Categories: TutorialsWindows

How to open Dropbox folders from Windows 10 Explorer

If we have decided to install the Dropbox application on our Windows 10 computer, it will be through it where we can see all our saved files and folders. Its interface is simple to handle and visually attractive, so we should not have any problem in this regard. However, we also have the possibility to view all our content stored in Dropbox using Windows File Explorer, following one of the simple steps that we will see below.

What is the Dropbox desktop app

Dropbox has a desktop application for Windows 10 from which we can access all our files and folders that we have stored in our account. We can download this application for free from your Web page. In this way we can see all the content of our account from our computer

Once we have the Dropbox application installed, three things are added to our computer:

  • Direct access to Dropbox from the taskbar
  • The Dropbox folder in File Explorer
  • The Dropbox desktop app

As soon as we have the Dropbox desktop application installed, we will see a Dropbox folder with its logo and we can access it through a direct access, from the system bar or the file explorer.

Go directly to the default location of the Dropbox folder

By default we can find the Dropbox folder directly in the user folder of our hard drive. If we want to access its default location of the Dropbox folder, just open Windows File Explorer and type in the address bar:

%HOMEPATH%/Dropbox 

Create a shortcut to the Dropbox folder

If we want to quickly access the Dropbox folder that we have on our computer, we can also choose to create a shortcut. To do this, it will only be necessary to access the location of our Dropbox folder and click on it with the right button. The Windows context menu will appear where we must select the option “Create shortcut”. This access will appear with the alias attached to the name of the file and we can move it to the location where we want to save it.

View all Dropbox content from File Explorer

If we want to see the files and folders stored in Dropbox, the first thing to do is open the application. To do this, we can click on the program icon that we find in the system tray or by writing its name in the search engine located next to the Start menu. Once the application is open, we look at the bottom left and click on Personal. This will open a small drop-down menu where we must choose the “Preferences” option.

This will take us to a new window, where we must go to the General tab. At the bottom we find the “Open folder in” section. Click on it and a menu will be displayed, where we must choose the option of File Browser. Finally, click on “Accept” to apply the changes. From this moment, we can open any file that we have stored in Dropbox and we will be directed to the File Explorer.

We must bear in mind that if we run the application from the search engine, the application itself will no longer be opened, but the File Explorer with all the content will be opened directly. Therefore, if we want to revert the changes, it will be necessary to access the Preferences section of our account again, from the icon found in the system tray.

Problems viewing folders from the browser

At the moment that we begin to view all our content hosted on Dropbox using Windows Explorer, it may happen that there are folders that we cannot see correctly, but, instead, if we can view them from the Dropbox website. In order to solve it, we can do it through the Selective Synchronization option or by updating the application to its latest version.

Selective Dropbox sync

Every time we upload a file to the Dropbox application on our PC, these files are saved automatically, both in our online account and on our computer’s hard drive. If we use selective synchronization, we can select which folders are deleted from the hard drive and kept exclusively online.

That is why if we do not see a folder when we open Dropbox through File Explorer, it may be because we have established it that way. To verify this, we will only have to enter the Dropbox application from its icon in the system bar and access our Preferences. In the next window we must click on the “Synchronize” icon. Next, click on the “Selective synchronization” option.

From here, we can uncheck all those folders that we do not want to be seen from the File Explorer. That is why we must review it and see if we have unchecked the box of the folder that we cannot see on our computer. If so, we will only have to mark it again to make it operational again.

Update the application to the latest version

In the event that Selective Synchronization does not help us to solve the problem, we can choose to update Dropbox to the latest version available, which should be able to help us solve the problem. For this, it is not necessary to uninstall the application, as it is enough to have the latest version available downloaded and run it. The installation wizard will take care of making all the necessary changes and modifications in case we do not have the latest version installed. Once finished, we will go to the Dropbox folder and check if it already appears again.

Me Time Tech

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