I want to stop backing up my desktop on Dropbox.

[rhaines765]

I am using a different app to backup my desktop computer and its files.  I want to continue to use Dropbox, but I don't need it to do the backups.  How can I stop this feature?

[Jay]

Hi @RIC4life, just for clarification, have you disabled the computer backup from the Dropbox desktop application?

Which folders in particular are syncing to the site? Regarding the business files that aren't syncing, are those visible on the Dropbox site?

[RIC4life]

At the moment I am just trying to do one thing and that is trying to get back as many documents as possible. Complete folders are empty, documents nowhere to be found. And to top it all off I have a back up from when this was all going on, so the folders are empty there to. Files that are on my hard drive all have that **bleep**ty DB sign. 

I deleted the DB app, because I could make nothing work. I couldn't stop the stupid back up function. Instructions that were referred to didn't work. Total nightmare and a days work lost too.

[RIC4life]

Nowhere to be found!!!!! That made me delete the whole app. And the **bleep** just got bigger.

[Jay]

What option did you see when you viewed the desktop app preferences? 

Are you able to locate the missing files on the Dropbox site directly on the Backups page?

[RIC4life]

No nothing there. And they are also not under the deleted files. Well, the empty folders are there too 😞

[RIC4life]

And I don't know exactly what I saw, just not what I was supposed to. Like I said it's been hours ago. 

[RIC4life]

Each time I reinstall the app, after deleting all  Dropbox folders completely of my laptop, it start the back up. I am unable to choose not now. I took the arrow out of all options, but still it keeps doing it. It drives me completely nuts. I don't want Dropbox to back up my private folders!

[tess e]

SAME EXACT ISSUE I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT SINCE MAY 

[Jay]

If the missing files weren’t syncing to your account, then it wouldn’t be possible to recover them from the site. 

However, it might be possible to recover the files from the local machine from the recycle bin, or using a third party app or service to do so.

[tess e]

Checked there day 1. not in recycle bin