How do I stop files being available offline on my laptop

[mavbj]

Hi,

I have desktop PC (Windows 10) with a large hard drive and all my files on it including my entire music collection. I also have a nice small laptop (Windows 10) for taking to meetings which has a significantly smaller hard drive. I use Dropbox plus to sync my work files between the two units but have recently started moving my music onto dropbox so that I can listen to it whilst away from home. However, given the smaller hard drive on the laptop I don't want dropbox to download the music to the laptop as I need the space for my work files. How do I tell Dropbox not to download these music files to my laptop but let me access them when I am online and leave the music files available offline on my PC?

I can see that I can remove them from the sync for the laptop through the settings/preferences icon on the taskbar icon but this means they would have to accessed through the website amking them difficult. The advertising implies that they can be synced but not downloaded.

Can anyone help?

Thanks.

[Rich · Accepted solution]

What you're trying to do isn't possible with Dropbox. There is no way to access the files while they only exist online. You either need to use the Dropbox website, or you need to download them to your computer first.

Dropbox Professional has a Smart Sync option which allows you to mark files as available online-only. This allows them to appear on your computer without them actually being there, but they still need to be downloaded to the computer before you can open them.

[Jay]

While Rich is correct, there’s a small workaround for Windows 10 users without Smart Sync…

Try installing the Windows store version of the Dropbox app.

This is essentially the same as the mobile app. All your folders appear there like the site, but nothing is stored locally, again, just like the mobile app.

You can upload files there as well, which will then appear on the site.

However, as it is the mobile app, you can make any files you want to ‘appear offline’. Essentially, this will download the files into the app itself.

This app won’t sync files automatically, unlike the Dropbox desktop application, but it does allow you to select files you want to play whenever you want by downloading them in the app.

Naturally, as Rich said, you need an internet connection to download files in the first place, but once they are offline, you can play them without an internet connection.

If I’m misunderstanding something, please let me know!

[mavbj]

Thanks AgentJay. I can see how this would work but if I understand it correctly it will not download the work files which I do want downloaded. The upgrade to Professional for the smart sync function seems the best option but at the price I might as well subscribe to Spotify especially as it is difficult to find a music player which is able to access the files on dropbox. I think, in the end, my cunning plan was only as cunning as one of Baldrick's cunning plans!

[Jay]

Perhaps our special turnip surprise would be helpful? Or a cup of coffee/cappucino?

There might be third party apps that can access your Dropbox music files as you wish, but we wouldn’t be able to provide any recommendations on that matter.

Let us know if you have any further queries on this matter!