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Kismuntr's avatar
Kismuntr
Explorer | Level 4
2 months ago

Dropbox syncing files already deleted from laptop and Dropbox

Device / System
Acer Laptop / Windows 10 / latest app and browser

Question or Issue
Hello! I have deleted a folder containing a big amount of references (I am an artist) which has collected around 100.000 files until now. I ported them over to an external harddrive and deleted the local folder. Once the syncing was done I notice, after a restart, that Dropbox tried to sync those files again. I checked in the browser and the folder was still there while on my laptop it was not. So I deleted it there too.
Now the dropbox app is trying to sync those files again, stating "96.600 files are being downloaded", which blocks any other form of synchronization for the files that would truly need it.

Delete
desktop
sync

24 Replies

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  • Kismuntr's avatar
    Kismuntr
    Explorer | Level 4
    2 months ago

    Hello and thank you Walter​ 

    I have done the following:

    1. I started the app and was prompted to sign in, which I did

    2. It states I have to many files so I should choose which folders to select. I do so by choosing one of my smallest filesize folders to test it out and confirm my choice.

    3. I get the "We are happy you are back" with "Setup finished" and "Advanced Settings".

    4. I get an error message asking if I want to "Merge" the new dropbox instance with my old one. I confirm and click "Merge". Then the next error appears asking if I want to "rename". I confirm again. The final error message appears where the process is then stuck, saying "Couldn't rename or make room for your Dropbox folder".

  • Walter's avatar
    Walter
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    2 months ago

    Did you try selecting the 'Advanced settings' instead Kismuntr?

    If you did and still have issues with this, let us know and we'll take it from there. 

  • Kismuntr's avatar
    Kismuntr
    Explorer | Level 4
    2 months ago

    Thank you Walter​ 
    Yes, I did try selecting the "Advanced settings". This is where I checked that I selected the parent folder. The screenshots are from this process.

  • Walter's avatar
    Walter
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    2 months ago

    I see, thanks for clarifying that for me Kismuntr - I've just sent you an email to investigate further, so please take a look at your inbox and we'll take it from there. 

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