I don't want to delete files from my computer

[dcg2122]

I don't know what just happened, but apparently there was an upgrade when I signed in and after it set up everything, I received a message that anytime I delete a file from dropbox, it will also be deleted from my computer.  I do not want this to occur.  How do I fix it to where it will be deleted from Dropbox only?

[Jay]

Hi @dcg2122, thanks for contacting us!

This should be normal behavior, since deleting files from the Dropbox site will sync that deletion to your computer as well.

Could you let me know more details about what upgrade you were referring to in order to assist further? Thanks!

[dcg2122]

By upgrade,I mean the new look. Also I never had a computer folder in my Dropbox before. I am the treasurer for an organization. Each quarter I copy audit docs for the Trustees to a Dropbox folder, create a link and email them. I keep those files on my computer. I delete them out of the folder but I don't want to delete them from my computer.

[Daphne]

Thanks for the additional info @dcg2122!

If you want to remove a file from Dropbox, but keep it on your computer, you can move the file out of the Dropbox folder to another location.

It will give you the prompt that the file will be deleted everywhere, but this refers to everywhere in Dropbox, not outside of Dropbox on your devices.

If you'd like to, you can test this with just one file first to give you some peace of mind, and let me know if you have any trouble or questions about this.

[dcg2122]

I ended up uninstalling Dropbox from all my computers, stopped the sync and manually getting rid of all unwanted files in Dropbox. But now I can't get rid of the folder that contained the sync files. Dropbox was working great for me until the new app came out. Now for no more than I use it in the basic setting I think I will just use it online but would really like to get rid of that folder

[Daphne]

Could you clarify for me what kind of issue you're having trying to delete the folder you mentioned, @dcg2122?

By any chance, is it a computer backup folder named something like "My PC/Mac"?

[dcg2122]

Yes

[Daphne]

In this case, the backup feature would need to be disabled before you can delete this folder from Dropbox.

Since you already uninstalled the apps on your computer, please make sure that the computer the backup was enabled on has been unlinked from your Dropbox account.

Once the device is unlinked, you should be able to go ahead and delete the backup folder.

Let me know how it goes!

[dcg2122]

Ok and for the record the message that I received was that if you delete this from Dropbox it will be deleted from your computer. Prior to the new app I knew that delete everywhere meant from all the Dropbox folders so that message needs to be worded better because deleted from my computer means it's deleted from my hard drive not from Dropbox

[Daphne · Accepted solution]

I completely understand, @dcg2122.

Thanks for sharing your feedback on this, it's very much appreciated!

If there's anything else you'd like to add to this, or any other questions, please don't hesitate to give me a nudge here - cheers!