Has an urgent need for Dropbox space ever made you choose between deleting holiday snaps and a work project document that you’re almost certain you have backed up on your device? Do you find that because of storage space constraints, you have to unnecessarily move files back and forth between your Dropbox and your device? Or have you ever been unsure as to whether your most recent important files have been uploaded to your Dropbox – you’ve meant to check, but you just can’t seem to find the time to painstakingly compare your disk and cloud storage devices. Tips to maximize and optimize your Dropbox and device storage space.
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Tip 1: Delete Dropbox duplicate filesIt's amazing how the more space we get, the more we seem to need. The good news is that your storage space can probably be freed up considerably by looking at the issue of duplicates in Dropbox.Duplicate files are files that are identical to what is already there, such as the document that you uploaded to Dropbox in different folders or when two people are working on a file at the same time and you get a Dropbox “conflicted copy”.Dropbox duplicates can also include items that aren't completely identical but, to you, they may as well be.
Accessibility is an Apple setting that allows applications on your Mac to interact with other applications. For example, it allows the Dropbox badge to work in non-Dropbox applications. If you don’t turn on accessibility, you won’t get access to Dropbox features like: The Dropbox badge.
For example, different versions of a document uploaded by two people into a team folder. Or the “similar” photo that didn’t quite capture the moment as well as the second photo, but was uploaded (along with the rest of the folder) anyway.You'd be surprised at how many instances there are of Dropbox duplicate photos found in multiple folders. Individually, these files may be comparatively small in size, but together they could be taking up hundreds of valuable Dropbox megabytes.
The Dropbox duplicate file solutionTo automatically find and delete Dropbox duplicate files (also called “Dropbox de-duplication”), just Gemini 2: the duplicate finder.In minutes, this duplicate finder scans your Dropbox storage and calculates how much space can be freed. Gemini 2 can delete duplicate files immediately to free up storage space fast, or you can use its attractive and easy to follow interface to personally choose what files get deleted.also detects similar files, such as image files taken of the same thing, but from a slightly different angle. Do you really need seven photos of your risotto dish or just the best one or two? Duplicate finder app makes it easy (and even fun) to compare before you decide what stays and what goes.
Gemini 2’s user-friendly interface helps you to accomplish in minutes what would ordinarily take hours.If you prefer to do it yourself, you’re going to have to identify the duplicates manually. Note that some photo apps are buggy and continually upload the same photos again and again. These photos typically have the same filename, but with an extra number on the end, so they should be easy to spot.
(Here's a more detailed post on.)Once you have a duplicate in your sights, simply delete them from the Dropbox app or move them out of your Mac’s Dropbox folder. Tip 2: Decide to sync or swimSyncing across devices is a significant advancement, at least it is when it works. If your Dropbox syncing is out of control, you’re going to want to get organized fast.Did you know that it is possible to auto sync Mac folders that are outside of your Dropbox folder? Auto-Syncing frequently used folders on your device, like your documents and your images folder, will help you to reduce needing to duplicate your files to multiple locations. Together with a duplicate file finder like Gemini 2, auto syncing frequently used folders with Dropbox will help you to free up more space across your storage platforms and devices by eliminating unwanted duplicate and similar files.Comparing a large number of files can be an incredibly tedious affair. Helps to speed up the process, making it much easier to decide where to sort and store your files – on your disk or in the cloud.
By doing so, you will ensure that your storage is always at 100% efficiency and 0% unwanted duplication.Here’s how to sync your Mac with Dropbox:. Open Terminal by typing “terminal” in spotlight and press enter button. Type in “ln –s” and press space button (do not press enter). Open Finder and find the folder that you’d like to sync with Dropbox. Drag and drop the folder into your Terminal window. Open Finder again, find the Dropbox folder and drag it to your Terminal window.
Hit enter buttonFiles saved to your selected folder will now be synced with your Dropbox. Tip 3: Use Dropbox selective syncIf you’re installing Dropbox on a new device, an excellent time-saving tip (that also saves Dropbox space) is to make use of selective sync.
There’s at least three reasons why it matters. It matters first and foremost because Dropbox didn’t ask for permission to take control of your computer. What does ‘take control’ mean here? It means to literally do what you can do in the desktop: click buttons, menus, launch apps, delete files. There’s a reason why apps in that list have to ask for permission and why it takes a password and explicit user permission to get in there: it’s a security risk.Let’s assume for the sake of argument that Dropbox never does any evil on your computer. It remains the fact that the Dropbox process has that ability. And that means, if Dropbox itself has a bug in it, it’s possible an attacker could take control of your computer by hijacking flaws in Dropbox’s code.
