Occasionally, you may see a hidden file in the Dropbox folder on your computer, or a second version of the main Dropbox folder itself. This will happen in two situations:
- The Dropbox folder was renamed on your computer (possibly after joining a Dropbox Business team, and then linking a work and personal account)
- You enabled hidden files and folders in your operating system
Note: For some Windows users, the .dropbox folder may show at the root Dropbox folder level on Windows and should not be deleted.
The Dropbox folder was renamed on my computer
If the Dropbox folder on your computer was renamed, the Dropbox app will create a hidden folder with the old folder name ("Dropbox"). This is called a “symlink.” A symlink is a file that directs to another file on your computer.
If your computer is set to show hidden files and folders, this symlink may look like a secondary Dropbox folder on your computer. However, it isn't. Instead, this hidden folder points to the new Dropbox folder from the old location path. To avoid seeing hidden files, you’ll need to change your device settings.
How to change computer settings for hidden files
On Windows
Check to see if your Windows computer is set to show hidden files.
Mac
To avoid seeing hidden files:
- Open the Terminal app:
- Click Applications, Utilities, and then Terminal
- Copy and paste the following line into the Terminal app, and then press Enter: