You might be stuck with the issue of Dropbox taking up space on your PC, and it makes your computer feel so slow and run out of storage space. But don't panic, here are effective solutions to troubleshoot this problem and regain valuable storage on your computer.
Dropbox Taking Up Space on PC, What to Do?
When Dropbox desktop app is installed on your computer, it generates a local Dropbox folder automatically on your computer that syncs files and folders from the cloud. Over time, these files can be very large and take up a large amount of storage space on your computer if you set up to sync all Dropbox files to your computer instead of using selective sync or smart sync.
If your Dropbox storage taking up space on your computer can lead to various issues, including:
- Slow system performance
- Difficulty in accessing files and folders
- Inability to install new software or updates
- Risk of data loss if the system crashes
3 Ways for Freeing Up Space Dropbox on PC
To reduce Dropbox storage on your PC and optimize your system performance, follow these solutions:
Way 1: Identify Large Files and Folders
1. Open your Dropbox folder on your PC.
2. Sort files and folders by size to identify large items taking up space.
3. Consider deleting or moving large files to external storage or the cloud.
Way 2: Apply Selective Sync or Smart Sync
1. Launch the Dropbox app on your PC.
2. Go to the "Preferences" or "Settings" menu.
3. Enable "Selective Sync" or "Smart Sync" under the "Sync" menu.
4. Select which folders to sync to your PC and remove those that are unnecessary.
After that, you can set up the folders to be online only or available offline according to your different demands.
Way 3: Clear Cached Files
1. Open the Dropbox desktop app on your PC.
2. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner.
3. Select "Preferences" > "Account".
5. Click on "Clear cache" under the "Advanced" section.
6. Confirm the action to clear cached files and free up space on your PC.
Managing Dropbox Storage on Windows:
To effectively manage Dropbox storage on Windows, consider implementing these best practices:
- Regularly go over your files and delete any that are no longer in use.
- Use another cloud storage to store files that do not require instant access.
- Optimize your file compression settings to reduce file size.
- Monitor storage usage and take proactive steps to prevent it from reaching capacity.
FAQs: Dropbox Taking Up Space on PC
Q: Why does Dropbox use up space on my computer?
A: Dropbox syncs files and folders from the cloud to your local computer, which takes up storage space.
Q: How can I see how much space Dropbox is taking up on my PC?
A: To monitor Dropbox's storage usage, open the Dropbox client on your PC and go to the "Account" or "Settings" section.
Q: Can I remove files from Dropbox without removing them from my computer?
A: Yes, you can move files out of the Dropbox folder to other locations on your computer. which lets you delete files from Dropbox without removing them from your computer.
Q: Will deleting Dropbox free up space on my computer?
A: Yes, of course. If you uninstall Dropbox from your computer, which means that your Dropbox files are all online only on the Dropbox website, and delete all Dropbox files from your computer, that frees up space for your PC.
Q: What happens if the Dropbox storage on my PC is full?
A: If your Dropbox storage on your PC is full, you may notice performance concerns and difficulty accessing files. To continue to use Dropbox successfully, you must either free up space or upgrade your subscription.
Q: How can I retrieve deleted files from Dropbox on my PC?
A: Yes, Dropbox stores deleted files in the "Deleted Files" or "Trash" folder for 30 days on the Dropbox website, however, these deleted files are not stored in your computer's recycle bin unless you delete these files on your computer from the Dropbox folder. So, you can restore the deleted files within 30 days in Dropbox'tash on website in most cases.
Bonus Tip: Transfer or sync files between Dropbox and other clouds
This article addresses the question “Dropbox taking up space on PC”. If you’re considering migrating files from your current cloud service to Dropbox, or vice versa, MultCloud can be extremely useful. Trusted by over 3 million users, MultCloud is a multi-cloud management tool that facilitates the transferring or synchronizing of files between various cloud services.
For instance, it allows for seamless file transfers from cloud drives like Google Drive to Dropbox without downloading and re-uploading files. MultCloud also enables you to access and manage all your cloud accounts via a single application. Currently, it supports more than 30 different cloud services, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, Google Photos, iCloud Photos, FTP, WebDAV, iCloud Drive, pCloud, Amazon S3, 4shared, Icedrive, Wasabi, ownCloud, Backblaze, IDrive e2, Box for Business, Google Workspace, Gmail, Outlook, MySQL, NAS, FTP/SFTP, and more.
- Cloud Transfer: Move one cloud data to another without download and re-upload.
- Cloud Sync: Sync data across clouds seamlessly in real time.
- Cloud Backup: Dynamically backup and restore files between clouds.
- Instagram Downloader: Download Instagram videos, photos, reels and stories to local device or remotely upload them to your clouds.
- Email Migration: You can directly back up and save Gmail emails as PDFs to your computer or cloud drive in bulk.
- Manage all cloud accounts in one place: Connect all your clouds to MultCloud and you'll find it so easy to access and manage multiple cloud storage files with a single login.
MultCloud Supports Clouds
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Google Drive
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Google Workspace
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OneDrive
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OneDrive for Business
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SharePoint
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Dropbox
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Dropbox Business
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MEGA
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Google Photos
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iCloud Photos
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FTP
-
box
-
box for Business
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pCloud
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Baidu
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Flickr
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HiDrive
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Yandex
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NAS
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WebDAV
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MediaFire
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iCloud Drive
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WEB.DE
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Evernote
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Amazon S3
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Wasabi
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ownCloud
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MySQL
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Egnyte
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Putio
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ADrive
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SugarSync
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Backblaze
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CloudMe
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MyDrive
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Cubby