how do I move files from dropbox to my computer or How To Move Your Dropbox Folder.
how do I move files from dropbox to my computer
When you install Dropbox on your computer, Dropbox creates a default folder in a specific location to store your files. If you ever want to change your folder structure or want to use an external drive for your Dropbox files, you can move the Dropbox folder
Read :Â How to Use Dropbox to Host a Simple HTML Website
You can move the Dropbox folder anywhere you want. However, you cannot do this with the usual methods that you use to move folders in Windows Explorer. You will need to change the setting in your Dropbox settings to change the default Dropbox folder location.
Before moving your Dropbox folder
Unlike regular folders, moving a Dropbox folder to almost any storage device can cause problems. The following explains which drives should and should not be used with the Dropbox app.
Use internal drives
Always try to use internal drives to store your Dropbox folder. This is because your operating system connects to these drives when your computer boots. This will help Dropbox find your Dropbox folder as soon as you launch the Dropbox app (or when the app launches automatically on boot).
Don’t use external drives
Technically, you can move the Dropbox folder to an external drive. However, this is not recommended. For various reasons, external drives can sometimes go offline when Dropbox tries to sync your files.
Also, the Dropbox folder must be available when you launch the Dropbox app. If your external drives connect after launching Dropbox, Dropbox won’t be able to find the folder to store your files. This can cause unexpected problems.
Don’t use network drives
Network drives do not send a “file update event” to the computer system when you make changes to a file stored on this type of drive. Dropbox requires this event to recognize your file changes and resynchronize your files. For this reason, Dropbox does not support network drives.
Do not use removable media
Anything that can be thought of as removable media such as an SD card or micro SD card cannot be used to store Dropbox files. Dropbox does not support these storage devices.
Dropbox needs permanent access to the Dropbox folder, and removable media should be removed from your computer from time to time. Therefore, these devices should not be used to store the Dropbox folder
How to move your Dropbox folder
The Dropbox desktop app has the option to choose a new default Dropbox folder. You can access this option as follows.
- Click the Dropbox icon in the taskbar.
- On the Dropbox screen that opens, click your profile icon in the upper right corner and select Preferences.
- Click the last tab labeled “Sync” in the tab bar at the top.
- You will see an option indicating the location of the Dropbox folder and the path listed next to This. Click the Move button next to the path to move the Dropbox folder
- You can now navigate to your computer storage and select a new location for the Dropbox folder When you have selected a folder, click OK.
- You will receive a message that all your files will be moved to a new location. Click “OK” to continue.
- Click Apply and then OK to save your changes.
What to do if you cannot move your Dropbox folder
If you see an error while moving your Dropbox folder or Dropbox does not accept the new folder location, you need to fix the underlying issues.
Files or folders are already in use
If the program uses your Dropbox files or folders, you won’t be able to move the Dropbox folder You must first close the program or programs that are using your Dropbox files. Then repeat the above process to move the Dropbox folder
Use Selective Sync
If you have too many files in your current Dropbox folder, you can try reducing the number of those files and then moving the Dropbox folder After moving the folder, you can re-sync the remaining files.
You can reduce the number of Dropbox files by using selective sync. This feature allows you to selectively sync files and folders. First, you only need to select a few folders to sync.
- Open Dropbox preferences by clicking the Dropbox icon in the taskbar, selecting your profile icon, and choosing Preferences.
- Click the last tab labeled “Sync”.
- Click the Custom Sync button to select the folders you want to sync.
There is not enough space on your new disk
If you move your Dropbox folder to another drive, make sure there is enough space on it.
Delete unnecessary files from the drive to make space for Dropbox files.
Don’t use symbolic links
A symbolic link is a shortcut to a file or folder on your computer. Sometimes users create symbolic links to point from their Dropbox folder to another location on their computers.
However, Dropbox does not recommend using symbolic links for the Dropbox folder These symlinks can cause issues such as high CPU usage, permission issues, sync issues, etc.
If you have installed any symlinks for the Dropbox folder, discard those symlinks and then try moving the Dropbox folder
Permission problems
One of the reasons you can’t move your Dropbox folder is because you don’t have the required permissions for Dropbox folders and files. You can fix this permissions issue by running a few commands from the command line.
- Click the Dropbox icon in the taskbar.
- Select your profile icon at the top-right corner and select Sign out of Dropbox. This will close the Dropbox app.
- Press the Windows + R keys at the same time, type cmd and press Enter. This will open a command prompt.
- Enter the following at the command line. This command assumes that you haven’t moved your Dropbox folder before. This will grant the necessary permissions to your Dropbox folder of your account.
- After running the above command, run the following command. This command will give you the necessary permissions to use the Dropbox folder located in the appdata directory on your computer.
- Open the start menu and launch Dropbox.
Now you can move your Dropbox folder to a new location.
How to return Dropbox folder to default location
If you want to return your Dropbox folder to its original location, you can do so by typing one word in the Dropbox path field in the Dropbox app.
- Click Dropbox in the taskbar, select your profile in the upper right corner, and select Preferences.
- Select the last tab labeled “Sync” to view your Dropbox folder settings.
- Click the Move button next to the Dropbox folder a place to move your Dropbox folder.
- You will see a box next to “Folder”. Enter the following in this field and click “OK”.
- Click OK at the prompt to start moving the Dropbox folder
If you’ve moved your Dropbox folder to a different drive, remember that anyone with access to that drive can view your Dropbox files. If privacy is your main concern, you should keep a folder where only you can access it.
how do i move files from dropbox to my computer
How To Move Your Dropbox Folder
dropbox move files to another folder
dropbox move files to another folder
how do i move files from dropbox to my computer or How To Move Your Dropbox Folder