Trying my best to recover files, outside of my recovery window.

Hi cabbie37, let's jump right into this! 

Based on what you described, the chances are that the Dropbox app hasn't been updated correctly there, hence the files aren't opening. 

Are the files synced online-only, by any chance? Because if that's the case, then the actual data of the files would need to download from the website, which wouldn't be possible without an internet connection, which would inevitably sync the changes. 

In any case, I'd suggest you contact our Support team about this. Just to see if there's anything they can do, and get their opinion on things. 

I hope this clarifies! 

Thanks Megan. 

Just to be clear, you are suggesting that the version of Dropbox on the Laptop is out of date or incompatible somehow? The last time this machine was switched on (and a file written to this folder) was 23/01/2023 - the files were deleted 8/8/2023. The last file written, I can see ok, it's just that many (probably most) of the other files I can't get to.. It is odd because I can see all the file types and sizes of each image as you would expect in Explorer..

I'm not sure what you mean by synced online-only. I have it in my head that all files physically exist both remotely on Dropbox servers and physically on my device. Have I got that wrong? 

I will contact support as you suggest

Thanks for the help...

Hi cabbie37, I mean that the app on the device, should have synced the deletions there. 

If you're able to see the deleted files inside your Dropbox folder, that'd be unexpected, and it would most likely suggest that the app isn't syncing properly. 

Unless you're not looking inside your Dropbox folder, but some of the files locally on the device, outside of the folder. 

As for online-only, if the files were synced that way then the only thing synced on the device would be the placeholder of these files. 

Hi cabbie37 

Just clutching at straws here.... 30 days is for free users its longer for paid. If you are a paid user you can still recover as long as you were paid at the time of deletion. However, what I'd say is if you cannot recover via the website then you wont be able to recover. Dropbox support have no other access available. 

And as has been said those placeholders would just 'vanish' once connected to the internet because the files don't actually exist on Dropbox anymore. 

I am a paid User - I think I have a Dropbox Plus subscription but was under the impression that that also limited file recovery to 30 days? (Have I got that wrong as well?)

The whole point of this (and perhaps I didn;t make it clear) is that the laptop I am now looking at has not been used since January of this year (I have checked in the System log) well before the deleteion that happened in August (I can see that from the event log) When I fired it up yesterday, I was away from it's 'home' network and therefore it did not connect to the internet and hence, would not have synced to Dropbox and would not have reflected the file deletions. My suprise is that having done that, the files don't seem to exist on the laptop 'physically' even though looking at Explorer (or whatever you want to call it) I can see the file names, extensions and sizes though when I click on them, they attempt to downlaod from Dropbox (though fail of course, as I am not connected to the Internet..)

Hey cabbie37, sorry to jump in here.

Even if the files appear in the Dropbox folder of the computer that is not syncing, they can't be downloaded and synced for you to access them, if the actual files online have been deleted.

However, since you're on a paid subscription, like Megan suggested, please reach out to our support team, to see if there's something that can be done.

Oh, so happy to hear that, cabbie37!

If you need anything else, please let us know.

Have a wonderful weekend!