A colleague's files have replaced mine on my computer and now I can't access them

[AlliancePublicationsInc]

DROPBOX removed my desk app files and put everything in a folder titled "Dropbox (Personal) (Old)."  I think perhaps they did this because another member of our organization changed her email account on her computer and her DROPBOX replaced mine.  We both work for the same company but in different locations.  How and why did DROPBOX move the files I had and put them in a folder on my hard drive and replace it with hers when my MacBook was shut off I do not know.  However, since DROPBOX created this new file I cannot open any of the pdf's, audiofiles, photos, etc. and keep getting a message that the files are either incompatible or corrupt.  Is there anyway to un-corrupt this file that DROPBOX created and get them back into DROPBOX?  I tried to upload a corrupted file with pdf's, audio, jpeg, and Quark to a new DROPBOX desk app.  I was able to download QUARK from the preview page because DROPBOX can't preview QUARK but the other items would not open.  They each had a file error message when trying even though they uploaded to DROPBOX and I was able to see them before trying to preview them.

Thank you.

[Hannah]

Hey @AlliancePublicationsInc, thanks for reaching out to us.

From what I can understand, it sounds like your colleague disconnected your Dropbox account on the computer and connected theirs.

If you click on the Dropbox icon in your menu bar, then on the profile pic/initials, then on 'preferences' and then on 'account', do you see your email address there, or your colleague's?

Let me know what you find.

[AlliancePublicationsInc]

Hi

Thanks for responding. When I turned on my MacBook I saw that her Dropbox account had replaced mine.  I didn't know how this happened but I did know that sometimes Dropbox does some strange things.  So I signed out of her account and then tried to sign into mine.  Instead of my original Dropbox account,  Dropbox gave me a new one.  Somehow Dropbox had removed my Dropbox files and out them in a folder Dropbox (Personal) (Old) which I was able to find on my hard drive by doing a search.  Dropbox has issues with transferring files.  I have had problems with them in the past.  Sure enough, now most of the files in the folder Dropbox (Personal) (Old) that they created are corrupt and cannot be accessed although when I look at the info for each there is the data for each file.  How can I get my uncorrupted files back?

[Hannah]

Thanks for the update here.

Not sure what you mean by corrupted, are you getting some kind of error message when you open them?

If you could send a screenshot, that would be really helpful.

And also, you said that you signed in with a new account; do you know the email address associated with your 'old' account?

If so, you can just sign into that one on the Dropbox application, to start syncing with that account again.

[AlliancePublicationsInc]

Hi

Here is a screen shot of a typical file.  It doesn't matter whether pdf, png, jpeg, Quark, Finale, mp3, etc., I get an error message.  Oddly enough there are several files scattered throughout that are not corrupted/damaged/whatever and I can view them.  Yes, I remember my email address for my (old) account because they were stored in Google Passwords.  However when I tried to sign in using it Dropbox gave me a new account instead.  I do  but not know how or why  they moved all my files to a new folder located on my hard drive but when they did they corrupted/damaged most of the files. Thanks for responding. Would Dropbox be able to rewind anything?

 

[Hannah]

We'll actually need to figure out if you have access to those files in Dropbox.

If you login to your account on dropbox.com, are you able to access them?

[AlliancePublicationsInc]

Hi - no, I am not able to access my files on Dropbox using my previous sign in.  I can access the folder that Dropbox created when they replaced my Dropbox account on my  MacBook with another account on a different Macbook.  Apparently she changed the Dropbox account email on her MacBook and somehow it affected mine.  However when Dropbox created their folder they also corrupted most of the files.  There are a few here and there that are not corrupted.  As for the Dropbox folder created by Dropbox, I am able to upload them on a temporary Dropbox account.  

SCREEENSHOT:

 

However, when I try to Preview them in Dropbox I get error messages.

SCREENSHOTS:

PDF

 AUDIO

 

But strangely enough, I am able to download a Quark file from Dropbox Preview, because Dropbox Preview does not allow looking at a Quark file but you can download it.

Finally, here is a screenshot of a message that Preview quit.  It does this on different files in the folder Dropbox created.

 

 

[Hannah]

Thanks for this additional info.

Can you tell me why you're not able to access your Dropbox files, when you login to your account on dropbox.com? 

Also, to clarify, what your colleague did on her computer, wouldn't affect your own computer in any way. Unless she was somehow remotely accessing and working on yours.

If she has her own account and you have your own account, both on different computers, the two cannot affect each other.

But if she unlinked your account and linked hers to your computer, that means she was somehow accessing it.

As for the files, did you have them set to 'online-only' perhaps, before all this happened?

[AlliancePublicationsInc]

Hi

Well, I think I know what happened. I talked to the other person with the MacBook and she said she was having "trouble" with it so she called Apple Support.  Apparently they rebuilt her system and when it came to the Dropbox app she could not remember the email or password used so she gave Apple new ones.  She is the owner of the company and she owns both MacBooks.  I am assuming Apple changed my Dropbox account when they changed hers.  She is a music publisher and good at music but not so good with computers.  So when she gave Apple new Dropbox sign in items, Dropbox created a new Dropbox to match.  Then she asked my afterwards why she was running out of storage because she only had 2GB of Dropbox.  I initially thought she had created one for her own personal use.  However when I checked mine is when I saw hers had replaced mine.  So I signed out of her Dropbox and tried to sign into the original one and Dropbox prompted me for a new password.  I'm not sure why they did this because I have passwords stored in Google Passwords.  So when I gave Dropbox a new password they gave me a new 2GB Dropbox account instead of my old 2TB account. 

Yes, both computers are linked for business.  That's why I assumed Dropbox was responsible initially for the mess.  Because she got Apple involved and they had no idea that working on her MacBook would also affect mine.  I thought previously she was working through Dropbox not Apple. 

So if Dropbox gave her a new account on her MacBook that also gave me hers, how can we get the original 2TB Dropbox files back?

[AlliancePublicationsInc]

As for the files question, I had them on desktop and online.