Dropbox: Transfer File/Folder Ownership From External Account to U-M Account

Environment

U-M Dropbox, external (non-UM) accounts

Issue

I want to transfer ownership of university data stored in my external (non-UM) Dropbox account to my U-M Dropbox account. How do I do this and retain sharing?

An external Dropbox account is one that uses:

• An external domain (e.g., gmail.com)
• A U-M subdomain email address (e.g., med.umich.edu)
• An MCommunity group (or Google Shared Account) email address

Note: These steps can be reversed for moving non-university data out of U-M Dropbox and into an external Dropbox account.

Resolution

Overview

• You cannot merge an external (non-UM) Dropbox account into a U-M Dropbox account unless the external account has an @umich.edu email address used by an active affiliate eligible for U-M Dropbox.
• If you download external Dropbox data to your desktop and then upload it to your U-M Dropbox account, collaborations/shares do not persist. It can also require significant time and effort, depending on the volume of data.
• To address this, ownership of the data needs to be shifted using the external account.
• When transferring data from an external Dropbox account, the folder must be accepted by the U-M Dropbox account. More details are provided in Step 2 below.
• Single files may not be transferable. You may need to create a folder in the external account, move the data there, then transfer it to U-M Dropbox.

The steps are as follows:

• Step 1: Share the data in your external account with your U-M account
• Step 2: Accept the shared folder into your U-M account
• Step 3: Transfer ownership from your external account to your U-M account
• Step 4: Remove access from your external account

Step 1: Share data from your external account with your U-M account

1. Visit https://dropbox.com and log in to your external Dropbox account. (E.g., example@gmail.com, example@med.umich.edu, example-group@umich.edu, etc.).
2. Select a folder you own in your external account, and share it with your U-M Dropbox account. (E.g., uniqname@umich.edu).
   1. Navigate to All files and select the appropriate folder.
   2. Click the Share button to the right of the folder and click Add people.
   3. Enter the full email address for your U-M Dropbox account in the field provided.
      • Ensure you give the account can edit​​​​​​​ access to the folder.
   4. Click Share.

Step 2: Accept the shared folder into your U-M account

1. Open a separate web browser (or incognito/private window) and log in to your U-M Dropbox account at dropbox.umich.edu.
2. You will need to accept the shared folder using one of the following methods
3. Within your U-M Dropbox account, you will need to accept the share using one of the following methods:
   • Click the Activity tab in the left-hand panel, then click Join folder.
   • Check your U-M Gmail for an email from Dropbox (no-reply@dropbox.com) and click Add to Dropbox in the email.
     • Subject line will similar to "[External account] shared "[External Folder]" with you."

Step 3: Transfer ownership from your external account to your U-M account​​​​​​​

1. Go back to the window where you're signed into your external account.
2. Open the shared folder.
3. Click the group of profile pictures in the top right corner beside the "Share folder" button.
4. Find your U-M Dropbox account from the People list. Click the drop-down menu beside your U-M account and select Make owner.
5. Click Make owner in the pop-up to confirm. Your U-M Dropbox account is now the owner.

Step 4: Remove access from your external account

1. Click the group of profile pictures again from within the folder in your external account.
2. Find your external account from the People list. Click the drop-down menu beside it and select Remove my access.
3. Click Remove my access in the pop-up to confirm. Your external account no longer has access to the shared folder.
   • You shouldn't check the Keep a copy of this folder box in the pop-up if the folder contains university data.
   • Dropbox will pop a notification along the bottom of your screen stating the folder has been deleted (from your external account) and your access has been removed.

Additional Information

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.