How Do I Stop Dropbox from Taking up C Drive Space?

Are you using Dropbox and found that Dropbox is taking up too much hard drive space? If you search on Google, you will discover that many people have the same problem as you. Does Dropbox take up space on my computer? Why are Dropbox files taking up space on my hard drive? How to free up Dropbox space on computer?

Follow the guide below to get the most effective fixes for the Dropbox taking up space on C drive issue to free up space on your disk.

Why Is Dropbox Taking up Space on My Hard Drive?

Dropbox is a cloud storage service that allows you to store all your content in the cloud and access files from multiple devices. Of course, the desktop-synced files are possibly running out of space on C drive.

If all Dropbox files are downloaded locally unknowingly, they will certainly take up a lot of hard disk space. If you are experiencing Dropbox taking up all hard drive space, follow along to figure out how to stop Dropbox from taking up space on hard drive.

How to Fix Dropbox Taking up Space on C drive in 4 Methods

If you are facing the Dropbox taking up space on computer C drive or other hard drives issue, don’t worry! Pick up one of the presented solutions below, you are able to effectively make room on C drive and speed up your computer without deleting any files.

Way 1. Free up C Drive Space using Selective Sync

By default, Dropbox will sync all files and folders in the cloud to the computer. But the Dropbox selective sync feature makes it possible to remove specific folders from the local disk, but remain on the cloud.

Now, follow the given steps to let Dropbox free up space on hard drive, like C drive, using selective sync:

Step 1. Run the Dropbox app. Click on the avatar and select Preferences.

Step 2. Go to the Sync tab, and tap on the Select folders under Selective Sync (Windows) or Select folders to sync to this Mac (Mac).

Step 3. Select folders to sync to your computer and click Update. Then, these unselected folders will be saved on dropbox.com only to help you resolve Dropbox taking up space on Mac and Windows hard drives.

Way 2. Free up Hard Drive Space by Keeping Dropbox Files Online Only

Making Dropbox files online-only can also help you solve the Dropbox taking up space on C drive issue. It differs from the previous method in that you can access online-only files and folders from your computer, but they are stored online.

Steps to solve “Dropbox takes up space on hard drive” by setting Dropbox files online-only:

Step 1. Open the Dropbox folder on File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).

Step 2. Right-click the folder or file that you wish to set to online-only.

Step 3. Hover your mouse over Smart Sync, and choose Online-only.

Notes:✎...

If files on Dropbox online only are still taking up space, you can reboot the Dropbox application to reset Dropbox sync.

Way 3. Remove Dropbox from C Drive to Free up Space

If there is a lot of space on another hard drive on your computer, except C drive, you could transfer Dropbox to another disk to make room on the C drive. Here is how do I remove Dropbox from my C drive path:

Step 1. Open your Dropbox desktop app preferences.

Step 2. Hit the Move button under the Sync tab, then choose a new location for your Dropbox folder and cloud contents.

Step 3. Sign out and back into the Dropbox desktop app to check if all your data are moved correctly.

Way 4. Upload Files to Dropbox without Syncing Locally with Third-party Tool

How to use Dropbox without taking up hard drive space? CBackup is an ideal tool. This is a light and free cloud backup service that can help you sync files to Dropbox without syncing locally. It does not require you to manually remove Dropbox synced files from computer, and more importantly, you can delete files uploaded to Dropbox directly to free up local space and keep them on the cloud only.

In addition to Dropbox, it also allows you to upload files to OneDrive without syncing locally, as well as Google Drive. And this backup freeware offers different schedule sync modes, so you can perform Dropbox schedule sync daily, weekly, and monthly for your needs.

Install it on your computer and learn to how to use CBackup to upload files to Dropbox and fix Dropbox taking up space on PC hard drives.

Step 1. Apply for an account for CBackup for free and sign in to its desktop app.

Step 2. Click Storage, select Dropbox, and tap Authorize Now to connect your Dropbox account to CBackup.

Step 3. Click Sync and choose Sync PC to Public Cloud.

Step 4. Select files and folders to upload and select a Dropbox folder as the sync destination. Finally, hit the Start Sync button to upload files to Dropbox and save disk space with ease.

Easiest Way to Backup Files without Dropbox

If your Dropbox storage is going to run out and you are seeking a new cloud backup tool, you might try to backup files to CBackup Cloud. It offers you 10GB of free space for a lifetime and gives 1TB and 5TB storage plans for your subscription.

Step 1. Select Backup on the CBackup main page and choose Backup PC to CBackup Cloud.

Step 2. Pick local directories you want to back up and click Start Backup to store files online securely.

Conclusion

On this page, we explained why Dropbox takes up space on computer hard drive and offered 4 effective solutions to fix the Dropbox taking up space on C drive issue. Among them, using CBackup to upload files to Dropbox without syncing locally is the best option. It's easy and free.