Dropbox File Structure Upgrade Pre-Transition Checklist
This article covers the steps for CSUF faculty, staff, and students to take after the Dropbox File Structure upgrade from Friday, September 20, 2024 at 5 pm through Monday, September 23, 2024 at 5 am.
Overview - What is happening?
Your campus Dropbox account folder will have a new look. Dropbox will be making several changes including how files are structured. Dropbox access will be intermittent during the upgrade.
This upgrade will be happening between Friday, September 20, 2024 at 5 PM - Monday, September 23, 2024 at 5 AM.
Post-Upgrade File Structure Changes:
All CSUF Dropbox users will have a member folder and team folder(s) in their upgraded Dropbox.
Member Folder - A new folder denoted with your name. The files and folders you own or are shared with you will be stored in this folder.
Team Folder - A Team folder is a specially created department shared folder to centrally store files. These are not stored within the member folder.
Next Step - How to prepare for the upgrade?
- Review the below pre-transition checklist and identify steps that are applicable to you.
- Schedule time to complete the required pre-transition steps before the upgrade to ensure a smooth transition.
- Depending on the numbers and sizes of your files/folders, some pre-transition steps may take time to complete.
- Dropbox will send out an email to all CSUF Dropbox users when the upgrade is complete, and you can proceed with the Post-Transition Checklist.
All Users
- Dropbox Desktop Users: You access Dropbox content in your computer folders/files (Not through a web browser).
- Dropbox Web Users: You access Dropbox content via www.dropbox.com in your web browser.
- Dropbox Mobile Users: You access Dropbox content on your mobile devices via the Dropbox mobile app.
Avoid making changes to shared files/folders that you copied or downloaded during the upgrade. Conflicted copies may be created on Dropbox if multiple users make changes to the same files/folders.
More information on Dropbox Conflicted Copy.
1.1.1. Select the files/folders that you want to copy, right click on them and select Copy.
- Locate and select the files or folders you want to copy.
- Right click and select Copy.
1.1.2. Go to the folder where you want to save the files/folders and paste the copied files/folders there.
Refer to the Accessing Your CSUF Dropbox Account Guide for instructions on logging into Dropbox Web.
1.2.1. Open Dropbox on the web and select the files/folders you want to download.
1.2.2. Click the Download button. The download will automatically start and the files/folders will be saved in your default download folder.
Opening Dropbox files or folders during the upgrade may disrupt the process, potentially resulting in lost or corrupted files.
Desktop App Users
- Type "Dropbox" in the Search bar.
- Click Open to open the Dropbox Desktop app. You may not see an open window, but the app will run in the background to auto-update.
Refer to the How to update to the latest version of Dropbox on your computer guide for additional information.
This will allow your Dropbox files and folders to start syncing when the upgrade completes and will help to reduce wait time the next time you access Dropbox on your laptop/computer.
3.1.1. Locate your Dropbox Backup folder on your laptop/desktop and copy the folder
3.1.2. Put the copied content in an external hard drive or another file storage service (Example: OneDrive)
Example 1: Dropbox Backup folder copied to an external hard drive
Example 2: Dropbox Backup folder copied to another file storage service (OneDrive)
3.2.1. Click on the Dropbox desktop app in your task bar and select the account icon.
- Click on the Dropbox desktop app in your task bar.
- Then select the account icon.
3.2.2. Select Preferences.
3.2.3. Select Backups.
3.2.4. Select Manage backups.
3.2.5. Select Delete backup.
3.2.6. Click Delete backup.
3.2.7. You will see a confirmation message when the Dropbox backup is disabled.
Refer to the resources below for additional information:
Windows PC
Mac
Selective Sync is a feature in the Dropbox desktop app that allows you to remove specific Dropbox folders from your hard drive. The folders you choose to remove from your hard drive remain stored in your account on dropbox.com.
You can change which folders you would like to have synced onto your computer/laptop at any time.
Refer to the Dropbox selective sync overview for instructions on how to enable Selective Sync.
5.2.1. Click on the Dropbox desktop app in your task bar and select the account icon.
- Click on the Dropbox desktop app in your task bar.
- Then select the account icon.
5.2.2. Select Preferences.
5.2.3. Select Sync in the left menu.
5.2.4. Click Select Folders
5.2.5. Click folder where the content you want to sync is located. Place a checkmark next to each sub folder you want to sync to your computer/laptop. Then click Update.
