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Dropbox Re-installation Won't Use Previous Folder

Dropbox Re-installation Won't Use Previous Folder

GollyRojer
Collaborator | Level 9
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McAfee found a virus in Dropbox file win32api.cp35-win32.pyd and couldn't quarantine it, so I uninstalled Dropbox and re-installed it. The file is clean now, but I need Dropbox to use the folder it was previously using, which is D:\Dropbox. When I try to change the folder location to there, it says, "This folder already contains a Dropbox directory." Well, yeah... did you figure that out all by yourself?

Will someone please explain the logic behind not letting Dropbox use its previous folder, and how to make it use it, short of deleting the folder and letting Dropbox recreate it and copy all those files from the cloud which are presently already here?

14 Replies 14

JCKruger
New member | Level 2
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@Walter

Thank you very much. Will wait on an update on the ticket.

JC Kruger

jallen327
Explorer | Level 3
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Did this get resolved? Because, even though there is a solution marked here, it's definitly not solved. My computer (An Apple Computer) is doing the exact same thing.

I used the same procedure the orginal poster used, and got the same broken result. It won't let me merge the folders. It only wants to rename the old one, and loops endlessly back to the previous dialog box when I select "Merge".

There may be a hard-drive space issue, because a second copy of everything that is already on the online dropbox won't fit on my hard drive again. It's already there in the original dropbox folder on my hard drive, and should just need to be merged. Which it refuses to do.

jallen327
Explorer | Level 3
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I was finally able to get dropbox on my mac reinstalled after I hunted down every hidden folder and preference file for dropbox and deleted it. I left the main Dropbox folder in place but deleted the hidden cache folder that was inside it. That seemed to do the trick.

I think the hidden cache folder inside the Dropbox files folder was responsible for the program hanging up. Regardless, I'm just happy its working again.

ItalianStallion51
Helpful | Level 5
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I am also stuck in this exact same endless loop and cannot find a solution.  I had already deleted all traces of dropbox from the instructions in this link, and I have had no luck.  https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/desktop/advanced-reinstall  I have tried this cycle of uninstall-reinstall 3 times and I am losing my patience with Dropbox.

ItalianStallion51
Helpful | Level 5
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Problem solved through online chat.  My storage location was not on the C drive, so that may have complicated things.  Not sure.  Anyway, here are the instructions if you are re-synching to a folder in a drive other than "C":

 

"So in essence, the simplest process that you will be able to follow is, to rename the existing Dropbox Folder as (old) Dropbox. Allow the desktop application to create the new Dropbox Folder in the standard location, and pause syncing. If it creates that in the C drive, move that folder to the other drive, and then move the content from the old Dropbox Folder to the newly created one [that you just moved]. And resume syncing. The application will need to take some time to index those files, and compare them with dropbox.com, but it will not be fully re-downloading these files from the beginning."

 

I installed directly to the other drive from the beginning and dragged the files right in.  So far, so good.  Will update post if indexing fails.

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    ItalianStallion51 Helpful | Level 5
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    jallen327 Explorer | Level 3
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    JCKruger New member | Level 2
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