Disable automatic updates

[Mike G.]

How can I prevent dropbox from automatically updating itself? The new dropbox 3 has a very anti-windows-7 UI that I don't like, so I reinstalled 2.10. How do I stop dropbox from continually installing v3?

[Tassadar]

For Windows users try this:

Good luck!

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Stefan F. May 26, 2015 17:21

A way to block updates is called "Software Restriction Policies" : see https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457006.aspx#EJAA for Windows XP/2003 or https://technet.microsoft.com/fr-fr/library/hh994597.aspx#BKMK_Path_Rules for later versions. It may not work with basic versions of Windows ("Home", "Starter"...) .

What I did on XP Professional (tried to guess the English because I'm on a French version) :

- Start > Run : secpol.msc
- Show/Hide Action Pane
- Software Restrictions Policies > Additional Rules
- Right click > New Path Rule
- Path : {YourPathToDropBox}\ .dropbox.cache\dropbox-upgrade-*.exe
- Security : Disallowed

Then when the rule is matched, an event ID 866 with the source "Software Restriction Policies" is written in Windows event log "Application".

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For Windows 7 and up users block this:

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Dropbox\Update\DropboxUpdate.exe

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[]s

[Pavel K.10]

Either delete their updater or I am blocking everything except dropbox.exe (i.e. updater, dropbox_client etc. ) in Comodo  firewall (I have set firewall to custom policy and every connection I must approve). Good luck.

[salamurai]

I learned of DropboxMacUpdater in the last couple days because Little Snitch has started noting it's trying to call home, when I'm not here.

Meaning it's being automatically blocked. Also meaning the server or port it wants has changed, as I've been allowing Dropbox for as many years as I've used Snitch.

Learning that it's checking for updates once an HOUR is the part that bugs me the most. (see: https://www.dropbox.com/help/9094)

There isn't an application ever that needs an update check more than once a day. In fact, I've used Dropbox for so long I remember when it could sometimes take a week or more for an update to push thru. I also recall when Google had desktop apps that checked for updates so frequently the apps themselves were unusable.

For the lovva mike, please change this thing to only check once a day at most. or allow me to set the interval. This isn't your computer to do with as you like, it's mine.

[meitnik]

Yeah, as of today, the same for me. I would have to uninstall Dropbox on my imac. I am deleteing all my dropbox files and moving on to another remote file service. A lot of my ios apps well now break since there will not longer be a dropbox account.

For 30 yrs we nerds live and died to create, offer, and maintaine choice for the user. Nannyware is everywhere now. Oh and g-d forbid a bad update eats your stuff or damages something. Like fb, there is no phone tech support either.

Screw you Dropbox. Greedy evil company.

[saiena]

If you do not provide a facility for disabling auto-updates of the Mac app, I will plan to cancel my dropbox use. Auto-updates are an unacceptable security risk, because if your update servers are compromised, my workstations will be at risk.

[pion]

Nobody decides what gets installed on my computer but me. I have disabled the DropBox app until such time as this is made optional and at the users control. DropBox is a superb product but this is a step in the wrong direction.

[jamesingoth]

Looks like Dropbox is taking the nefarious route of giving themselves the right to sneak whatever they want on your system.  Definitely a good time to leave.

[Chief]

Thanks to DropBox's stupidity in this I'll be removing ALL of my clients accounts from DropBox and moving them to other services. I'm perfectly capabable of handling my own updates, without them being forced down my throat. All these moves do is make users stupider about the operation of their systems, making them entirely dependent upon the company to do the right thing - this is a horrible security precendent.

[protagonistic]

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@saiena wrote:
If you do not provide a facility for disabling auto-updates of the Mac app, I will plan to cancel my dropbox use. Auto-updates are an unacceptable security risk, because if your update servers are compromised, my workstations will be at risk.

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I too came across this feature with the latest update. There are several options you can take but you shouldn't have to. In the meantime I have uninstalled the Dropbox client on my Mac. You can still access it through your browser. It you do uninstall it be aware that uninstalling "DOES NOT" uninstall the autoupdate launch daemon in the library. Another option you can use is, if you have a firewall other than the one Apple provides, create a rule that will block the autoupdate daemon from connecting out. Neither option is really an acceptable solution as autoupdate should have never been added without a way to turn it off. Hope this helps you and I am curious to see if the actually allow this answer to be posted.

[Sanchez]

Hey there, 

Thanks for posting your comments about the auto-update feature of our app. We are very interested in your feedback about our product, and I’ll make sure to pass it on to our developers. 

Cheers