If you’re a Dropbox user, you may have noticed that your photos are not imported into the app anymore. This is because Dropbox is using Windows 10’s Photo Importer instead of the more recent and reliable Windows 11 photo importer. To disable photo imports on Dropbox in Windows 10 and 11, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Start menu and type “cmd” (without the quotes) to open the command prompt.
  2. Type “netstat -an” to see how many connections are active on your computer. If there are no active connections, then your computer is not connected to the internet and you can’t disable photo imports on Dropbox.
  3. If there are active connections, then type “netstat -an | grep importer” to see which of Dropbox’s photo importers is using. The most recent version of this tool is located at “C:\Program Files (x86)\Dropbox\Dropbox Photo Importer”. If you don’t have this folder present on your computer, then you can create it by typing “mkdir C:\Program Files (x86)\Dropbox\Dropbox Photo Importer” into the command prompt and pressing enter.
  4. To disablePhoto Imports on Dropbox in Windows 10 and 11: 1) Open the Start menu and type “cmd” (without the quotes) to open the command prompt; 2) Type “netstat -an” to see how many connections are active on your computer; 3) If there are no active connections, then your computer is not connected to the internet; 4) Type “netstat -an | grep importer” to see which of Dropbox’s photo importers is using; 5) The most recent version of this tool can be found at C:\Program Files (x86)\Dropbox\ DropBox Photo Importer; 6) If you don’t have this folder present on your computer, then you can create it

After installing Dropbox on your Windows PC and inserting a memory card or USB stick, Windows might ask you if you want to import photos and videos to Dropbox. If this gets on your nerves, you can disable it in Settings. Here’s how.

The Windows 10 and Windows 11 feature that allows Dropbox to bother you when you insert a storage device is called AutoPlay. To keep Dropbox from using AutoPlay, we need to configure AutoPlay in Windows Settings.

To get started, press Windows+i to open the Settings app. Or you can right-click the Start menu and select “Settings” from the list.

In Windows 10 Settings, click “Devices,” then select “AutoPlay.” In Windows 11 Settings, click Bluetooth & Devices in the sidebar, then select “AutoPlay.”

In AutoPlay settings, locate the “Choose AutoPlay Defaults” section. Under “Removable Drive,” click the drop-down menu and select any option other than “Import Photos and Videos (Dropbox).”

Do the same for the “Memory Card” drop-down menu. Click the menu and select any option other than “Import Photos and Videos (Dropbox).” For example, you could select “Ask Me Every Time” or “Take No Action.”

Optionally, you can disable AutoPlay completely on this page by flipping the switch beside “Use AutoPlay for all media and devices” to “Off.” But you don’t need to do this unless you never want Windows to ask you what to do with inserted memory cards and storage devices.

When you’re ready, close Settings. The next time you insert a memory card or USB drive, Dropbox won’t bother you about importing photos and videos anymore. Good luck!

RELATED: How to Configure or Disable AutoPlay on Windows 11