Dropbox suddenly stopped backing up Document and Download directories and wiped previous backups

[Richard S.63]

Hi, just a warning.  My Dropbox suddenly stopped backing up about 95% of my Document and Downloads directories apparently a couple of days ago and deleting most files and folders including sentimental photos of my recently deceased wife, and in some cases wiped some folders or files beyond recovery.  Not sure if this is a bug in the latest Dropbox app.  I have talked with the help desk and eventually they agreed to escalate the problem.  This is a serious issue so I thought important to advise others and see if anyone else has experienced a similar problem.  I hope there is a simple fix but I am nor particularly optimistic.

[Richard S.63]

I have over 1Tb of files on Dropbox, is there anything you can do to protect what remains from being deleted depending upon the cause of this problem?  The list of files that the support group think have been deleted doesn't correspond with even the deletion shown on Dropbox which is a concern.  Moreover, as I've mentioned some files aren't even shown as deleted they have just gone.

[Hannah]

Thanks, Richard, I totally understand where you're coming from and I'm sorry for any inconvenience caused by this.

However, since you're already in contact with our specialists, I would suggest that you provide any additional info you have to the ticket, so our team can assist you further.

Hopefully, they'll get to the bottom of this very soon.

[Richard S.63]

Thank you for your help.  You may wish to read my last post on the ticket.  It is not a pretty story and it does not appear to have a good outcome.

[Richard S.63]

I had heard stories of poor Dropbox support and dismissed them as malicious rumours.  But now I have experienced it directly.  I have just received a survey telling me coincidentally that my case has been closed.  No one has discussed closing the case with me. In fact, you are still asking me questions, and I am providing answers.  In my view, I have lost more than 80Gb in backups and even your emails imply that a beta version may at least be partially responsible.  Yet I have no idea why you have taken such precipitous action.

Indeed, the usual industry practice is never to close a support case without first asking for the customer's comments.  However, it is only in your survey offered after closing the case that such questions are broached.   Despite the technical merits of my case, to treat a customer of 12 years like this is appalling.

Please advise me of the steps I need to take to have the decision to close my case reviewed.

[Richard S.63]

My apologies, there is factual error in my last reply.  It is worse.  The case has apparently been marked as solved.  Obviously there must be a significant difference in our definitions of 'solved'.  To me something is solved when it is corrected or fixed.

[Richard S.63]

Hi,

For some strange reasons, many years ago I must have signed up to evaluate beta releases.  An update occurred a few days ago and shortly I noticed that virtually all Dropbox backups of the folders and files in my PC Documents and Downloads directories had been deleted, and only a few were continuing to be updated.  Then I discovered that some folders in my PC Documents and Downloads directories had been physically moved to other directories and now these new directories were being backed up to what previously had been the Dropbox backups of the PC Documents and Downloads.  In the process, photographs which are my only memories of my recently deceased wife appear to have gone missing or misplaced along with some very important work documents.

I have a Dropbox Professional or Plus plan, whatever it is now called and a Dropbox customer for 12 years and so entitled to Dropbox Support.  But I've had a lot of difficulty explaining these problems to Dropbox Support  and for reasons I don't understand they have apparently labelled the case solved - which came as a bit of a surprise to me.  So I don't expect any further assistance from that source, even though I'm sure my feedback on the beta problems will be useful to Dropbox.

I am not a Dropbox power user.  So I urgently need some professional Dropbox support and I'm willing to pay for that. 

Warmest regards,

Richard 

[Richard S.63]

Just to provide a bit more information. The beta versions appears to have corrupted my PC Documents and Downloads directories in slightly different ways. I apologise for the obvious ambiguity in my descriptions, but the situation is extraordinarily messy. I've spent days tracing different folders and files and matching (including duplications) to Dropbox deletions.

Previously my Documents and Downloads directories were managed under Dropbox. The beta app has returned some but not all folders to the default Documents location outside Dropbox.

