Choosing where Dropbox folder should be.

[Doug K.]

Until 2 weeks ago, I was running Windows 10 and I had placed my Dropbox folder on an external hard drive. I've switched to using Ubuntu and I want to resume using Dropbox. I'm going to follow the instructions at this link:

https://linoxide.com/linux-how-to/install-dropbox-ubuntu/

The only potential problem I see is that this method will place the Dropbox folder on my internal hard disk, where there is not enough space. I'm assuming that once Dropbox is running, it will begin cloning its folder from your cloud to my internal hard disk.

So, two questions:

1) If I can quickly interrupt the synch process and tell Dropbox that it already has a folder (on the EXTERNAL HD), will it recognize that folder or attempt to recreate it somehow? The external HD is NTFS and Ubuntu has no problem accessing files there.

2) Is there a better way to do the installation which avoids these issues?

I have made two complete copies of my Dropbox folder and they're stored on separate media until this mystery is solved. And, I'm using a dual boot setup, so I can return to Windows 10 in case this migration requires tweaking something in the Dropbox app on Win10.

Edit: If all factors were the same as above, but I had bought a new computer running Windows 10, would a new Dropbox installation "honor" its folder on the external HD, or would it try to replace it somehow?

[Jay · Accepted solution]

Hi @Doug K., thanks for posting on the Community!

The first issue you’ll experience is that the Dropbox desktop application on Linux can’t have a Dropbox folder on a drive formatted in NTFS, only Windows devices can have that option. You'll need to have the folder on a compatible file system for Linux.

Generally, we recommend against placing the Dropbox folder on an external drive as it can result in unexpected behavior when the drive is missing or disconnected, including performance issues, and even deleted files.

Hope this helps to clarify matters!

[Elias6]

Hi!

I have Dropbox installed on the C-drive, which is soon running out of space. I'm thinking of moving the folder to the D-drive.

Can I move the hole dropbox-folder to the D-drive and use Dropbox  as normal (and excpect the program to syncronize in the D-drive)?

Or do I have to uninstall Dropbox, delete everything, install Dropbox on the D-drive and then syncronize the files?

Regardings,

E

[Doug K.]

Thank you, Jay.

[Doug K.]

Elias:

I've had my Dropbox folder on an external HDD for a few years without any problems. Just keep in mind that if your external disk is unplugged, you'll get complaints from the program, as expected. As far as actually moving the folder, there's an option in Preferences where you can choose its location, like the external disk in your case. It could take a very long time for all those files to transfer, so you'd better make absolutely sure that your computer won't go into sleep or hibernate mode.

-D

[Elias6]

Hi!

Thanks for ypur answer! 🙂

Both of the drives are internal. Still, I hope that the Dropbox won't have any problems moving the folder. 🙂

Is it possible to move everything and use Dropbox as usual? And how do I make Dropbox to save everything in the D-drive (and not the C-drive)?

I know that it can take a while to transfer the files, and already changed the settings so the computer won't go into sleep or hibernate mode.

//E

[Doug K.]

Moving the Dropbox folder also tells the program to redirect all its work to that new location. If you're nervous about it and you have some extra space on 😧 drive which you can use temporarily, create a folder with a name like "DBoxDump", maybe followed by the date, and copy all the folders from your existing Dropbox folder into the new one. That will also take forever, obviously, but it will be a snapshot of how things were before you moved the real Dropbox folder. That was the insurance policy which made me feel comfortable when I moved the folder. When I saw that things were working smoothly, I bought a USB stick big enough to hold the "DBoxDump" folder and moved it there to have as an additional backup.

[Elias6]

Hi!

I have created a folder named "DBoxDump" in the D-drive, and moved the hole Dropbox-folder from the C-drive into the DBoxDump-folder (D-drive). Still, when I look at the Dropbox-folder in the C-drive, it still does have a blue Dropbox-icon and a green symbol next to it. Does the program still think that it will syncronize with the map in the C-drive?

If I delete Dropbox-folder from the C-drive, will the progam automatically syncronize with the DBoxDump-folder in the D-drive?

//E

[Doug K.]

1) When you created the DBoxDump folder, it had nothing to do with moving the real Dropbox folder. DBoxDump now exists just for your peace of mind. The Dropbox software doesn't know that folder exists and will never get involved with it.

2) The original Dropbox folder still shows blue/green whatever because you haven't changed anything yet. When I read your latest message, I realized that you had not done a Google search using the words "how to move your Dropbox folder". Here was the result of that search. Follow the instructions to the letter. Since your 😧 drive is internal, you can ignore the suggestion to keep the Dropbox folder on your C: drive. Here's your mission:

https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/desktop/move-dropbox-folder

[Elias6]

Hi!

Sorry for a late answer - it's monday.

Thanks for your answer, it seems to be what I was looking for! 😄

It worked, the files seems to have been transfered to the D-drive and it did not take many minutes at all.

Thanks for your patience with me! 🙂

//E