Are non-synced folders (selective sync) deleted BEFORE upload? If so, why?

[Marcos M.7]

This question has actually been asked at least once in another thread (here http://bit.ly/1OwK3JC ) but no one answered, so I'll try my luck... BTW I am as of today a Dropbox Pro user.

Why doesn't Dropbox warn you when you want do deactivate sync (use selective sync) on a folder that hasn't yet been uploaded? It just says it will be deleted locally but also implies that it WILL be available from Dropbox. This is pretty dangerous and I wonder no one has yet tried to kill anyone of the Dropbox staff after loosing an important amount of personal data...

Cheers.

[Mark]

Yes they are removed instantly. 

The warning screens tell you that as you click OK the stuff is deleted. It doesnt hint, at all, that it wont be until after upload. 

[Marcos M.7]

Well, I know it works this way, it was more a rethoric question to end up actually asking WHY this is designed that way...

Put it the other way round: Why don't you introduce a mechanism to avoid this? Most users won't understand how it works right now until they try it out (only to find out they have lost a bunch if not all of their important files).

Either improve the warning message to clearly state "ALL OF THE FILES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN SYNCED WILL BE LOST/DELETED"

The other option is, as someone said, disable selective sync'ing until the files have been uploaded, by greying that folder out on the list.

And finally... don't want to seem arrogant, but isn't this issue something pretty simple and pretty obvious that the *payed* staff of Dropbox should have figured out a long time ago...?

My point is: One wouldn't expect a program like Dropbox to delete files it hasn't created... it's like if the postman would crush your shipping when you decide you actually don't want to send the package...

[Peter M.37]

100% agree. I had this issue within hours of getting Dropbox Pro. A decent testing process should have raised this as an issue and I reported it when it happened and was told "Applying Selective Sync to a folder before it has been uploaded fully won't cause it to be deleted." which obviously isn't the case.

[DaveC2]

You wont get any answers here, this is a user supported forum. The DB staff cant even see that the selective sync doesnt work as promised.

DB have screwed up majorly on the selective sync, I expect they are sticking their heads in the sand on it as they cant even see that it doesnt do what they say it does.

It is meant to sync ONLY the folders you select.

It syncs ONLY the folders you select and any new folders that turn up.

They say there is no difference, and to that I reply "Woman and children only in the life boats." does not mean "Woman and children only on the life boats, and anyone who turns up after this."

Example of the DB systems failure:

I dont want a apps map textures image cache folder syncing to the cloud as its content is only usable by the maps in play in the app and any cached images for those maps are reloaded on restart of the app or a reload of the map, so the app in use else where loads its own cache files, so no point in syncing them.

So I go and select to unsync the cache folder, and EXCUSE ME?

YOUR GOING TO ERASE THE FOLDER? WHY?

YES, I DONT WANT IT TO SYNC TO THE CLOUD!

NO, I DONT WANT IT TO BE DELETED, WHY WOULD I WANT IT TO BE DELETED?

Ask and stop assuming.

[Sophophilia S.]

This really out to be looked into. It is very frustrating. If you are working with anything that creates temp files/folders Dropbox becomes a nightmare. I bought a TB to backup my game design work. But using Unity has made the whole thing a huge headache. And yes I use a VCS but I would also like all my flies to be backed up in Dropbox, all my large binary files. I basically would like to work inside my Dropbox folder and have the option of ignoring certain Temp files. But I have resorted to pausing DB while I work and then try to remember at the end of the day to start it again, but that is not why I got DB! 

[Ralf H.4]

This is insane, I just lost a whole project I was working on because of this problem. Like you said, dropbox should NEVER delete files it hasn't created itself. The deleted files aren't even in the trashcan, they're just.. gone! Only half of them had been uploaded. 

[Mark]

Like you said, dropbox should NEVER delete files it hasn't created itself.

But you TOLD it to delete them. You acknowledged the message that it WOULD delete them when you pressed OK on the Selective Sync menu option. 

As a last resort, however, try re-enabling the folder via Selective Sync and see if they restore from the cache. 

[Peter M.37]

You're missing the point, Mark.

Yes, as users we've initiated that command, but it's not very user friendly. The "common sense" thing to expect would be for it to upload the files to Dropbox, then delete the folder on the local machine. Dropbox shoulf check things like that, then ask the user if that's what they really want to do.

[Ralf H.4]

Exactly, I know I clicked the OK button myself, which was dumb, but you know how many of those dialogs the average user gets in a day of work. You're bound to click one by mistake, and the results shouldn't be this dramatic. At the very least your files should end up in the trashcan, so you just get a fair warning and a racing heart.

I kinda lost the easy feeling I had working with dropbox. Knowing your files are going to be ok no matter what. I'd say thats what Dropbox wants to accomplish. I wouldnt like a double double check dialog, that would get annoying (and make it even more likely that I'd just click through them again without reading), but wouldnt it be extremely easy to either:

- have the deleted files be put in the trashcan, or

- make sure you can never automatically delete a folder that dropbox is still uploading?

I'm syncing again now, looks like most of the files are coming back, but def not everything. I'm happy I put the finals outside of dropbox.