Dropbox Guide To Use in PC Part 1 : For Windows, Mac And Linux

D ropbox is a great web based file hosting service. It supports Windows , Mac, Linux , iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android too. Dropbox...

how-to-backup-iphoto-to-dropbox

Dropbox is a great web based file hosting service. It supports Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android too. Dropbox let’s you carry your world with your pc or mobile wherever you go. Don’t miss anything! Store easily, carry everything and share instantly! The basic concept of Dropbox is, if you store any file under “Dropbox” folder (which will be created after installing Dropbox software) then the file will automatically be stored in all of your device if they are also connected with Dropbox. So you can simply have all of your data stored anywhere you want. Those files will also be stored in Dropbox website and you can check them using your log in information. So you need not to worry about carrying your PC everywhere and also will never be a victim of data loss! It’s the best and easiest method for online file sharing we have ever found. It allow users a lot of features which are merely available on paid service too. If you are a Noob with Dropbox, you can check our basic Dropbox Guides Here. In this topic, we are focusing on Dropbox’s Windows app problems, confusions and F,A,Q’s. Previously we have discussed about how to get started with it. Now for PC user, it’s a must to read. So get ready and join us after the break.

List Of Contents

  1. What are the system requirements to run Dropbox?
  2. How do I sync files between computers?
  3. How do I undelete files or recover old versions of files?
  4. Can I have Dropbox sync files outside my Dropbox folder?
  5. How do I upgrade to the latest version of the Dropbox application?
  6. How do I share folders with other people?
  7. Is it possible to change the Dropbox account a computer is linked to?
  8. Do you have Dropbox in my language?
  9. How do I uninstall Dropbox?
  10. Is it possible to run two or more versions of Dropbox on the same computer?
  11. Why is my Dropbox full of .lnk files?
  12. What do I do if Dropbox is stuck syncing, won't launch, or reports an error?
  13. How much does Dropbox cost?

 


What are the system requirements to run Dropbox?

Dropbox On PC

The Dropbox application runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems. To run the Dropbox application on your computer we recommend:

  • At least 512MB of RAM
  • Free space on your computer equal to your Dropbox storage quota.
  • Windows 2003, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 (32 and 64-bit).
  • Mac: OS X Tiger (10.4) or later.
  • Ubuntu 7.10+ and Fedora Core 9+.

Dropbox on mobile phones

Dropbox is also accessible via several mobile devices:

iPhone App

  • iPhone (any model) or iPod Touch.
  • iOS v3.1 or later.
  • All video features require a an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, or the latest iPod Touch with a capable video camera.
  • An Apple ID to access the App Store.

Android App

  • Android OS 1.5 (Cupcake) or higher.
  • 2MB of free space on the device.
  • A SD card of any size.

BlackBerry App

  • BlackBerry OS 4.5 and up.
  • Music playback is supported on devices with BlackBerry OS 4.6 and up.
  • Video/audio format support varies depending on device and OS version.

How do I sync files between computers?

If you have multiple computers or mobile devices, syncing your Dropbox between them is easy. All you have to do is install the Dropbox desktop application using the same login on each computer you want to sync with.

Please note: if you're looking to share files with friends or colleagues, you'll want to create a shared folder instead.

Installing the Dropbox Desktop Application on Your Computers

  1. Start by downloading the Desktop application on each computer you want to sync with. The Dropbox desktop application is available for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux computers
  2. When installing, you will be prompted to enter your login information or create a new account. You only need one account to sync your files across computers.
    • If you haven't created an account already, select the radio button next to I don't have a Dropbox Account and follow the steps provided in the installation wizard or create an account from the Dropbox website. This will be the account you'll use when you install the Dropbox application on your other computers
    • If you've already created your account, use the same email and password you use to log in to Dropbox
  3. Once Dropbox is installed, you'll notice a new Dropbox folder on your hard drive. Add files to your Dropbox folder, and Dropbox will automatically sync them to the website. You can now access your files through the Dropbox website
  4. Once you have installed the application on each of your computers using the same Dropbox login, your files will appear in the Dropbox folders of those computers as well

The Dropbox application will automatically sync to the Dropbox website and any other computer(s) linked to your account as soon as it notices a change in your Dropbox folder. There is no sync button or need to set up any custom settings. You don't have to do anything.

Once your files are synced, you can access them directly from each of your computer's hard drives or over the web using the Dropbox website. For example, say you saved your document in the Dropbox on your desktop computer at home and wanted to access it on your laptop at a local cafe. Simply hook up to the Internet from your laptop, check your laptop's Dropbox folder, and there it is! It is the easiest way to make sure your files are up-to-date and accessible anywhere. No matter which computer you use, the files will appear the same, or synced, wherever you go.


