Unable to install Dropbox folder on Internal "D:" drive (Windows)

[EJacobsen]

I'm on Windows 10 on a 2-in-1 and have the Dropbox latest client installed. My computer has two internal drives, a VERY small SSD drive for system/Windows (C:) and a large INTERNAL data drive (D:) that is NTFS formatted and has my user folders on it, Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, etc--the entire user directory.

Obviously, the logical place to have my Dropbox folder is on the D drive, however, Dropbox will not let me use it for my Dropbox folder. I keep getting the error that "Error with selected folder: This folder is on removable media", despite the D drive being INTERNAL/non-removable. Dropbox's more expensive competitor has no problem with the D drive as the location for the sync folder.

I understand that it is inadvisable to install Dropbox on removable media and I am NOT trying to do that. But to not let you install on anything other than your C drive seems to be a major bug and will prevent me (along with the asinine inability to turn off Photo uploads) from moving my cloud sync spend from the competitor to Dropbox.

Anyone have any ideas? I'd really like to migrate to Dropbox.

[Rich]

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@EJacobsen wrote:

I keep getting the error that "Error with selected folder: This folder is on removable media", despite the D drive being INTERNAL/non-removable.

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What kind of media is it? Is it an SSD or HDD, or some kind of flash storage? If it's flash storage, even internal, Dropbox may be seeing it as removable storage due to its type.

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But to not let you install on anything other than your C drive seems to be a major bug and will prevent me (along with the asinine inability to turn off Photo uploads) from moving my cloud sync spend from the competitor to Dropbox.

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It's certainly not a bug because it's very possible to move Dropbox to another drive. I have the Dropbox folder stored on my 😧 drive (one an SSD, another an HDD) without issue and it has been that way for years. There's also nothing forcing you to use the Camera Upload feature. It can easily be disabled.

[EJacobsen]

To answer your question, the D drive is solid state memory of some sort. I can't tell you what exactly, as I'm not about to pry open this 2-in-1. Sorry! Maybe if it had screws, I'd open the case but... this D drive is purely internal storage (factory sealed inside the 2-in-1 case) but Dropbox will not use it.

Is there any patch or fix for this issue? It really seems like a bug to have Dropbox mis-identify internal/non-removable storage as "removable".

Regarding the Camera Upload, there is definitely a bug there. I posted it as a separate thread as I didn't want the two threads to be confused , but a mod marked it as spam rather than trying to help. Such is the nature of "Community Support", I guess. I have been trying with no success to to disable Camera Upload on the same Windows system that is experiencing the inability to move the Dropbox folder. This is clearly a bug as both the official documentation says it can be disabled and the Mac client (I have two computers.. hence wanting Dropbox to sync them) has a nice checkbox to disable Camera Sync.

The details, if you have any ideas how to fix it are:

1. I installed Dropbox on the tiny C drive (see issue above) after a reboot I noticed it was doing a lot of syncing, which was weird as I had not yet added anything to my brand new Dropbox account.

2. I checked the app and it looked like it was uploading a bunch of pictures, which was not ok with me so I snoozed it to gather time while investigating.

3. I realized the pictures that it was uploading were all in the Pictures folder inside my Windows User directory.

4. I spent some time WTFing and cursing.

5. I checked the Dropbox Preferences and noticed in "Backup" that there was a setting for Camera Upload with no obvious way to disable it. The only choices were to upload "Photos" or "Photos and Video". It was set to Photos only.

6. I searched the Dropbox documentation and learned that on Windows to disable this, you have to muck around with AutoPlay. Side note: Why the Windows app can't have a nice checkbox to disable this horrible "feature" like the Mac app has, I don't know.

7. I then went into my Windows AutoPlay settings and saw that they had been turned on (I always turn this off as it is a vector for virus and malware infections.) and that the AutoPlay defaults for both "removable drive" and "memory card" were set to "Import photos and videos (Dropbox)"

8. I set both of them back to "Do Nothing" and then turned off AutoPlay again. (This is all in the Windows Settings, FYI.)

9. I was very upset that Dropbox would do something like that without user approval, but figured the issue had been solved.

10. After every reboot, I get a prompt to upload my photos from Dropbox... Despite my verifying that AutoPlay was still off and set to "Do Nothing".

I'm desperate for a solution to this as well as the inability to move the Dropbox folder.

The environment is Windows 10 Pro (20H2) 64-bit and the Dropbox app version is , there is no check-box to disable Camera Sync.

I think you might be right that for some reason Dropbox is seeing the internal drive as a removable (and I stand by my statement that this is a bug) because my, admittedly non-expert, opinion is that on boot Dropbox is seeing the second internal drive as a removable drive and that is triggering Camera Sync. I'll try looking up the device ID string and seeing if the manufacturer cheeped out and put an SD card in as the main storage... that could be the issue. Who knows.

I wouldn't be upset about if if I could disable it, however, after following the Dropbox official steps to disable, Camera Sync is still enables somehow. That is absolutely a bug.

So, any ideas on solutions to either problem?

And, please do not mark this as spam. I am legit trying to get help here. I want to use Dropbox for financial reasons, but so far these two bugs are making it completely unusable.

[EJacobsen]

I replied to Rich with both more detail around the moving the Dropbox folder issue AND also clarified the bug with Camera Sync. That reply has since disappeared. This is the second time I have asked for help on the Camera Sync issue and had the ask removed. At this point, I see no use in actually using the Community Forums for support since someone apparently does not want me to get help.

I guess I'll try tweeting at Dropbox instead to see if I can get help there.

[mbahonen]

Were you ever able to solve this? I am having the same problem with the small C vs large D drive and would like to move dropbox to the bigger drive. 

[Jay]

Hi @mbahonen, what error are you getting when trying to move to the larger drive? 

Are you on a laptop or desktop device? Is the D drive an internal drive?

[mbahonen]

I have not tried to move it to the larger drive. I'm looking for the process so I don't F it up and get an error.  I'm on an ASUS laptop, a bit older, running windows 10. My drive set up is exactly like the OP.

[Jay]

You mentioned you were having the same issue, hence my query.

If you haven't attempted it, could you follow these steps to move the Dropbox folder?