- Click the folder that you want to see on your computer/laptop.
- Click the caret icon next to a sub folder to view the content of the subfolder.
- Place a checkmark next to each sub folder you want to sync to your computer/laptop.
- Then click Update.
5.2.6. Click Confirm.
5.2.7. You will see a success notification and your selective sync settings will be applied.
Refer to the Dropbox How to make files and folders online-only guide for additional information. If you have a lot on your computer, it may take some time for this process to run.
6.1. Click on the Dropbox desktop app in your task bar and select the account icon.
- Click on the Dropbox desktop app in your task bar.
- Then select the account icon.
6.2. Select Manage hard drive space in the menu.
6.3. Select the files/folders that you'd like to move online-only, and click Move to online-only button.
- Select the files/folders that you would like to make online-only.
- Click the Move to online-only button.
6.4. You will see a success notification confirming that the online move is complete.
Dropbox Web Users
Refer to the Dropbox guides below for additional information:
- Pin a file or folder so everyone with access to the shared folder or Team Folder can easily find it on the Dropbox web app.
- Star a file or folder so you can easily find it on the Dropbox web or mobile apps.
Dropbox Mobile App Users
Check your App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) for the latest version of Dropbox and update the Dropbox mobile app accordingly.
Refer to the Dropbox guides below for additional information:
- Pin a file or folder so everyone with access to the shared folder or Team Folder can easily find it on the Dropbox web app.
- Star a file or folder so you can easily find it on the Dropbox web or mobile apps.
Team Folders
Dropbox Team folders vs. Shared folders.
- A Shared folder can be created by any Dropbox users, has an individual owner and is shared with other individuals or groups. All content in the shared folder is tied to the owner of the shared folder.
- A Team folder can only be created by CSUF IT Dropbox admins. Team Folders allow departments (or colleges or divisions) to share content, even as employees join or leave. The content in a Team Folder is not tied to a specific person's Dropbox account.
Desktop Dropbox Team and Shared Folders Icons:
- Desktop Team folder has an icon with two buildings.
- Desktop Shared folder has an icon with 3 people.
Web Dropbox Team and Shared Folders:
C. Web Team folder has an icon with two buildings.
D. Web Shared folder has an icon with 2 people.
Change any Team Folder names containing information that should not be visible to other users. If you shared subfolder(s) in a Team Folder with CSUF users outside of your department, the Team Folder and full folder path will be visible to these users. While they can still only access what is shared with them, they will now see the full path to the subfolder after the upgrade.
Example: A CSUF user with access to the "Non identifiable info" subfolder in a Team Folder.
Table with example Team Folder file path
| Current subfolder that the CSUF user sees | Folder path that will be visible to the CSUF user after the upgrade | Recommended folder path |
|---|---|---|
| Non identifiable info | Psych 101 > Study 1 > Participants > John Doe > Non identifiable info | Psych 101 > Study 1 > Participants > Participant 1 > Non identifiable info |
This change only applies to Team Folders shared with CSUF users; if you share Team Folder content with non-CSUF users, they will not be impacted.
After the upgrade, the CSUF user(s) outside of your department who have access to the subfolder(s) in a Team Folder will see top-level Team Folders only. The user(s) may not know where the subfolders are located within the specific Team Folder if you do not notify them about the file path in advance.
Pre-Upgrade
Before the upgrade, the subfolder Project 1 shared with a CSUF user (outside of the department) is in this user's All files section.
Post-Upgrade
The CSUF user now only see top-level Team Folders and may have to go through each Team Folder to locate the subfolder Project 1 that was shared with them.
After going through the Team Folders, the Project 1 subfolder has been found in the Projects subfolder under the College of Business and Economics Team Folder.
The path to the Project 1 subfolder is:
- College of Business and Economics > Projects > Project 1
This change only applies to Team Folders shared with CSUF users; if you share Team Folder content with non-CSUF users, they will not be impacted.
Need More Help?
Faculty & Staff:
Contact the IT Help Desk at [email protected] or 657-278-7777.
Additional training materials are available at the CSUF Dropbox for Business webpage.
Students:
Contact the Student IT Help Desk at [email protected] or 657-278-8888.
Additional training materials are available at the CSUF Student Dropbox for Business webpage.
You are done. Great job!