I want my files back

[Mojoman]

I installed DropBox on a new Mac and mistakenly told it to sync my desktop, documents, and music folders. I get an icon saying those files are all in my DropBox folder now. Are they still resident on my hard drive to be backed up with my external harddrive?

My other concern is that it ran out of room before finishing syncing, so did I lose anything in the process?

[Walter]

Hi @Mojoman; welcome to our Community and thanks for using Dropbox!

To directly get to the chase, you'll need to follow these steps to disable the computer backup feature. 

Upon that process, you'll get an option to leave the content on your Mac or in Dropbox.

Let me know if you're missing any files afterwards. 

PS: Any files that would put your account over its quota wouldn't be synced through the desktop app as syncing stops when you're out of space. It will resume once your account gets under quota again. 

[Mojoman]

Thanks. I apparently turned off backup at some point without realizing it since this is what I found:  "Note: If you see Set Up instead, it means computer backup is already off."  I was never given the option of keeping files in Dropbox or on my Mac. Since they all appear in a new folder called "My Files in Dropbox" I assume they're all in Dropbox because my Carbonite backup shows files that were backed up recently but with an icon showing they're no longer on my computer. I assume this means I have to physically copy them all back to  my Mac, right?

[Mojoman]

 Note, also, that when I open the desktop app through the menu bar it's still trying to sync.

[Daphne]

If the files weren't moved when disabling the backup (as you didn't seem to get the prompt in this case), you can move them back manually to the original locations @Mojoman.

Can you try that and let me know how it goes?

Once you remove the files, the app might need to sync the removal of those moved files if any were uploaded to Dropbox, but it should return to "up to date" relatively soon after.

[Mojoman]

I actually copied the files back to my Mac instead of moving them. Is it safe to delete them off Dropbox without that affecting the files on my Mac. I had a bad experience a while ago of deleting a file in Dropbox, and it disappeared from my Mac too.

[Mojoman]

There's also a folder on my desktop called "files on my computer" that is apparently an alias. Is that redundant with all the files I copied back from Dropbox onto my Mac? (In other words, do I now have 2 of everything? If so, is it safe to delete that folder?)

[Walter · Accepted solution]

If you copied those files instead of moving them, it's normal that you have 2 copies of the same files @Mojoman. 

On that note, if you've ensured that all files were indeed copied to your computer's hard drive, you should be safe to delete the alias folder. 

Keep us posted on your progress. 

[Mojoman]

Thanks to everyone who contributed! Problem solved.

[starkienaz]

helo i had the same issue as you mojoman, now i've done all those recommended steps, but i'm still linked/syncd somehow with the download folder ( what a btch) coz theres just sooo much in there, and that "my files in drop box " icon still hanging around, help what is going on!

help any dropboxers out there,

get this system off me, lol