How do I undelete files or recover old versions of files?

Dropbox keeps snapshots of every saved change in your Dropbox folder over the last 30 days (or more with the Pack-Rat feature). So if your pet accidentally pressed the delete key and erased your memoirs or you simply saved a bad change, you can restore the file with a few clicks.

On Windows 7

You can find a list of previous revisions by right-clicking the file from your desktop. Hover your mouse over the Dropbox submenu and select View Previous Versions....

The Dropbox context menu
Choosing View Previous Versions... from the context menu

Clicking on View Previous Versions... will take you to the Dropbox website to view old revisions. From there, you can follow the website instructions below to recover an old version or even undelete a file removed by accident

From the Website

To find the revision list online, click on the file from your Dropbox home page and select Previous Versions from the drop-down menu.

Restoring a Previous Version

Once you click on Previous Versions, you'll be sent to an online list of the various snapshots Dropbox has taken during the history of the file. When you see the file you want to restore, select the radio button next to the file and press the Restore button.

The Dropbox website context menu
Restore previous snapshots from Previous Versions on the website

Restoring a Deleted File

To recover your memoirs, simply click the Show deleted files link from the file browser at your Dropbox home page.

The Dropbox website context menu
Restore previous snapshots from Previous Versions on the website

All deleted files will show up in gray. Once you see the deleted file you want, hover your mouse over it and click on the arrow that appears to the right of the file. Select Restore Files from the drop-down and it will reappear in all of your synchronized Dropbox folders.

Advanced Way

Going Way Back in Time With Pack-Rat

If recovering files becomes a recurring issue, you can upgrade your account include the Pack-Rat feature. Doing so gives you unlimited snapshots of your files, allowing you to go recover any file as far back in time as you like. Find out more about Pack-Rat.

Restoring a Missing File From Cache

If you've lost a file, please try to locate and restore a deleted file using Dropbox's built-in undelete feature first. However, if you still can't find or open a lost file, you may be able to recover it from your Dropbox cache in an emergency.

Dropbox keeps a hidden collection, or cache, of your files as backup storage. Files in the cache folder are stored there often after they are moved or deleted after syncing. If you can't find your file using all other practical methods, you can try to recover the file from Dropbox cache as a last resort. The Dropbox cache will keep your files for up to three days after they have been moved or deleted.

The Dropbox cache folder is hidden in your Dropbox application settings. To rescue a file from your Dropbox cache, follow these instructions:

On Windows Vista and Windows 7

  1. Open a new Windows Explorer window by clicking on the Start menu > My Computer
  2. Type or copy and paste the following code into the location bar at the top of the window and press return:

    %HOMEPATH%\Dropbox\.dropbox.cache

  3. This will take you directly to the Dropbox cache folder in your Application Data folder


    The Dropbox cache folder from Windows Explorer

  4. Recover your lost file by dragging it out of the Dropbox cache folder

If the file is not in the Dropbox cache folder and doesn't show up as a deleted file on the website, then the file is most likely and unfortunately lost. Please note that Dropbox will never move or delete a file unless told to do so by the user. In most cases, lost files are simply misplaced or unwittingly removed by other users with access to a computer's Dropbox.


Can I have Dropbox sync files outside my Dropbox folder?

Right now, Dropbox will only sync the files in your Dropbox folder. However, there is a way to sync a folder using Dropbox and still access it from outside your Dropbox folder. For example, say you want to use Dropbox to backup a folder and make it accessible from all of your computers. However, you still want to be able to access it from its current location. In this instance, you can move the folder you want Dropbox to sync into your Dropbox folder and set up a shortcut (Windows), alias (Mac OS X), or link (Linux) to access it from its former location.


How do I upgrade to the latest version of the Dropbox application?

If you want to have the latest stable version of Dropbox, you don't have to do anything! Dropbox will silently update itself in the background.

To tell which version of Dropbox you're using, simply hover your mouse over the Dropbox icon in your system tray. A small dialog box will appear with the latest version. You can also find the version number by visiting your Dropbox preferences and selecting the Account tab. The Dropbox version number appears in gray.

If you don't have the latest version yet, don't worry! Auto-upgrades are rolled out over the course of several weeks after a new update is available. We're very conservative about auto-updating. We never want to risk breaking a working version of Dropbox.

For Our Advanced Users

Manually upgrading

If you haven't been upgraded (or aren't sure) and you're ready to go, simply install the latest version of Dropbox from the install page.

