Dropbox, a popular file-sharing platform that is available on multiple platforms helps users to collaborate easily and is an ideal solution for file management. It allows users to share files on the cloud and also helps in effective file access and control. However, there may be a time when you want to delete files from your Dropbox account to free up space on your computer.
You can delete files from Dropbox using both a browser and an app, giving you some flexibility. You can also restore deleted files within a month if you change your mind. Dropbox syncs all files and folders in your computer’s Dropbox folder. If you delete files from your Dropbox online, Dropbox will resync them and remove any deleted files from dropbox.com.
Today in this blog post, we will look at ways to remove files from Dropbox without deleting them from your computer.
Different ways to remove Files from Dropbox without deleting them
Here are a few ways to remove the files from Dropbox without deleting them.
- Delete from dropbox.com but keep on local Dropbox folder
- Delete files from the hard drive but keep them on the account online
- Using the Smart Sync option
Let us see how these solutions work.
1] Delete from dropbox.com but keep on local Dropbox folder
If you want to delete a file/folder from Dropbox online but still keep it in your local Dropbox folder, Dropbox does not provide an option for this. But if you want to keep the file on the hard drive, you can move the file/folder from the local Dropbox folder to a location outside the Dropbox folder and keep it as a backup.
You can now open the Dropbox account and delete the required files and free up space. Please first move the file/folder from the local Dropbox folder, then remove it from the online account. In case you don’t, Dropbox will sync and remove the file from the local folder.
2] Delete files from the hard drive but keep them on the account online
- Right-click on the Dropbox icon located on the taskbar. Click on your profile picture or the initials.
- Choose the preference from the options menu. Open the Sync option.
- Choose the Selective sync option. Uncheck the boxes of any folder that you don’t want on your computer.
- Once you have selected the folder, click on Update.
You can now delete the selected files/folders from your hard drive. These files/folders will still be available on your account online but, Dropbox will not sync them to your local folder. The Selective Sync options help you free up space on your hard drive by removing files from the Dropbox folder without deleting them from your account online.
3] Using the Smart Sync option
Follow these steps to enable the Smart Sync option.
1] Steps to turn on Smart Sync:
- Go to dropbox.com online. Sign in to the dropbox.com account.
- Click on your profile and choose Settings.
- Open the General tab. You can now scroll to the Dropbox system extension and ensure that it is On.
- Click on the Dropbox icon in the system tray. Choose your Profile and go to Preferences>General.
- Click on Enable and activate Smart Sync.
2] Steps to enable the “Save hard drive space automatically”
- This option allows you to remove any file/folder from your computer hard drive while saving a copy of the same online.
- Click on the Dropbox icon in the system tray and click on the profile picture. Go to the Preference > Sync.
- Select your work Dropbox account. Use the toggle switch to turn on the “Save hard drive space automatically” option.
Please note that Dropbox deletes files that the user hasn’t used for a few months. To delete a file from Dropbox without removing it from your hard drive, you need to first create a copy and then move it out of the Dropbox account. But if you want to free up your local hard drive by deleting Dropbox files without removing them from your account online, use the Selective Sync or Smart Sync feature.
Conclusion:
Although Dropbox is a collaborative platform that enables effective file sharing, it may not offer unlimited storage. So you need to delete files to free up space for new files/folders. So, now you can use the above-mentioned ways to remove files from Dropbox without deleting them from your computer hard drive. Do let us know if you have any questions.
Does the ‘Remove from Dropbox’ delete files permanently?
When a file is deleted from Dropbox, it’s no longer visible in any of the folders you see in your account. However, the file isn’t permanently deleted until after your recovery window. Dropbox Basic, Plus, and Family accounts can recover deleted files for 30 days. For the shared files, when you ‘unshare’ a folder, the files are permanently deleted from each member’s account. The files are also removed from any linked devices the next time the Dropbox desktop app syncs.
How to clean up Dropbox?
Launch the Dropbox app and tap the Menu button in the top-left corner (marked by three horizontal lines). Tap the gear icon to open the Settings menu. Scroll to the bottom of the resulting menu and tap Clear Cache.
