How to remove desktop from dropbox

[ChantDad]

Somehow, all links on my laptop Desktop were copied to a Dropbox folder called "Desktop"; if I did it, it was accidental 

I don't know why I need that and when I delete the Desktop folder in Dropbox, all the icons disappear from the computer desktop. I assume some kind of sync issue.

What I am doing wrong? I only use Dropbox for sharing files so this is a new problem for me.

Thanks

[Walter]

Hey there @ChantDad, how are you today?

As I'm not sure I follow, could you elaborate on this and share a screenshot so that I can get a better understanding of the matter at hand?

Also, what are you trying to accomplish eventually? 

Any other info you can provide will be much appreciated. Thanks! 

[ChantDad]

Walter,

Don't know if this is anymore clearer:

My Dropbox contains a folder called Desktop which I did not intentionally create.

In that folder are copies of all the links and URL's present on the my computer's Windows' Desktop.

If I delete items or the entire folder in Dropbox, they are also deleted from the Windows Desktop.

I guess it's not really a big deal but it doesn't "feel" right to me. If I decide to delete my entire Dropbox account, I assume I will lose all my Windows Desktop links and that would not be good.

I want Dropbox to just be a file sharing medium and not a back-up mechanism.

Thanks

[Walter]

Thanks for the additional information @ChantDad - much appreciated.

As I'm not sure how you did this in the first time, could you try just unlinking and re-linking your account on the affected computer? Have you checked the syncing icons on these folders to see which one is syncing?

If you copied or moved anything inside your Dropbox folder that you don't need there, simply copy/move it back. Your Dropbox folder is just a folder on your hard drive - with syncing capabilities that is. 

In any case, please let me know what you find!

[meltelfer]

I have this same problem!  I have the Desktop as a backup folder in my dropbox account.  I have tried to unlink the computer, but I still cannot delete it from dropbox.  I don't want to waste the space in dropbox by having it backup my computer.  How do I delete the desktop from dropbox?  I have clicked on all the 3 dots and there is no delete option. Thanks, Walter 🙂

[Daphne]

Hey there @meltelfer, just jumping in here!

This is a rather old thread that you posted in here, and we recently released a beta feature to enable you to backup your Desktop, Documents and Downloads folders.

To delete the folder, we'd need to disable the backup from the device it was enabled on. Can you try the steps outlined towards the bottom of this article and let me know if you can disable the backup? 

If you uninstalled/unlinked the desktop app, please try reinstalling it. Also, if the options are appearing as if you haven't enabled this on your computer, then it would suggest the backup was disabled.

In that case, please try moving the contents from the Dropbox Desktop folder back to the actual Desktop.

Let me know how it goes!

[ACA Steel]

Hi, Me also facing the same problem, it's a very hatted feature introduced by Dropbox. Due to that problem, I left dropbox and shifted on One drive.

[Judasgoat]

Spent the last hour trying to figure out how to unlink "MY PC" from Dropbox Folder. I do not wan't to sync 'everything' on my desktop but just the files I choose. You guys seem to however have made this some sort of default setting (and it's annoying). How do I stop "MY PC" from syncing? doesn't have the delete option. 

[Judasgoat]

I tried this on the article. When I click on my initials I do not get a "preferences" option. It just says "owner"

[Daphne]

Hey there @Judasgoat!

It sounds like you might not be looking in the right place there. 

Are you clicking the Dropbox icon in your system tray, near your date/time display in the bottom right corner of your screen? It should appear next to the WiFi symbol etc.

If you're still not getting the preferences option there, can you send me a screenshot of the Dropbox icon that you're clicking on and the options that you do see?

Thanks!