Testing the forums version

We use the Dropbox forums to post the latest versions of Dropbox. We rely on enthusiastic people in our forums to try the very latest versions of Dropbox and send us feedback. This helps us to work out all the kinks before we update everyone else. If you like to be on the cutting edge, strap on a helmet and visit the forums for the very latest in-development version of Dropbox.


How do I share folders with other people?

Dropbox lets you share your folders with others by creating a new shared folder or sharing an existing one. Once you add other members to the folder, it will appear in your friends or colleagues own Dropbox just as it does in yours. Any changes made to the shared folder's contents will appear instantaneously to everyone who is a member of the folder.

Create a New Shared Folder

To create a new shared folder from the Dropbox website, click on the Share a folder button from the Files or Sharing tab of your Dropbox account.

Share an Existing Folder

To share an existing folder, the folder has to be in your Dropbox folder. You can create a folder in your Dropbox folder just as you would anywhere else on your hard drive.

Using the Dropbox desktop application on Windows Vista and Windows 7

  1. Open your Dropbox folder
  2. Right-click on the folder you want to share. This displays a drop-down menu
  3. Select Dropbox > Share This Folder... This will send you to the sharing page on the Dropbox website

    Select Share This Folder... from the contextual menu

  4. Enter the email addresses of whomever you want to add to your shared folder
  5. Add a personal message if you'd like and click Share folder

Using the Dropbox website

  1. Log in to your account and locate the folder you want to share
  2. Move your mouse over the folder. Click on the triangle that appears when the folder is highlighted.
  3. Choose Share this folder from the drop-down menu


    Select Share This Folder from the website drop-down menu

  4. Enter the email addresses of whomever you want to add to your shared folder
  5. Add a personal message if you'd like and click Share folder

When you share a folder in one of the ways described above, we will immediately send email invitations to the addresses you provided. These invitations tell the recipients that you’ve shared a folder with them and gives them a link to accept your invite.

Once they accept your invitation, the folder will appear in their Dropbox account.

For Advanced Users

  • You can't share a folder from within your Public folder
  • You can't share a folder inside another shared folder. The folder is already shared
  • Anyone you’ve invited to a folder can then add, delete or change files within that folder
  • Anyone you’ve invited to a folder can then invite others to join the folder
  • Only the creator of the shared folder can remove people from the folder
  • If two people both open and edit a file in a shared folder at the same time, Dropbox will save both of their changes, but in separate files. It does not try to automatically combine or merge changes.

Is it possible to change the Dropbox account a computer is linked to?

Yes. To change the Dropbox account your computer is linked to, you will have to unlink your computer first.

Unlinking your computer from your Dropbox account means Dropbox will no longer sync files from that computer to the website and other linked computers. Your files will remain in the Dropbox folder of the unlinked computer afterwards.

To unlink your computer from your account:

On Windows 7

  1. Right-click on the Dropbox icon from your system tray. You may need to click on the arrow to show all system tray icons


    The Dropbox icon on the system tray

  2. Choose Preferences... from the menu
  3. Click on Unlink this computer...

That's it! Next time you start Dropbox, it will ask you if you want to link your computer to an account again. If you are linking your computer to a different account, you may want to move your Dropbox folder somewhere else first. Otherwise, Dropbox will ask if you want to merge any existing files with the new account.

For Advanced Users

If the Unlink this computer... button in the preferences window is not working properly, or you just like to do things the hard way, you can unlink Dropbox from an account as follows:

On Windows Vista and Windows 7

  1. Exit Dropbox by right-clicking the tray icon, and choose Exit from the menu
  2. Open any Windows Explorer window by double-clicking any folder or opening a folder through the Start menu
  3. In the location bar at the top of the window, type %APPDATA% and hit Enter
  4. Delete the Dropbox folder

If you have trouble deleting any files or folders, you might have permissions set incorrectly. This is also a reason why Dropbox's Unlink this computer... button may not work.


Do you have Dropbox in my language?

The Dropbox website and all Dropbox mobile apps and desktop applications are available in English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. You can manually set your language settings via the settings menus.

Choosing your language in Dropbox desktop application settings

  1. Click on the Dropbox icon from the system tray.
  2. Select Preferences... from the resulting menu.
  3. Click the Advanced tab.
  4. Select your preferred language from the Language menu.


    The Language menu in the Advanced tab of Dropbox preferences.

Choosing your language from the website

You will need to be logged in to change your default language. Once you're logged in, choose your language from the pull-down menu in the footer of any Dropbox website page.

