Desktop says out of space, even though I'm on Business trial

[Daviator]

I signed up for the Business Trial account that is supposed to provide 9Tbs of space. I downloaded and installed the Desktop app and attempted to back up some folders containing photos from my 4Tb drive.

However, I would get "not enough space" errors. Dropbox email support said I only had the free 2Gb account, and when I sent the email verification for the trial account, they ignored me and just closed the ticket. Both use the SAME email address and when I log in online, it says I have the Business Trial account. 

I then contacted Dropbox chat support, but they said that Dropbox creates copies of my files locally before they can be copied to the cloud and that's why I get out of space errors. This doesn't make sense, as that would mean my drive would need to be less than 50% full before I could upload my stuff. 

[Rich]

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@Daviator wrote:

However, I would get "not enough space" errors.

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Can you provide a screenshot of the exact error that you're getting?

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... Dropbox creates copies of my files locally before they can be copied to the cloud and that's why I get out of space errors. This doesn't make sense ...

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It depends on how you're backing up your data. If you're copying or moving the files into your local Dropbox folder, then yes, those files will take up local disk space. If you don't have enough space, Dropbox would report that your local drive doesn't have enough space.

If you're using the Backup feature to backup the content of an external drive, then that content is synced directly to Dropbox, bypassing your local storage.

[Daviator]

Thanks so much for the reply and sorry to be blunt, but how he** do I know the difference? And what is the point of the second local copy? 

All I wanted to do was copy my 4Tb of photos to the cloud, and then once there, keep them in sync with my local copies. 

[Nancy]

Hey @Daviator, sorry to jump in. 

The drive that you mention, is it an internal drive or an external drive instead? I'd like to have a clearer image of what you're doing, so that I can guide you further.

In general, the local Dropbox folder of the desktop app functions like the other folders on your computer, with the difference that its contents sync to your Dropbox account online, as well. So, anything you put inside, will also take up space from your hard drive, like the rest of your computer files.

[Daviator]

It's an external drive. I am getting a clearer picture of the "Drop Box" local folder concept, but it still makes no sense to me.

Why doesn't the desktop app simply mimic or simulate a folder and just store what lives where and info such as file names, sizes, etc. but NOT the actual files, before uploading it to the cloud?

Or more simply, why can't the cloud be the "folder" in the app? That's what I assumed it was doing. 

I already have my photos and artwork organized, so why do I need to do it all over again in a new folder that would take up double the space (nearly 7Tb in all)? Also, the time that it would take to move/copy 7Tbs of data would be days, if not weeks as it has to be moved in chunks. 

Finally, NONE of the instructions clearly spelled out this process or any alternative methods. They simply said that after creating your account, download and install the desktop software, then copy files into it. 

Nowhere do they state that the files would need to be stored locally (again), nor does it explain why. And the error message provides NO clue as to what is happening, only that I needed X more Gbs of space. 

[Nancy]

In this case, since your data is already on an external drive, you can use our external drive backup feature instead, without the need to re-upload everything to the local Dropbox folder. 

This feature will basically back up your content to the Dropbox website/cloud, without storing anything in your local Dropbox folder, or affecting your hard drive space. After the backup is complete, you should be able to access everything via your Backups page online.

Let me know if this is what you’d like to achieve.

[Daviator]

Why doesn't the Desktop app simply mimic or simulate a folder and just store what lives where and info such as file names, sizes, etc. but NOT the actual files, before uploading it to the cloud? Or more simply, why can't the folder in the app be the cloud?

I thought I was copying Gbs of data from the external drive to the cloud, when all I was doing was copying it to my local drive. What's the point of that? 

I already have my photos and artwork organized, so why do I need to copy them over again into a new folder that would take up double the space I currently have, requiring me to purchase a new drive (for $200)? 

[Daviator]

Thanks. I gave up and found another service that simply backs up my pc, including external drives, without having to copy anything anywhere, and for about 40% the cost of Dropbox. 

The frustrating part was that the directions provide NO guidance to any alternative method, and no explanation, and no one at DropBox could or would answer my question about the reason for the need of a local folder.  

[Rich]

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@Daviator wrote:

... no one at DropBox could or would answer my question about the reason for the need of a local folder.  

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You're misunderstanding what Dropbox is, at its core, and how it works. It's not a cloud-based folder where the content only exists online. The local Dropbox folder is a regular folder like any other, and anything within it takes up space just like any other folder.

The entire point of Dropbox is that is synchronizes your local Dropbox folder with your account online, which then syncs with any other devices linked to your account so that the Dropbox folder is the same across all of your devices. Dropbox, at its core, is a synchronization service; not a backup service. Yes, it has some backup functionality, including the ability to backup external drives, but that's not the feature that you were using. Instead, you were just copying files to the local Dropbox folder, which takes up space.

The Backup feature that I linked to previously can back up an external drive directly to Dropbox, without the need to store it locally in your Dropbox folder.

[Daviator]

Again, I understand that it syncs with my local PC, as that is what I wanted it to do.

But again, why do my files need to reside in a (local) Dropbox folder to be synchronized? Why can't Dropbox software sync them from their current location(s)? I (incorrectly) assumed that was the point of the Desktop software.

But no one has been able to answer that simple question, especially when other services do it that way (and do it for a much less cost.)