Every time I move a file btween shared folders it'll recreate the file of 0 bytes in original folder

Hey dropmeinbox - thanks bringing this to our attention.

Just to clarify, are you using a web browser to move the files or are you doing this locally within your Dropbox folder and waiting for the Dropbox desktop app to sync your changes?

Could you also send us a screenshot of how those 0 byte files appear on your end?

Thanks! 

Hi @Walter ,

I'm moving files locally from within macOS' Finder and Windows' File Explorer.

I dont how to attach a video here. See this screen recording (in my dropbox) I made on macOS: removed

Hey dropmeinbox, let me also jump in here! 

I'm afraid we can't access your link due to security & privacy reasons. Do you think you can try clicking on our camera-button icon, and attaching some screenshots here? 

Also, how long has this been going on for? 

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Megan wrote:

 

I'm afraid we can't access your link due to security & privacy reasons. Do you think you can try clicking on our camera-button icon, and attaching some screenshots here? 

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Hi Megan ,

The following are the screenshots though I don't know how much info you can get out of them.

Screenshot 1: The .rdp file is successfully moved from folder-1 to folder-2.

Screenshot 2: The .rdp file is recreated in folder-1 with zero bytes.

Thanks for the added info dropmeinbox!

Both of the paths: ~/Dropbox/shared/folderA/ & ~/Dropbox/shared/folderB/ are part of the same Dropbox account, right? 

Also, can you try to open the zero byte file? If so, does it preview? 

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Megan wrote:

 

Both of the paths: ~/Dropbox/shared/folderA/ & ~/Dropbox/shared/folderB/ are part of the same Dropbox account, right? 

 

Also, can you try to open the zero byte file? If so, does it preview? 

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Hi Megan ,

Yes ~/Dropbox/shared/folderA/ & ~/Dropbox/shared/folderB/ belong to the same Dropbox account. Their parent folder ~/Dropbox/shared/ is shared (with read/write permission) to another Dropbox account.

The zero bytes file cannot be opened/previewed. For example, I cannot open a zero-bytes .pdf file since it's not really in PDF format and the PDF viewer would complain.

The issue is there for quite long (>6 months I guess). It's not new.

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dropmeinbox wrote:

The issue is there for quite long (>6 months I guess). It's not new.

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Look at the version history of the newly created file. You should be able to see which computer is replacing the file. Is it consistent?

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Rich wrote:

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Look at the version history of the newly created file. You should be able to see which computer is replacing the file. Is it consistent?

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Hi Rich ,

Cool I can check the version history!

My dropbox accounts and linked devices:

• Account_1
  • macOS
  • iPhone
  • Windows #1
• Account_2
  • Windows #2
  • Windows #3

My macOS is not at hand for now. I tried a few times with Account_1 on iPhone and Windows #1 and it's very consitent that it's Account_2 who added back the zero-byte file. Since Account_2 has 2 logins on 2 Windows computers (remote logged in, not at hand for now either) so not sure which Windows computer (or both?) added back the zero-byte file. Will check details later.

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dropmeinbox wrote:

... it's very consitent that it's Account_2 who added back the zero-byte file.

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Zero-byte issue aside, when a file keeps returning it's usually because there's a device that's unable to delete it. Look at it like this...

You move or delete a file out of a folder on your computer. Dropbox syncs that change up to the cloud, and the cloud notifies all other connected devices about the change. The other devices proceed to delete the file but one of them is unable to. Either the file is open or otherwise has a lock on it that prevents it from being deleted. Dropbox on that computer sees that there's still a file there and proceeds to upload it back to the cloud, which then notifies all the other clients to download it again.

Several others have had this issue and it's always been a problem deleting the file at the client level, though I don't think I've seen anyone mention that the returning file had a size of zero bytes.