Documents, Downloads, and Desktop folders are gone on my MB Pro. Dropbox has folders but no files

Hi Lori!

First off, thank you so much for helping out! None of the files were in the Deleted files page, and I found a zip file of my downloads folder in the trash, ...moved it to my desktop, but opening it revealed it to be a copy of what I found on my computer this morning...all the folders, but all of them are empty. I put some screenshots here with different folders selected as examples..no files in any of them..in fact aside from a couple screenshots I took earlier today. This is how all the folders in my Documents and Desktop tabs look as well..empty!

Update: I found a handful of folders in my Desktop folder that still have files! It's very strange tho..it's as if everything that hadn't synced with Dropbox yet by the time I messed with it got deleted, but whatever small amount of files HAD synced got saved...

Hi again!

I initially searched through Finder and came up with nothing, just the My Mac folder that has all the missing files.., BUT I decided just to look in the Trash and lo and behold, a hidden My Mac with a different icon appeared..I attached a screenshot of after I dragged it back to my desktop. I opened it up and everything is there! All the files, everything! So many thanks for helping me find this. This is a great weight off my shoulders going forward.

I do have one final question! Now that I've found this folder, where is it's proper home space on my computer? Does it go somewhere in Macintosh HD? Someplace else? Basically how do I overwrite/consolidate the folders with missing data currently in my Finder with these new/old folders that have everything? 

Thank you so, so much again! I cannot stress enough how much this brings me relief!

Hey tgelhaus, wishing you a great Monday so far!

Happy to see that your issue is resolved, and that you located your content!

You can drag-and-drop those files or folders back to their original paths at any time.You would need to update the new content manually, and that would do the trick. 

Give me a nudge if you have any other questions, I'd be happy replying them! 

 

I have exactly the same problem after using dropbox today.  My desktop folder and download folder are gone and I see them on dropbox.com but not in finder anymore.  This is quite annoying.

Any suggestion please let me know.  Thank you

unfortunately I have emptied my trash and I do see the maps desktop and download on dropbox.com but have no idea how to put them back as I need them on my Macbook Pro...

Hi,

After using Dropbox yesterday my desktop folder and download folder disappeared from finder on my Macbook Pro.  When I start using Dropbox it started to sync and I stopped it, emptied my trash and deleted the files in the sync folder.  After this my desktop and download folder where gone in Finder.  I searched in hidden files but no desktop of download folders anymore.  When going to dropbox.com I see the folders there and have no idea how to get them back to my HD on my Mac.  Please let me know how to get the folders back on my Mac.  Thank you

Hey Tornaduc, thank you for posting here! 

As a first step, can you clarify if you've disabled the feature following the steps shown here? 

Let me know, and we'll take it from there!