It’s possible an attacker could take control of your computer by hijacking flaws in Dropbox’s codeYeah. But look at your list of enabled items in Accessibility. How many do you have? That is true of all of them.I have Photoshop, Dash, Default folder, Dragon (speech), DragThing, iClipboard, Keyboard Maestro, KeyCue, LaunchBar, LittleSnitch, MousePose, OpenMenu, PopClip, SwitchResX, TextSoap, and TrackballWorks. (And don't say 'Dropbox is internet connected' - they all are, as they all use the internet for updates.)I'm not about to give up using all those items.
Yes, Accessibility is a possbile attack vector. Life is a tradeoff.Since I'm keeping all those, I don't mind having Dropbox in there as well. While Dropbox tactics are unacceptable, I haven't yet removed their app from my Mac/iOS/Windows devices.Moving to iCloud is not a solution. While Apple has taken a firm stand on information stored in your devices, they have publicly stated that anything stored on iCloud (and other online services) is fair game for government subpoenas etc.
As an example, they provided key information that allows law enforcement to identify the person behind the kickasstorrents website.What I would like is a software add-on that encrypts my entire Dropbox content and where I hold the encryption keys. It should work reliably and be somewhat transparent. Does such a thing exist? (2016-09-10 at 04:45)GeneL wrote: Just deleted all my Dropbox apps and closed the account. I never did like their pushy tactics.
The only reason I had it was because it was the only way one family of apps would sync favorites. Those apps have now dropped Dropbox and switched to iCloud. Maybe they knew something.Some time ago I downloaded the Dropbox iOS app but I haven't installed it. On the other hand, I've been using the desktop app for awhile. The only thing I use it for is to transfer images that are too large for email. As soon as I've uploaded the images, I terminate the app. I also have Little Snitch running, so that each time I start Dropbox I can see what it is trying to access—and I've seen an increase in the number of servers over time.Looking through /Library, I found the helper apps but have not yet deleted them.
That's next, and then I'll see what downsides there are. I don't see Dropbox in the System Preferences - Security & Privacy - Privacy - Accessibility tab, but that may be because I'm running OS X 10.8.5 (nor does it appear in the System Preferences - Accessibility panel.)I have not used iCloud because of Apple's previous track record in online services (dotMac, MobileMe, etc.) but maybe, just maybe, it might be time to give it another look as the least offensive of the cloud choices.
When I first installed DropBox, I remember being asked for access. They have a new article out on the subject atWhen I look in the privacy box on my iMac under the Security and Privacy tab under System Preferences (10.11.6), I see Little Snitch, Steam, Dupin, LaunchBar, DefaultFolder X, and System Preferences there also.You may not like this, but Dropbox asked for an admin password to install and used Apple API's to ask. Neither dirty nor a hack; nor unique. I get why LaunchBar and DefaultFolder would need this access. I'm not clear on Steam, Dupin or Little Snitch.
It appears the Admin permissions API on macOS does not allow a granular approach to privacy permissions, unlike Android or IOS. After some thought, I think I understand why Dropbox does what it does; it doesn't excuse this deceptive behavior, but it seems to do exactly what is intended.Let's say you belong to a business group that uses Dropbox to share files; this is one of the examples given at the referenced links.
You are removed from that group by the group 'owner', so Dropbox removes the Dropbox folder from your system. This is expected behavior and not to do so would be wrong. So Dropbox is deleting files and folders from your hard drive! What else does this without you actually doing this? Malware, of course.Is there any other way for Dropbox to delete files without resorting to such behavior? Consider an app that checks for updates; if there is one, it either advises one is available or, if configured appropriately, downloads it automatically.
After the download, the updater runs and asks for admin permission to do the install. This usually results in some file(s) being trashed. But it's okay, because you know what's going on. In the case of Dropbox, consider what you would do if presented with a dialog that asked whether it was okay to trash an entire folder of files (as you are no longer a member of the group that is supposed to have access to that folder). Would you approve it? That's a security hole from Dropbox's perspective; it left files and folders on your machine that you no longer are authorized to view or modify.So maybe Dropbox needs to modify either its documentation to clarify what it does and why (and I'm assuming no black hats at Dropbox), or its method for accomplishing what it is designed to do.
