even if the files don't start as available offline by default, you should be able to change that setting, in order to sync them locally to the device, and keep them like so.
If you have any questions, let me know!
This answer is completely useless and unresponsive to our comments.
You're suggesting that we have the option of designating files as offline "even if they don't start as available offline by default." This option requires us to police all of our files to designate them as "available offline."
Every time we create a file or folder, we have to go to Dropbox to ensure that the file or folder is marked "available offline."
Every time an application automatically creates a file or folder, we have to go to Dropbox to ensure that the file or folder is marked "available offline."
Every time we copy or move a file or folder from one place to another, we have to go to Dropbox to ensure that the new or moved file or folder is marked "available offline."
In other words, we have to be hypervigilant about marking our data as "available offline." The consequence of failing to do so is that our data doesn't live on our devices - only a mirage of the data. If the device is offline, our data isn't available. If an error occurs with Dropbox, our data isn't available. If we terminate our Dropbox service, our data - the data that we thought was living on our devices - is probably lost forever. Etc.
This is absolutely unacceptable and an appalling mismanagement of user data. I have abandoned Dropbox as a result, and your response only reinforces the correctness of that decision.
Yea, same here. I also stopped using Dropbox for this reason.
Hi Megan -
I am a longtime user and well past installation.
Pleas direct me to the settings and preferences where I can toggle to this solution.
I need all files to reside on all machines with my drop box enabled
- Walter
Hi Darrin Harris F - sorry to jump in here, but I just wanted to mention that you can adjust your syncing settings on a device basis through the desktop app's preferences under the sync tab.
I hope this helps a tad.
