How to uninstall Dropbox on your computer (2024)

FAQs

How do I Uninstall Dropbox from my computer? ›

On the “Start” screen, type “Control Panel” and click on it. Under the “Programs” sub-section, select the “Uninstall a program” option. From the list of options laid out in front of you, choose “Dropbox” and the uninstallation process would be completed in a matter of minutes.

Your account and file data will be deleted. Your files and folders will stop syncing on all devices. Content synced to your computer will stay there, but will no longer sync.

You will lose access to your files once you delete your account, so download them first! If you have a Dropbox folder that syncs with the cloud, you can simply go to that folder and copy the files you want to keep to your hard drive.

Log in to dropbox.com. Hover over the file or folder and click the "…" (ellipsis). Click Delete. Click Delete again to confirm.

Selective sync is a feature in the Dropbox desktop app that allows you to remove specific Dropbox folders from your hard drive so you can save space on your computer. The folders you choose to remove from your hard drive remain stored in your account on dropbox.com.

If you have limited storage space on your device, uninstalling Dropbox can free up valuable space. Dropbox syncs files to your device, which means they take up storage space on your hard drive. If you find that your device is running out of space, uninstalling Dropbox can help alleviate the issue.

In general, uninstalling the Dropbox desktop app doesn't remove the files in your Dropbox folder from your hard drive. Instead, it becomes like any other folder on your computer that doesn't sync to your account online.

Even when your files and folders are synced to and stored in the cloud, you'll still be able to view them from your desktop. And when you want to access them, the files will sync automatically to your hard drive—but only when you need it.

Permanently deleting it removes the folder from your Dropbox account. All other members of the folder still have access.

When you make changes to a Dropbox folder, those changes are mirrored everywhere. This means that deleting a Dropbox file from your computer also deletes it from Dropbox.com and any other synced devices.

Where do deleted Dropbox files go? ›

Yes, recovering or restoring deleted files from Dropbox is simple. On dropbox.com, navigate to the Deleted files page, select the recoverable files or folders you'd like to bring back, then click “Restore”. Dropbox keeps your deleted files and edits for up to 180 days, depending on your plan.

To delete file(s) without moving to the Recycle Bin first, select the folder or files and press SHIFT+Delete (at the same time) on your keyboard. Windows 10 asks for confirmation before it removes the files – when you are asked “Are you sure you want to permanently delete this file(s)?”, press Yes.

If you deleted a large number of files from your Dropbox, but your computer's hard drive doesn't reflect these deletions, the files you deleted may be held in the cache folder.

The cache folder is used as a staging area to sync files to and from your account. The folder should be automatically cleared every few days, however, you can manually empty the cache folder if it's getting too large.

The easiest way to ensure no data will be lost is to check for the green mark next to the file's icon. This means it is safely on your hard drive so you can freely uninstall Dropbox. A more thorough way to ensure your data is safe is to move it out of your Dropbox account.