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Search not working
Dropbox search can’t find anything. The files, however, are there. How can I make Dropbox find them or reindex them???
- Solved. Miraculously the search tool is finding files again after going on an unexplained weeks-long holiday.
If anyone else experiences this problem, try waiting it out. 🤷♂️
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I put a large photo collection in Dropbox to save space on my laptop. I access Dropbox exclusively through my web browser, not the app. Recently I reorganized some photos into new folders, and now they cannot be found using search. The files are there when I go into the folder, but it's like they are invisible to the Dropbox search tool. I thought it just might take some time for the folders to re-index, but its been several days and they still don't come up in search results. What's weird is that new photos that I upload to the folder are searchable, but the ones that I moved into the folder are not. I'm very frustrated and wondering if I have to download all the photos from these folders and re-upload them just to make them searchable, which would be a pain. I'm also frustrated as it seems that I should never reorganize anything or I will never be able to find it again using search. To be honest, I'm wondering if Dropbox was the right solution for my cloud storage needs and maybe I should have used a different platform.
SarahT123It's interesting to see your reply come in today because I posted this ages ago but yesterday was so frustrated again not to be able to find anything when using my computer finder. I'd think they'd be able to fix it by now. Dropbox is much superior by way of ease and organization but if you have to search out a file it's awful. I think you make an interesting point about moving the files. That definitely could be part of it. C'mon dbox_! Help us out and fix this.
Can someone from Dropbox help me?
Search problem is nowhere near resolved for me. In fact, now that I'm focusing on it, it just seems to be getting worse and worse.
Can somebody from Dropbox resolve my search issue like it supposedly resolved it for others in this chain?
- Why does the move function detect a file that a simple search does not?I searched for a photo to see what folder(s) it was in. The results indicated that the photo was not in folder A, so I decided to move the same photo from another folder to Folder A. I got a message that photo "already exists" in Folder A, even though the search results did not show the photo was in Folder A. The "already exists" message absolutley proves that the photo was in the folder I was searching for all along.So annoying and such a waste of time.........searching for a photo to see if it's in folder A, getting search results that say it is not in Folder A, deciding to move that photo (with same file name) from another folder to Folder A, only to find out the photo was there all along.Can someone at Dropbox help me (and all the other folks that have the probems)?
- Yes, please. 🙋♀️ It needs fixing. There’s two reasons why some companies are choosing to use other cloud based apps. Price and this search bug crap. Yet, I know this has the potential of beating everything out there because for me it’s next level in ease with the app and folder organizing. But you remove that bonus when you can’t search your files. Dropbox needs to be searchable within dbox_ itself and from your finder. It used to be.
Thank you for letting me know that this seems to be a widespread issue in the community. Is there a way to get any support from Dropbox?
I welcome any and all new ideas on how to get Dropbox's attention to the search issues.
I'm still don't know whether the search function changes are Dropbox problems, or a Dropbox deliberate change in their format/protocols.
Given the deafening lack of response, I'm thinking maybe the latter.
Either way, it would nice if Dropbox would say something, anything to its paying customers.
- Megan
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hi amcoffice, thanks for posting here!
Interesting finds, and behavior! Which version of the Dropbox app do you use on your desktop?
Also, if you have any screenshots, feel free to send them over so I can also have visual too! Have you contacted our Support about this, by any chance? If so, do you happen to have a ticket number, so I can locate it on my system?
Thanks a bunch!
P.S. Dropbox desktop app No. 159.4.5870
- After reading posts on Dropbox Community and searching the internet, Dropbox is well aware of the search-related issues. If a post about the search-move-indexing problems gets any response from Dropbox, it is the we-need-more-information routine. Dropbox's failure to respond or correct these issues is not due to a lack of customer information. The search/move/indexing problem is not an issue isolated to one customer but a chronic system-wide issue apparently not user-oriented.Dropbox desktop version 159.4.5870Many of my screenshots documenting the search and move issues can already be found under Ticket Nos. 19064142, 19082558, and 19046051. If you need more, I'll send them - begrudgingly, but I'll send them so alack of response cannot be used to sidestep Dropbox's problems.Thank you.
