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Be able to change Dropbox backup folders names

Be able to change Dropbox backup folders names

rfog
Collaborator | Level 9

Add possibility of rename Backup folders. If you have only one computer, it go fine, but if you have more than one, it ends being very confussing. Due iCloud Drive issues, I've changed all of my Macs "synchronized" Desktop and Documents to Dropbox. However, take a look to the picture: 

 

Captura de pantalla 2020-08-17 a las 9.30.30.png

It is very difficult to guess what is what. With the possibility to rename them, I could have named "My iMac", "My MBP 13", "My MBP 15". Very easy to see what is what.

 

(As a workaround, we can change to detail view, but could be more easy for all of us be able to change the names).

Latest Update
Walter
Dropbox Staff

Hi all, I just wanted to let you know that the team is working on this idea!

 

Some backups and backup folders are currently able to be renamed, and we are working to upgrade all backups to have similar functionality

 

Thanks for sharing your suggestion with us and to everyone for supporting it.

Status changed to: Accepted
83 Comments
Derek Erb Solutions
Helpful | Level 6

@rfog we can force our users to use one Documents folder and one Downloads folder. Even though we are removing the ability to have individual folders per machine which are uniquely linked to that machine. We can change the display of these folders, in Finder or in Windows Explorer, so that the references point to the individual folder. We can manually change the Downloads folder in every browser and every other software programme that downloads file.

 

However, and this is important, ...

We should not have to!

 

This matter becomes all the more complicated and complex when you try doing the same thing for the third of those backed up folders: the Desktop (either Mac OS or Windows).

 

We used to be able to name and rename our "backup" folders in Dropbox. Dropbox removed this. They need to put it back and respect their multi-device clients.

 

In the very near future each user will be using more and more devices with their Dropbox account rather than less and Dropbox needs to make that simple and practical.

 

Now of us should have to be implementing workarounds for a problem which our supplier, Dropbox, should be fixing for us.

LawrenceChen
New member | Level 2

Your stupid naming rules make me cannot even compile my code.

I don't know why don't you let users to config their backup name, just a simple feature!!!!!!

I try to disconnect my Mac to my account and sync again, and then each file appears a copy in the same location. What the **bleep**????????

No more pay this again!!!!!!!

b6i6o6
New member | Level 2

I understand that renaming the folder on the fly might be complicated since it might break a chain of symlinks and nobody wants that. However, it should be possible to choose the folder name when activating the feature.

 

I had to disable the backup feature altogether and do the linking by myself in the command line. Yes, this "Mac (2)" naming convention was so painful to me that I literally spent hours to get rid of it. Honestly, if I couldn't have found a way to manage it, I'd have switched to Google Drive by now. This guy saved you: https://brianlamb.notion.site/Methods-for-Custom-Backup-Folder-Name-f0426632c9044ab5bb3c52a0ec74ca50

 

Please fix this for future people.

chuckwi11
Helpful | Level 5

This has pretty much become a deal breaker for me.  Competitive products/services have this feature. It used to work this way but something changed and then we got garbage backup folder names.  The security tab clearly knows the names of all my pcs that I use to access my stored files on dropbox but there is absolutely no way to corelate those pc names to backup folders.  Not sure how this got designed out or why, I'm sure there is sound reasoning on the development side. However it has now been over  a year and it is not even considered?  

bensanti
Helpful | Level 5

Please implement this simple yet very well needed and helpful tool. Thank you! 

SLSPete
Explorer | Level 3

I have several Mac's that share the same Dropbox Business account.  I have each of them backing up on with Dropbox backup.  I am perpetually confused about which computer is which when trying to find items in my backups.  The names that Dropbox Backup creates for each computer when it is added are not based on the name of the computer which is set by the user.  Dropbox Backup gives each Mac an arbitrary name, "Mac", and if you add more you get "Mac (2)" and "Mac (3)" and so on.  

 

Thought the files are being backed up, it is difficult to know which computer owns which backup set.  This can be challenging when traveling remotely from my desktop and looking for folders on my my desktop that exist within Dropbox Backup.  I have to dig through the files one device at time until I find the file I need.  


Dropbox Backup should inherit the local computer name when it creates the backup file in Dropbox.  Then once established a user should able to change the names of the backup folders to something that provides identifiable and contextual names that allow for easy discovery of backed up files when multiple systems are backed up on the same account.  

stianskog
Explorer | Level 3

YES! Please.. make the Rename Backup-function happen! Please

raypar
Explorer | Level 4

To Dropbox developers who insist that this is for UI simplicity.  Answer us this: What is simpler?  Referring to you by you name or as Human (1), Human (2),........., Human (235)?

Geddy Lifeson
Explorer | Level 3

I like the functionality, the new location, and the logo label for the "Mac" Folders for the Download Folder Sync/Backup. However, I have three Macs that currently back up their Download Folders to Drop Box Backup. They are labeled by default by Drop Box as "Mac" "Mac(2)", and "Mac(3)".  So I forget which Mac is which. When I try to rename the folders, I get the message that the folder cannot be renamed as it is a feature of Drop Box.

 

It would be GREATLY APPRECIATED to allow the user to name these folders, even if the process was one where the folder name change request was submitted through Drop Box.

 

Thanks

wheresbryce
New member | Level 2

This would be 200% beneficial for me and my team's dropbox. Please look into this 

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82 votes received Status: Accepted