New Mac computer syncs to old folder.

[afm24]

Hello,

How can I change which folder is used by Dropbox?

I got a new MacBook and successfully integrated everything from the old one to the new one using Migration Assistant. Everything, that is, except apparently Dropbox.

The folder "Dropbox" on the new Mac doesn't contain many of the files from the "Dropbox" folder on the old Mac. Ditto for Dropbox.com. They appear to be from the old Mac's "Dropbox (Old (1))" folder. The folder I want to use on the new Mac is now named "Dropbox (Old (2))".

On the new Mac I quit Dropbox, renamed "Dropbox" to "Dropbox no" and renamed "Dropbox (Old (2))" to "Dropbox." When I started up the Dropbox app again it took several minutes to run through the files (I forget the term shown in the Dropbox app's window) yet at the end it still had the same issue--none of the new files I wanted were in there. Did Dropbox.com override what I wanted to do with the desktop?

My problems would go away if I can get Dropbox to use the contents of the new Mac's "Dropbox (Old (2))" folder. I can't figure out how to do that since it ignored my attempt at renaming. I'd appreciate an alternative to moving folders/files one at a time.

[Megan]

Hey @afm24, let's jump right into this! 

You initially mentioned that when you visit your account online, you can't see files that existed inside your Dropbox folder on the old Mac, is that correct? 

Based on that info alone, it sounds like the content hasn't been synced from the old device online, and therefore to the new Mac. 

Are you able to find your content when you visit the "Dropbox (Old (2))" folder? Is so, then have you tried moving the contents of the "Dropbox (Old (2))" folder inside your current folder, in order to sync them? 

Let me know more, and we'll take it from there!

[afm24]

Megan,

Thanks for the quick reply.

When I last used the old Mac and its "Dropbox" folder it had all the correct files. Would that have been possible if Dropbox.com had it wrong? While I didn't check Dropbox.com before changing machines, I assume that it was being synced with the old Mac since there was nothing that told me otherwise. The old Mac's "Dropbox" folder has the correct files so I'm unclear why Dropbox on the new Mac synced to the wrong folder.

Yes, I am able to find the correct content in the "Dropbox (Old (2))" folder.

On the new Mac there is probably a 70% overlap of files between the "Dropbox" and the "Dropbox (Old (2))" folders. The files are scattered among multiple folders and it would be difficult to move one at a time. Are you suggesting that I drag-and-drop all the contents of "Dropbox (Old (2))" folder into the new Mac's "Dropbox" folder? If so, I'd have to confirm hundreds of times when it gives the alert along the lines of "There's already a file with that name in here, what do you want to do?"

Is there no way for me to switch Dropbox to the "Dropbox (Old (2))" folder and have it sync to that folder? That would seem to grab only the discrepancies and solve the problem.

[Jay · Accepted solution]

Hi @afm24, it wouldn't be possible to ask the app to locate that folder, since it's considered to not be a Dropbox folder now.

In general, we don't recommend using migration programs for the Dropbox folder, as it can result in permission issues, and other unexpected issues, such as the one you're experiencing now.

The best method to ensure that you're getting the correct files from the Dropbox site is to perform an advanced reinstallation of the app, and let the files sync normally from the site onto your machine.

[afm24]

Jay,

Thank you for the new information.

This is certainly disappointing. I find it quite surprising that Dropbox would not update correctly with a process that is probably used by the vast majority of Mac users when upgrading their OS or machine. 

I've noted your answer as a solution since there seemed to be no other alternative, yet this has given me a strong reason to discontinue the use of Dropbox on all machines.

Regards,

Kevin Smith