As a result Dropbox has assumed that these folders no longer exist and then deleted their equivalents on Dropbox in the cloud (about 80Gb). It did, however, retain some folders (apparently at random) in the previous Dropbox Documents directory, so it is only those folders that are now being updated. In other cases, folders are now duplicated between the default Documents directory and that in Dropbox but possibly with differing contents.

For the Downloads directory, the beta version appears to have moved all Downloads back to their original location, again deleting all equivalents in the Dropbox cloud. However, it did insert a new "My files in Dropbox" directory in which all new downloads to my PC now flow, and it is only these which are reflected in the Dropbox cloud.

I am cautious about taking too much action because I may lose access to the deleted files, which hopefully can still be recovered at least in part from Dropbox in the cloud before they are wiped entirely.

I'm now slowly backup what I can find onto another provider for at least a temporary respite.

I hope at least my various reports to Dropbox might save someone else from suffering this fate and point to necessary software changes.

Referring to my last post, you can see why I am looking for some professional support.

[Richard S.63]

I'm still trying to fix this problem.  I did check my subscription and it is only an Essentials.  So I must apologise for my comments, I probably shouldn't expect much support from such a basic plan.  I imagine I would need to update to Business or Business Plus to get greater access to support. But I'm only an individual. 

After a lot of hours and learning, I think I've managed to trace the chronology of the problem.  It is largely as I have previously mentioned.  The beta update occurred on 12 March, and that coincided with the partial destruction of the link between Documents and Dropbox/Documents on my PC, with most folders and files no longer appearing under Dropbox/Documents.  Fortunately, after a partial audit, most files were preserved under Documents.  However, since those folders and files no longer appeared in Dropbox/Documents, Dropbox assumed that those files had been deleted and then deleted the orphan equivalents on Dropbox in the cloud.  Only those folders and files that remained under Dropbox/Documents are now reflected on Dropbox in the cloud.

Something similar happened with Downloads. Again, the link between Downloads and Dropbox/Downloads was destroyed by the beta version, then created a "My files in Dropbox" folder under Downloads, and that is now linked to Dropbox/Downloads. So anything I download now does not go to Downloads but to Downloads/My files in Drop sub-directory. It is only those folders and files in that sub-directory that appear under Dropbox/Downloads and only those that are not being reflected in Dropbox in the cloud. At the same time, Dropbox assumed that all other folders and files previously shown under Dropbox/Downloads had been deleted and consequently deleted the equivalents in Dropbox in the cloud. Most files with a couple of exceptions in Downloads appear to still be in place similar to Documents.

This is well beyond my expertise to fix. I have spoken with a few people who are more knowledgeable than and they have no idea how to proceed.

As a precaution, I'm backing up all the Documents and Downloads directories to another source as a precaution, but with 100Gb+ in both directories, this is taking time.

I have asked the community if there is anybody who would be willing at cost to help me sort this out. Could you also perhaps point me in the direction of a technical support organisation that can offer more in-depth Dropbox support? Alternatively it is possible for me to pay Dropbox for an hour or so of time. Now that I've identified the problem, I think it shouldn't take someone's knowledge to help put everything back in place.

Again my apologies for expecting more support than is probably allowed an Essentials subscription. This is probably why the case was marked as solved and closed. The possible loss of memories after the recent and sudden death of my wife after being her carer for many years did upset me. Any referrals you can give me would be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Richard

[Jay]

Hi @Richard S.63, with Essentials, you do get support from the team, so I'd recommend continuing with them via email. Phone support is only available for team admins on Dropbox Business teams. 

We wouldn't recommend contacting any unofficial Dropbox support for your own security.

[Richard S.63]

I did continue with Dropbox support.  On 21 March, they provided some further instructions and asked for feedback.  I took 4 days to respond including a weekend, but now the case has been closed.  My wife died recently, you just can't expect people to respond over the weekend.  In any case, the fix provided also didn't work.  I've again written to support asking them to reopen the case. So now four weeks have passed since my directories were dispersed.  I would really appreciate any help to get this fixed.