Computer backup lets you back up certain key folders on your computer, such as “Desktop”, “Documents”, and “Downloads”, to Dropbox.
After backup, those folders, and the files within them, are still accessible from the same place on your computer, while also backed up to Dropbox. Any changes or deletions you make to those folders from your computer, or in Dropbox, will be reflected in both places. You can access those folders, which are backed up under “My Mac [Your device name]” or “My PC [Your device name]”, from anywhere you use Dropbox, such as dropbox.com, the Dropbox mobile app, and the Dropbox desktop app on other computers.
There are many alternatives to Dropbox for Mac if you are looking to replace it. The most popular Mac alternative is Nextcloud, which is both free and Open Source.If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Dropbox and loads of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Click the Dropbox icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac). Click your profile picture or initials. Click Preferences. Click the Backups tab. Click Manage backup. Uncheck the folders you’d like to stop backing up to Dropbox or uncheck My Mac/My PC to.
Like any files stored in Dropbox, you can view version history on these files and restore previous versions.
How to set up computer backup
Before setting up computer backup, do the following:
- Close all open files and applications on your computer.
- Install the Dropbox desktop application, if you haven’t already.
- If you’ve paused syncing, resume it.
- Connect to internet.
- If any of the folders are already backed up to another cloud storage provider (like iCloud, OneDrive, or Google Backup and Sync), disable those backups. (If you’re not sure how, consult that company’s help center).
To set up computer backup:
- Click the Dropbox icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac).
- Click your profile picture or initials.
- Click Preferences.
- Click the Backups tab.
- Click Manage backup.
- Check the folders you’d like to back up.
- If your work and personal accounts are connected, choose which Dropbox account you’d like to back up your folders to.
- Click Next or Set up (depending on your account), and follow the steps.
- Mac users: Click OK when prompted to give Dropbox permission to access your folders.
If any files fail to back up, a shortcut will be created in Dropbox called “Files on my computer” that will take you to their location on your computer.
Troubleshoot computer backup
If you experience errors during setup
If you get an error while setting up computer backup, try the following troubleshooting steps before attempting setup again:
- Close any files or applications that use data in the folders you’d like to back up.
- Disable any other cloud-storage-provider folders (like iCloud, OneDrive, or Google Backup and Sync) from the folders you’d like to back up.
- Allow edit permissions on all files and folders you’d like to back up.
- Learn how to allow permission on Windows.
- Learn how to allow permissions on Mac.
- If you’re using a Mac, make sure you allow access to files and folders in your security and privacy settings.
- Note: You must have admin permissions on your computer to change permissions.
- If the Dropbox folder is in one of the folders you’d like to back up, move it back to its original, default location.
- If the Dropbox folder and the folders you’d like to back up aren’t on the same hard drive, move them to the same hard drive. For example, if your folders are on an external hard drive, and the Dropbox folder is on your computer’s hard drive, move them to the same hard drive.
If you don’t see your files after turning on computer backup
Any files that failed to backup to Dropbox will be in a folder called “Files on my computer” instead.
Mac users: If you don’t see your files in Finder after backup, force quit Finder and relaunch it.
If you have issues with an application after turning on computer backup
Restart the application. In particular, we recommend restarting:
- Firefox
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Money
- Microsoft Outlook
- Safari
- If you’re on Windows and using Microsoft Edge, your Microsoft Edge downloads won’t sync to your “Downloads” folder in Dropbox with this feature. To sync your Microsoft Edge downloads to Dropbox anyway, manually change where your Microsoft Edge files download to Dropbox.
If your files aren’t syncing as expected
Make sure the Dropbox desktop application is installed on your computer.
Learn how to check syncing status, prioritize which files sync first, or prevent some files from syncing.
You can’t move, delete, rename, or share your folders after backup
After backup, you can’t move, delete, or rename the top-level folders you’ve backed up (like “Desktop”, “Documents”, and “Downloads”, or “My Mac” and “My PC”). However, you can move, delete, and rename the files within them. You won’t be able to share those folders in Dropbox by inviting people to them via email, but you can still share those folders with a link and share any files or folders within them.
Turn off computer backup
Notes:
- You must have the Dropbox desktop application installed to turn off computer backup. If you already uninstalled the desktop application, reinstall the desktop application to turn off computer backup.
- Deleting the files or folders in “My PC”or “My Mac” will delete those files from both Dropbox and your computer.
- If you no longer have access to the device, you can turn off computer backup by unlinking the device from your Dropbox account.
To turn off computer backup:
- Click the Dropbox icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac).
- Click your profile picture or initials.
- Click Preferences.
- Click the Backups tab.
- Click Manage backup.
- Uncheck the folders you’d like to stop backing up to Dropbox or uncheck My Mac/My PC to turn off backup for all folders at once.
- Click Save.
- Choose Keep content in folders on this PC/Mac or Leave content in Dropbox.
- If you choose Keep content in folders on this PC/Mac, the files and folders you stopped backing up can be found in their original folders on your computer.
- If you choose Leave content in Dropbox, new files you add to those folders will save to their original folders on your computer, but the files and folders you previously backed up to Dropbox with computer backup will remain in your Dropbox account. On your computer, they’ll be accessible by shortcuts, in their original folders, called “My files in Dropbox”.
- Note: If you see Set Up instead, it means computer backup is already off.
- Click Stop backup.
- Click Close.
If you upgrade to Dropbox Business
If you upgrade your account to Dropbox Business after setting up computer backup, you can still use this feature, but back up is stopped. You can set it up again after you upgrade.
Dropbox For Mac
Under most configurations, the Dropbox desktop application will automatically receive and apply new updates. For Macs, the success of these updates depends on the level of privileges your user has in the system.
Administrators who are running the application and haven't changed their system user name shouldn’t have any issues with automatic or manual updates. Standard users need to follow a different set of instructions to proceed with a manual update. You can find out if you're an administrator or a standard user with the instructions on this page.
To update your application from a standard account:
Dropbox For Mac Free Download
- Download the latest version of the installer.
- Go to your Downloads folder and find the installer.
- Open another Finder window and go to ~/Applications (/Users/yourUserName/Applications).
- Note: If this folder doesn't currently exist, go to your user directory, create a new folder, and name it Applications
- Double click the Dropbox icon.
- Click Spotlight.
- Click System Preferences.
- Click Users & Groups.
- Select Login Items. You'll be presented with a list of applications. If there is an existing Dropbox entry press the - (minus) button to remove it.
- In the same screen, press the + (plus) button and go to the location where you placed Dropbox, ~/Applications (/Users/yourUserName/Applications).