The language dialog box in the footer of the website interface
Use the pull-down menu in the footer of the Dropbox website to choose your language

If you don't see your language yet, don't fret. Other languages are on the way! Let us know which language you'd like to see.


How do I uninstall Dropbox?

Uninstalling the Dropbox application will remove Dropbox from your computer. Once Dropbox is removed, the Dropbox menu will no longer appear and Dropbox will no longer sync the files in your Dropbox folder. Uninstalling Dropbox will not delete your Dropbox account or remove the files in your Dropbox folder.

Uninstalling the Desktop Application on Windows Vista or Windows 7

  1. Open the Control Panel from the Start Menu.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
  3. Select Dropbox from the list of programs, and click Uninstall.

Your Dropbox folder and its contents will remain intact. However, if you'd like to remove that as well, you can drag and drop your Dropbox folder to the Recycle bin.


Is it possible to run two or more versions of Dropbox on the same computer?

At the moment you can only run one installation of Dropbox on a single computer and it can only be linked to a single account.

Accessing another account from a computer where Dropbox is already installed (or any computer, for that matter) is as easy as logging in as another user through the Dropbox website.

Otherwise, you can link accounts together by creating shared folders. Shared folders are designed to allow you to sync files between multiple accounts.

For Advanced Users

Another option is to use a different Dropbox account for each user login on your computer. While this technically means you can have several Dropbox folders on the same computer, you will have to switch between each user account to take advantage of Dropbox's syncing features. This method is best for groups or families that have individual Dropbox accounts and use unique user logins on the same computer.


Why is my Dropbox full of .lnk files?

Files of type .lnk are Windows shortcut files. These are just pointers in Windows that point to your original files. Dropbox can not follow these links, so you will need to place the original files into your Dropbox folder in order to sync them.


What do I do if Dropbox is stuck syncing, won't launch, or reports an error?

If your Dropbox desktop installation experiences any of the following behavior, your Dropbox installation may be inaccessible or corrupted:

  • Dropbox closes as soon as it opens
  • Dropbox fails to open and reports an error message
  • The Dropbox system tray/menu bar icon is endlessly syncing (as indicated by spinning arrows on a blue icon), but not making any progress
  • Your syncing status (from the Dropbox menu) in your Dropbox menu says Permission denied or Rejected by Server
  • The Dropbox contextual menu is missing
  • Syncing icons do not appear correctly

If Dropbox appears to sync files quickly at first, but then appears to be stuck at the last moment, it is possible your antivirus or system optimization application is interfering with the Dropbox application. This is a known issue with antivirus applications such as:

If this happens to you, consider adding Dropbox to your application's whitelist or try disabling your antivirus and restarting the Dropbox application.

TuneUp Utilities (Windows) is also known to optimize your computer by uninstalling Dropbox. If you are running TuneUp, try disabling the application and reinstalling the Dropbox application. You can report the issue with Tuneup using their online web form.

If you are not running an antivirus or are sure it is not interfering with Dropbox, your Dropbox settings may be inaccessible. If your settings are corrupted, one way to reset them is by unlinking and then relinking your computer to your Dropbox account. Don't worry, the files in your Dropbox folder will remain untouched.

For Our Advanced Users

If unlinking and relinking your account doesn't solve the issue, your settings may be protected or inaccessible due to a permissions problem. If this is the case, you can remove your settings by hand using an administrative account. Here's how:

On Windows Vista or Windows 7

  1. Quit Dropbox by right-clicking on the Dropbox menu from the system tray and selecting Exit
  2. In any Windows Explorer window (the program that you view files on your computer with), type or copy and paste the following code into the location bar at the top of the window and press return:

    %APPDATA%

    This will take you to your Application Data folder

  3. Move the folder named Dropbox to the recycle bin
  4. Reinstall Dropbox
  5. Restart Dropbox from Start > Program Files > Dropbox

Once Dropbox loads, the application will rebuild your settings files and you will be asked to relink to your account.


How much does Dropbox cost?

All new Dropbox accounts and downloads, including the desktop and mobile applications, are completely free.

Dropbox Basic accounts include 2 GB of free space (or more if you refer your friends). If you ever run out of space, you can upgrade your account with a monthly or yearly subscription to a Dropbox Pro 50 GB or Dropbox Pro 100 GB account.

2 comments :

  1. I think it's help lot more those who doesn't aware of this.

    http://techfortips.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-change-dropbox-language-from.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. What is the function of the star on the menu bar of an ipad document opened in Dropbox.

    ReplyDelete

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