(2016-09-10 at 19:58)mikael340 wrote: OK. After years of ignoring Dropbox privacy/security issues as reported here and elsewhere this has finally pushed me to looking at iCloud for 1Password syncing.
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Can anyone here provide a step by step procedure for accomplishing this? What are the potential problems?
Is it as seamless as Dropbox? 1Password (the app) seems ready to do this with a preference change but the thought of losing 100+ passwords is a bit unnerving.Two Macs and three iDevices all running the latest OSes.1Password now has their own cloud for syncing, if you wish to eliminate Dropbox from the equation. (2016-09-10 at 14:14)tvalleau wrote: Yeah. But look at your list of enabled items in Accessibility. How many do you have? That is true of all of them.I'm not about to give up using all those items.
Yes, Accessibility is a possbile attack vector. Life is a tradeoff.Since I'm keeping all those, I don't mind having Dropbox in there as well.The problem isn't that it's in the Accessibility items; that's fine. The problem is that in order to put itself there, Dropbox performs a social engineering hack on us in order to inject its own software, which itself then re-adds itself to the Accessibility settings even after you try to remove it. They can't even try a defense such as 'it's the only way we can make the software work', because that isn't even remotely true.This is a big, big deal. This is a serious breach of trust.Dropbox is built into my daily workflow, so I can't just jump off, but I'm seriously looking into other options.
This really isn't acceptable behavior from a developer.(Say, hands up if you remember the Panic/Transmit brouhaha way back when.). (2016-09-11 at 01:28)KCJ Wilson wrote: I followed the instructions above to remove the Accessibility option for Dropbox.Dropbox apparently works fine without the ability to delete your files.It's my understanding, based on that the Accessibility access is used for 'the Dropbox badge'. Maybe that badge, which is related to working on MS Office documents, somehow indirectly requires a file deleting capability by Dropbox, but that's not evident to me thus far. Regardless, despite my best efforts after reading ', I don't see the Dropbox badge.More generally, after reading 'everything' on this brouhaha, I am not moved to immediately remove Dropbox from my Mac and iPhone.
Rather, I will wait to see whether any further response or changes are forthcoming from Dropbox in the reasonably near future.What I have done, though, is followed (Terminal sudo commands) to keep Dropbox out of my.Privacy/Accessibility list. After doing that I haven't seen anything unexpected or inconvenient - including any new inability for Dropbox to delete a file in my Mac's Dropbox folder after I delete it from the Dropbox web app. (Note with respect to Terminal commands: on my 10.10.5 system, the name of the folder cd'd to ends with 501 rather than 502.).
(2016-09-10 at 13:44)EdV wrote: Could someone in the MacInTouch community advise on how to send large graphic files to clients without using Dropbox? I depend on some type of app to do this and I do not particularly trust the 'cloud' either.If you use Apple Mail and have an IMAP account, you can send up to 5 GB, but it does go through the cloud. Just go to your account in Apple Mail preferences and select the Advanced tab. Check the box for 'Send large attachments with Mail Drop.'
If the recipient is using Apple Mail, the attachment will appear like any other attachment. If not, a link to download the attachment will be provided. (2016-09-12 at 03:15)Reader22 wrote: If you use Apple Mail and have an IMAP account, you can send up to 5 GB, but it does go through the cloud. Just go to your account in Apple Mail preferences and select the Advanced tab.
Check the box for 'Send large attachments with Mail Drop.' If the recipient is using Apple Mail, the attachment will appear like any other attachment.
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If not, a link to download the attachment will be provided.I don't use Apple Mail to send large files. I use a service called WeTransfer.
It lets me send files up to 2GB with a short message. And it's free. WeTransfer also offers pay service for larger files, but most of the ones I send fit well within their size restriction for the free service.
WeTransfer also offers the ability to send to multiple recipients. All in all, a great free service. If you routinely send larger files, you may want to investigate their charges for paid accounts.
(2016-09-12 at 03:15)Reader22 wrote: If you use Apple Mail and have an IMAP account, you can send up to 5 GB, but it does go through the cloud. Just go to your account in Apple Mail preferences and select the Advanced tab. Check the box for 'Send large attachments with Mail Drop.'
