Disable Dropbox Desktop file manager SILENT install and opt-in

[aww]

The latest update (77.4)  SILENTLY installs Dropbox Desktop file manager.

https://www.dropbox.com/desktopapp

Please consider changing the Dropbox Desktop feature as an optional opt-in.

I am not in the "Early Release" update channel, and the Dropbox Desktop (optional replacement Explorer / Finder) still installs silently without any prompts or user consent.

Thank you.

[Daphne]

Hey there @aww,

I understand your thoughts here, thanks for sharing this with us! If you prefer to open your files in your File explorer/Finder window then you can change the default for opening your files through the desktop app preferences with these steps:

1. Click the Dropbox icon in your system tray/menu bar.
2. Click the profile pic/initials icon in the top right corner of the window.
3. Choose Preferences… from the menu.
4. From the General tab, change the default for “Open folders in” to your file browser.

Let me know if you have any other questions - Thanks!

[yuusharo]

@Daphne 

This doesn't answer the question. This user, along with myself, do not want the desktop manager. We only want the file sync service.

All of my devices were silently opt-ed into this terrible desktop app. How do we revert the app back to just the file syncing service?

I've been happily paying for your service for years. All I want is a folder that syncs across my devices. This desktop nonsense is going to drive me away towards your competitors.

Please help us.

[Steven N.]

It's a ridiculous, invasive change - but the earlier answer you got actually does fix it.

Make sure you're in that stupid 'Desktop' app, and then go into its 'preferences' (how you do that will depend on the OS you use, of course).

Then, as suggested, change the 'Open folders in' preference to your OS's file browser - if you use a the 'Finder'  will show as the option, but no doubt an equivalent in other OS's too.

After that, just quit the stupid 'Desktop' app, and everything should function again normally -  including on relaunches.

[Chris O.12]

Agreed, I was paying for a product.  Now all of a sudden I'm switched to using a different product I don't want.

I think they've made it clear they don't want personal users anymore, and are focusing on the corporate space.

[Daphne]

Hey peeps, thanks for reaching out to us here on the Community!

We recently announced a new desktop app experience that is now currently available in Early Access. Due to an error, some users were accidentally exposed to the new app for a short period of time.

We're currently working to revert this change and apologize for any inconvenience.

I hope that this can clarify the matter and experience you had with this recently. If you’re having any further issues or are having some trouble with the steps I mentioned previously then please let me know and we can work on it from there.

I’ll be looking forward to any further updates on this and in the meantime, hope you all have a great weekend - Thanks all!

[thebanite]

I appreciate knowing this. It doesn't seem anyone likes what's coming. Please factor that in.

[Chris O.12]

Now that it's reverted to the old one, my "Recent" timeline doesn't work.  No idea whats been synced and double clicking on folders in it doesn't do anything.  I have to open the submenu and choose "open with explorer".  Just "open" doesn't do anything.

[Daphne]

Hey @Chris O.12,

Since the reversion back, have you tried restarting your device at all? If you haven’t yet, please can you give this a try and see if this does the trick.

If not, I’d suggest downloading and installing the desktop app again to see if that will resolve the issue you have with the Recents tab.

Let me know how it goes - Thanks!

[ethaneron]

The new dropbox file manager is clunky and unplesant to use, at least on my system.  To get rid of this unwanted ""upgrade"" and go back to using windows file explorer, I went into Drop Box -> Preferences -> General -> Open folders in File Explorer