Tech: Getting Data OUT of Dropbox

Subject: Tech: Getting Data OUT of Dropbox
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 May 14 - 08:24 AM

Like many, I suspect, I was lured by the prospect of safe, readily-accessible data storage for "key" data. Now some of it is in Dropbox (another free-for-now thingie I am sure will cost dear before long), and it seems it can only be downloaded into a Dropbox folder "on" a hard drive. Not copied and pasted, not dragged and dropped, onto the hard drive itself.

Anyone know how?

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Getting Data OUT of Dropbox
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 May 14 - 08:55 AM

It can on my Win 7 PC.

Subject: RE: Tech: Getting Data OUT of Dropbox
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 May 14 - 09:04 AM

I'm in Windows 8 on this machine; I'll try it in 7 on the other-- thanks.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: Getting Data OUT of Dropbox
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 24 May 14 - 09:06 AM

You can download files onto your desktop (or wherever you've specified in your browser settings) from their website if you want to bypass the computer-specific app altogether. Go to the website, make sure you're signed in, find whatever item you want in the on-screen folder, then right-click it and choose the Download option from the drop-down menu. This works fine on both my Mac & my PC (Windows 7).

BTW, make sure you type "Dropbox.com" correctly in your URL box: I once mistakenly wrote it as Dropbpx - a common typo - and it sent my AV warnings into overdrive. So no doubt some rogue bought that domain name for the very purpose of harvesting the unwary. Anyway, I've always been able to retrieve stuff from their main website with no problem.

Subject: RE: Tech: Getting Data OUT of Dropbox
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 24 May 14 - 09:07 AM

PS: I can do this from any computer I want to, as long as that machine is linked to my Dropbox account.

Subject: RE: Tech: Getting Data OUT of Dropbox
From: Jack Campin
Date: 24 May 14 - 09:07 AM

If it's downloaded to the folder, and the folder is on the drive, what is the problem?

Subject: RE: Tech: Getting Data OUT of Dropbox
From: Newport Boy
Date: 24 May 14 - 10:27 AM

By default, Dropbox creates a folder on your hard drive which is synchronised with your online storage. You don't need to get your data "out" of Dropbox - it's there on your computer and you can copy it to any other folder if you want. Don't move it, unless you want to delete the file from your online storage.

I do this all the time for a dozen shared Dropbox folders, plus my private folders.

Phil