If the recipient is using Apple Mail, the attachment will appear like any other attachment. If not, a link to download the attachment will be provided.Thank you for your suggestion. Unfortunately I gave up on Apple Mail many, many moons ago. I am an avid Thunderbird user, and they certainly are nowhere near allowing anything in the 1 gig to 5 gig range (or less) of attachments. I could use my website, but I prefer not to jump through that particular hoop!Again, thank you for your suggestion. (2016-09-12 at 12:09)EdV wrote: I am an avid Thunderbird user, and they certainly are nowhere near allowing anything in the 1 gig to 5 gig range (or less) of attachments.I don't know if you've seen this Thunderbird help article, but it might be worth a look, if you haven't:'Also, Thunderbird Preferences Attachments includes a preference, 'Offer to share for files larger than ' and you can 'Add a file link storage service', and there's a link to sign up for a Box account (which is free at the most basic level).
(2016-09-10 at 19:58)mikael340 wrote: OK. After years of ignoring Dropbox privacy/security issues as reported here and elsewhere this has finally pushed me to looking at iCloud for 1Password syncing. Can anyone here provide a step by step procedure for accomplishing this? What are the potential problems? Is it as seamless as Dropbox? 1Password (the app) seems ready to do this with a preference change but the thought of losing 100+ passwords is a bit unnerving.Two Macs and three iDevices all running the latest OSes.1Password automatically keeps backups on your computer. You can see when it last backed up in 1Password Preferences Backup.
If there isn't a recent one, you can Backup Now just before you transition to iCloud. Also, I don't think it will delete the Dropbox keychain when you move to iCloud, it will just stop using/updating that keychain. (2016-09-09 at 13:13)Ric Ford wrote:In reading the article on the 'hack' to remove Dropbox from the Accessibility list, I navigated to System Preferences - Security & Privacy - Privacy, and noticed that Default Folder X was also checked. (Google Software Update was also in the list, but unchecked, as I had done my best to remove all Google code insertion from my system a while back.)If Default Folder also needs Accessibility for what Dropbox refers to 'finding windows & other UI interactions', I'm going to guess that I can live with that state of affairs until Apple provides further granularity. Nothing on any of my systems that is unencrypted contains information that couldn't survive unintended sharing. More specific access rights would be much better, though. And I can't live without Default Folder.
(2016-09-10 at 23:35)Robert Mohns wrote: The problem isn't that it's in the Accessibility items; that's fine. The problem is that in order to put itself there, Dropbox performs a social engineering hack on us in order to inject its own software, which itself then re-adds itself to the Accessibility settings even after you try to remove it. They can't even try a defense such as 'it's the only way we can make the software work', because that isn't even remotely true.This is a big, big deal. This is a serious breach of trust.I'd like to highlight Robert Mohns' accurate appraisal of why this is an issue.For those noting that there is lots of other stuff in the Accessibility pref pane, the issue isn't that it doesn't have a reason to be in that list.
It does, and that's fine.There is a mechanism built into the OS to handle that. My Logitech mouse driver, for example, triggers it, and the OS asks if I would like to grant it Accessibility privileges. There's also a pop-up message from Logitech explaining that some mouse features require that access to function. On using iCloud to sync 1Password across my Apple hardware: where does the 1Password keychain reside?With Dropbox, there is a folder in my user directory. If I have no internet connectivity on my Macs, the folder and the 1Password keychain are still there. So what happens with 1Password syncing via iCloud? Does the 1Password keychain file still exist on my Mac or only while I'm connected to Apple's service?
Sorry if the answer to the question is obvious. Apple doesn't make understanding their iCloud offerings easy (visit their website).As much as I'm annoyed by the Dropbox hacks, I'm equally untrusting of Apple's internet service commitment, having been burned by their abandonment of features/services and beta-quality offerings (iTunes Match) in the past.
I'm also not real keen on having one account (my Apple account and its password) used for an additional service: they already have me hooked into the App and iTunes stores.And in Dropbox's defense, I understand that making things easy for the end user may have led to some dubious actions. They haven't, in my eyes, become evil yet, unlike Google. I'm somewhat intrigued by all the people who need Dropbox. I didn't realise so many people had an ongoing requirement for sending large files to themselves or others.Certainly I understand the circumstances where a software company may only offer Dropbox as a syncing solution, but I'd be surprised if a well intentioned Apple developer wasn't offering iCloud as a syncing option, as well (or at least planning for it).I've never found the need for Dropbox.
On rare occasions we've had clients ask us to retrieve large files from Dropbox, and we just send them a link to our FTP web interface. The less we deal with third parties and the more we handle internally, the more secure I feel.
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