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Stop creating a file (.dropbox.device) on every device I connect to my pc!

Stop creating a file (.dropbox.device) on every device I connect to my pc!

bob99
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

Simple solution had at least an option in the settings to disable this feature.

 

I red a lot of messages in this community going back over a year now... and I understand why it's being created to help your software with notification... but I am sure their is a better way of doing this without writing an unwanted file on every external device.

 

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

Walter
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Hi all - thanks for ongoing patience and feedback on this.

 

Could you please let us know if you notice this behavior after installing our latest, stable version of the desktop app found on this page?

 

Thanks so much!


Walter
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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View solution in original post

45 Replies 45

Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution
Hey @bob99, thanks for reaching out to our Community and happy Monday!

Would you mind sending me a screenshot of this file as it appears on a connected device?

Also, have you maybe enabled our camera uploads feature on your Dropbox desktop app?

Thanks!

Hannah
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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VicVega
Helpful | Level 6
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I have the same question. And I think you can move forward with replying to us without asking for a screenshot. You work for Dropbox! How about asking the person next to you? Or do a Google search, or just plug an external drive to a Windows PC with the Dropbox client installed. Don't ask the end user for more information that can so easily be obtained at your own fingertips.

bob99
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

Here are two screenshot:

 

Z68A_G43_527.png

Can't seem to find camera upload...

Z68A_G43_528.png

Gigabyte
Helpful | Level 6
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Please tell me how stopped creation of these files on all devices connected to the PC? This is terrible! Files are created, including on client devices, which we connect to our PCs and we receive indignation from them as well!

 

Identify devices by VolumeID and store settings locally. Why write them to devices? Moreover, for example, for me, any synchronization and import of photos for ALL devices is turned off. What additional files can there be in this case, if the Dropbox should not import anything from anywhere?

Jay
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution
Hi everyone, if you're plugging in an external drive to your computer, if you choose not to back it up to Dropbox, then to prevent the app from prompting about the same drive in the future, the dropbox.device file is created there. This isn't locally stored in the Dropbox desktop application.

If you delete the file, then the app will again prompt if you want to back it up, each time it is deleted. 

Jay
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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Gigabyte
Helpful | Level 6
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Hi.

I am not making backup of any disc. And I don't plans to create them. Why do I need have these settings (files) on all connected drives?

It is necessary to stop their creation. The program interferes into user's individual space and litters there.

 

Also, when I connect a USB flash drive from the camera, the file is created there, and Adobe Lightroom Import reports an error: The files are not photos or videos. And this is also a problem just, because the Dropbox decided to remember something on this device. This doesn't apply to Dropbox and Dropbox shouldn't monitor my external drives.

Please add a settings to stop this. Your support board already has several threads about it and peoples are outraged by the creation of files.

Gigabyte
Helpful | Level 6
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What if I insert another user's external drive into my computer, who uses Dropbox and has different settings? For example, he makes backups. My Dropbox wiil be use settings of another user's from a file on disk?


And the file that will write my Dropbox to external drive of another's user will force its dropbox to follow my settings? This is very, very strange!

Montecristo
New member | Level 2
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Hi! Have you found any solution?

I connect a lot of usb's that are not mine, I must avoid this files from being created (I had to turn off load on startup and close dropbox each time I use an usb, otherwise I can't delete them, but the bad part is that now most of times my dropbox files are not updated because sometimes I forget to open it again...).

I don't either use dropbox backup, I have automatic reprodution off, and there isn't a way to disable camera uploads...

I'm seeking for an application that blocks every dropbox access to all drives (but the one installed in), but it would be better a not-so-intrusive work in dropbox app and being able to disable camera upload / usb files creation...

VicVega
Helpful | Level 6
Go to solution

Hi Montecristo. Sadly, as you can see from the replies from Dropbox staff earlier in this thread, they either don't understand what we're after, or they don't care. We're left to our own devices. I've given up and decided to start getting used to seeing these useless files, cursing the incompetent staff each time, and I stopped recommending Dropbox as a solution for my clients, referencing their despicable customer service. If you find a third-party fix for this, please post it here.

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