How to host the Dropbox app on a server

The Dropbox app isn't designed to run on Windows Server operating systems.

However, this configuration may work if you run the Dropbox app as an application in a user account, instead of as a server service. 

Important notes:

• You can run Dropbox on a computer that is also running a server OS.
• Dropbox runs within individual user accounts rather than as a single service that many people access. Dropbox user accounts must remain signed in on a machine for files to sync properly.
• We recommend that only one user account accesses a given Dropbox folder, and that this folder is located on the main drive of your computer or on a drive that is physically connected to the computer.
• Dropbox Support may not be able to assist with problems that occur when running the Dropbox app on a server OS.
  

Learn more about supported operating systems.

Can Dropbox be shared locally on our network from our server?

Some teams attempt to share a single Dropbox folder over local network sharing so that multiple people can access the same Dropbox account. We don't recommend sharing the Dropbox folder, or any folders inside the Dropbox folder, over your local network.

If you share a Dropbox folder over your network, issues can occur because network file systems do not send messages when files change. Dropbox waits for these ‘file update events’ to sync changes. If you attempt to share a single Dropbox folder over a server, the following issues can occur:

• Permission issues
• Files stuck in sync
• Extended sync times

How can I make sure that my files stay on my server for backup purposes?

Some teams want to keep a copy of their files on a local server, in addition to in Dropbox, for secondary backup and to access files offline.

By default, all of the files you put in Dropbox are synced online and remain on your local hard drive (unless you decide to use selective sync). This means that you can access your files from your local drive even if you're offline. Once uploaded to Dropbox, your files and any subsequent edits to your files are backed up as long as the application is running. The time frame for recovering edits and deleted files depends on the account type. For more information please visit this article.

Note: For information about migrating data from a server, including setting up the folder structure and options for space management, visit this article.