Newbie Issues and iCloud compatibility issues

[kate2kate]

I need some help please.  A while back I was looking at Dropbox and Icloud.drive I had most of my files on the Icloud when I had a computer problem and my hardrive was erased. I was able to recover most files between back ups on a thumb drive and what was stored on Icloud.drive

After I restored everything I started looking at Dropbox and Icloud and decided I like Dropbox better. I like how it keeps the files structure.

I did not really know what I was doing, but I put the files I wanted to keep on dropbox and then deleted them from icloud. But I think I screwed things up. I copied and pasted My "documents" folder and "desktop" folder onto the dropbox drive. I then deleted the folders from Icloud and the hard drive on my mac. I then created new Document and desktop folder on my hard drive. So now I have empty folders on my mac and a Document and Desktop folder with files in them on my dropbox folder. I am not sure how to fix this. 

the next problem is I receve an e-mail saying that I have compatibilty issues with Icloud files. I was able to find which files were the problem and they are all the files in the documents folder. But now I don't know how to fix them.

Thank you for the help.

[Jay]

Hi Kate, if you copied files from the documents folder, or just moved them, you might have only copied across the iCloud placeholder files (which would be empty).

This could have also copied across symlinks, which would complicate matters.

Lastly, the iCloud files you deleted were probably all the files in the Documents folder since it syncs directly there.

Are you able to recover the files in your documents folder from the iCloud site? You could try copying the files back from the Dropbox folder as well.

[kate2kate]

Thank you for your reply. In Dropbox I have a folder name Documents and another called Desktop they both contain all the files that I used to have on my Mac's hardrive. Dropbox actually e-mail me saying there was a compatability issue. I was able to determine that the files wit hthe problem are all in the Documents folder on dropbox. Do I need to copy and past the Documents and Desktop Folder back on my hard drive? Or move those folders back to my hard drive?

[Jay]

Just so you’re aware, the Dropbox folder is the same as normal folders on your machine, in that the files are still stored locally, although they also sync to the servers online.

I’d recommend following the steps in this article.

[kate2kate]

OK so please tell me if you think I understand this.

I have a:

dropbox folder

documents folder

desktop folder

Anything I put in the dropbox folder will be stored on my hard drive (locally). Anything in this folder will be synced to online servers.

So if I add a photo to my documents folder and the documents folder is not in the dropbox folder the picture will not be synced to the online server. But the photo will stil be stored on my hard drive (locally).

Is this correct?

If I move my documents folder into the drop box folder then that photo and everything else in the documents folder will be sycned to the online server.

[Jay]

Anything in the Dropbox folders would be on the local drive and synced to the site.

Files in the Documents folder would only be on the hard drive.

You could move your documents folder into the Dropbox folder, however this would cause multiple issues because it would both be syncing to iCloud and Dropbox at the same time, as the article states.

We’d recommend not having the Dropbox folder in any of those folders, or vice versa, to prevent potential data loss, corrupted data, and poor app performance in general.

[kate2kate]

OK I think I understand it. Do not move Documents folder on to drop box. So I am guessing I should create a folder like "MyStuff" and everything that I would have put in the documents folder I put in this folder. And then put this folder on dropbox so it is synced. If yes does the same go for the Desktop folder?

Sorry if I am a little slow. I am on medication for Migraine prevention and my brain is a little foggy. I don't get things as quickly as I used too. So thank you for the help.

[Jay]

Ooh, sorry to hear that, my best home remedy for migraines is pain killers, a glass of your fizzy drink of choice (let it go flat naturally), and rest in bed with the lights off, no smartphones, just sleep.

This works for for flus and colds, and I’m cured within 24 hours.

Regarding your idea, it’s even simpler to create the MyStuff folder in the Dropbox folder.

You’re not going to affect the system in any way, and you’re going have that folder to sync with the site automatically with whatever files you have within the folder.

[kate2kate]

Thanks for the migraine tip. Unfortunatley I have to live with them. I have a brain tumor which causes them. I am extremley lucky my tumor has never grown. So I live with headaches and migraines. Some people have it worse.

I understand the MyStuff folder. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

I have one more question if you don't mind.

I have a huge folder of photo's 185gb. It is on an external drive at the moment but I wanted to put them on dropbox so I can have them offsite. In case of fire or flood.

Do you have any suggestion on how to do that since dropbox keeps the files on your hard drive. 

Thanks again.

[Jay · Accepted solution]

Sorry to hear about that.

Regarding the photo folder, my article should help clarify matters about moving files so they’re ‘online-only’.