What does "rename your existing folder" actually do when reinstalling?

MelvisWeb wrote:

Will it redownload all my files to a new folder?

Yes.

MelvisWeb wrote:

Will the old folder still be there?

Yes.

MelvisWeb wrote:

Will it actually try to merge the files?

No.

MelvisWeb wrote:

And I assume that if I click "Choose another location" and I just create a new folder for it, Dropbox will download my entire Dropbox to that new location, correct?

Yes.

If you choose to rename the folder it's no different from choosing a new location. The old folder will be renamed, a new Dropbox folder will be created (just as if you picked a different location), and it will download all of your files to the new folder.

It can usually determine that the existing folder is for the account you're signing in to and just re-index it, but changes in hardware, like cloning the drive, probably interfere with that. If you want it to reuse your existing files without having to download them again, do the following.

First, rename the existing Dropbox folder to Dropbox_OLD or something similar. Install Dropbox like you did previously and select the location where you want the Dropbox folder to be created, then complete the install. Dropbox will create a new folder and start to download your files. Immediately exit the Dropbox application to stop it from syncing. COPY your files from the Dropbox_OLD folder into the newly created Dropbox folder. Once the copy is complete, start the Dropbox application again.

At this point Dropbox will start to index your files, during which it may appear to be uploading or downloading data, but it's only syncing comparison data and any changes it finds. BE PATIENT and let it work. It will take time, especially if you have a lot of files. Once the sync is complete and you're happy with the results, delete the Dropbox_OLD folder.