Forum Discussion

Rich's avatar
Rich
Icon for Super User II rankSuper User II
8 months ago

Re: How can I make sure Dropbox doesn't sync my old files to the website upon connecting the app?

Maryn M. wrote:

So how can I set up a limited sync in a way that it ony comes down to my temporary machine and upload to destroy all my current files?

You can't. If you re-link the computer to your account, it will be a true sync in both directions and there's a high probability that you'll end up deleting items in your account which don't exist on the laptop.

When this much time passes, the safest thing to do is start over. Remove or rename the existing Dropbox folder and uninstall/reinstall the application so it acts as though it's a new computer. It means downloading items that you already have on the computer, but it's the safest way to ensure you're not deleting items in your account.

2 Replies

  • Maryn M.'s avatar
    Maryn M.
    Explorer | Level 4
    8 months ago

    Thank you so much for this clear explanation!

  • Theresa's avatar
    Theresa
    Icon for Community Manager rankCommunity Manager
    7 months ago

    Hey there Maryn M.​ and welcome back to the Dropbox Community. It's great to have you here. Sorry to hear about your device getting damaged but glad to hear your files are (of course) safe in your Dropbox account 😉. 

    I'm Theresa 👩‍💻, one of the Community Managers around here. You’ll often spot me diving into conversations or starting new topics across the forum.

    Just curious.. do you have a favorite Dropbox feature? I’d love to know what you enjoy most! 🤗

    Looking forward to your reply,

    T 😺 (Dropbox Community Manager)

About Apps and Installations

Have a question about a Dropbox app or installation? Reach out to the Dropbox Community and get solutions, help, and advice from members.

The Dropbox Community team is active from Monday to Friday. We try to respond to you as soon as we can, usually within 2 hours.

If you need more help you can view your support options (expected response time for an email or ticket is 24 hours), or contact us on X, Facebook or Instagram.

For more info on available support options for your Dropbox plan, see this article.

If you found the answer to your question in this Community thread, please 'like' the post to say thanks and to let us know it was useful!