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Deleting files

Picchick
Explorer | Level 3
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Is there a definitive answer to whether deleting files from Dropbox will also delete those files from my hard drive? Also, if I can safely delete ONLY from Dropbox, this does not free up space?? I can’t further use Dropbox without upgrading? Like other community posts here, I never intended for Dropbox to retrieve the files, documents, and pics that it did from my hard drive!!

22 Replies 22

Astrokat
Explorer | Level 4
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Yes it does. It may have been shared a long time ago, I don't remember. It's not currently shared with anyone.

 

How can I set it NOT to be shared? I only see an option to share with someone new.

Lusil
Dropbox Staff
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You'll find the steps to completely unsharing the folder, here.

Have a look and let me know how it goes, thanks!

Lusil
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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Astrokat
Explorer | Level 4
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Thank you! That fixed it for me...

Lusil
Dropbox Staff
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Glad to have helped, @Astrokat.

If anything else comes up, just give us another nudge. 

I hope you have a lovely rest of your week in the meantime!

Lusil
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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skipandsandy
Helpful | Level 5
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Well, if I delete from DROPBOX it will be deleted from everywhere in my computer...What in heck  kind of a choice is that?!   I surely will NOT keep using DROPBOX. Why doesn't the app allow one to choose to delete items ONLY from DROPBOX?  That way I can choose what items I want to delete to make room on DROPBOX for only my most important items I want to be certain are preserved.  When that happens, I'll rejoin 

Lusil
Dropbox Staff
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Sorry for the confusion this might have caused, @skipandsandy

When you delete an item from your Dropbox folder, it'll only be deleted from there and the website. Anything outside of it will not be affected. 

I hope this helped clarify matters, but let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers!

Lusil
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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skipandsandy
Helpful | Level 5
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Well, that clears this up: when I delete from my DROPBOX, it is NOT deleted from elsewhere in my computer.....Sooooo, why does it state that it will NOT BE AVAILABLE from anywhere on my computer???  That seems to contradict  your answer and NEEDS TO BE CHANGED at the site, don't you think?

Lusil
Dropbox Staff
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I understand where you're coming from, and thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, @skipandsandy

If anything else comes up in the future, you know where to find us - just give us another nudge. 

Thanks again!

Lusil
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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skipandsandy
Helpful | Level 5
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I hope the folks who design the site will change the wording which SURELY says that the deleted material will NOT be available elsewhere on the computer. Maybe you'll get a "Bonus Check" for pointing this out to your bosses.... 🙂 

jackyan
Explorer | Level 3
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Hi Lusil, I followed that link of yours, and I clicked the share icon, but I see no option to remove myself from that folder. It only says ‘This folder can only be shared as a link because it’s in a shared folder. Learn more’. It doesn’t show me the members who have access to the folder.

 

Like Astrokat I cannot understand how this all works.

 

Every other folder I can delete and the other people still have access. This one I deleted and everyone lost it. It seems to be quite a coincidence that this is also the folder that eats up all my space, as though Dropbox is forcing me to upgrade (and that’s another story altogether!).

 

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    skipandsandy Helpful | Level 5
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