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

[Marcos M.7]

I guess it's time to move to Google Drive or OneDrive or whatever... pretty sad, something that could be easily corrected...

[DaveC2]

Mark Mc: 

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. 

That is incorrect.

The message does not say it will delete the files is says it will remove them from the computer and they will still be available online, which is false.

The wording is as follows...

"Unchecked folders will be removed from this computer's Dropbox. The will still be available on the web and other devices."

If DB want to remove the files they have online when you unsync a folder will thats stupid in itself without asking the user if thats what they want, but to then remove files it has NOT synced is clearly NOT what they said they were about to do.

Additionally this action occurs EVEN while the client is PAUSED from syncing.

I cant see how anyone can justify saying "you clicked OK its your fault" when (1) the declared statement is false, and the action should not have occurred at all due to sync being paused.

[Keith R.9]

Since Dropbox has 1TB of storage I decided to upload my Music collection, however it was taking a really long time so I figured I'd use selective sync to pause it, and I'd come back to it later.

Glanced over the non-chalant message thinking it meant that these folders would be deleted from the cloud, "okay yea whatever, of course thats what happens, thats fine". I click okay, go to play some music AND MY COLLECTION IS DELETED.

Good thing I had the decency to have one more copy on another Drive, Dropbox what kind of S*** is this? How can you assume the authority to delete files that I specifically set out to tell you to not mess with? Thats the intention of Selective Sync. I can't believe you've gone a whole year, not fixing this, and I just placed $100 down for a yearly subscription!

I don't think the user can be put exclusively at fault here, the only safety net was one little dialog message that clearly multiple users have missed in this thread!

[Rich]

it was taking a really long time so I figured I'd use selective sync to pause it

That's not the function of Selective Sync.

How can you assume the authority to delete files that I specifically set out to tell you to not mess with? Thats the intention of Selective Sync.

While I completely agree that it's ridiculous that Selective Sync will delete folders locally before they've finished syncing, Dropbox didn't actually assume the authority. You did, when you glanced over the message telling you that the unchecked folders would be removed from your computer's Dropbox folder, which is the intention of Selective Sync.

The problem with this message is that it doesn't tell you that this will happen even if the folders haven't finished syncing. That's an issue we all have complained about.

 I can't believe you've gone a whole year, not fixing this

A Dropboxer posted about 6-7 months ago stating that some big changes were coming to Selective Sync (but did not specify what those changes would be). To my knowledge, that has yet to happen.

[Keith R.9]

"Removed from this computer's Dropbox" is less clear than "will be deleted from the drive" or similar terminology. "This computer's Dropbox" could mean the index, could mean the cloud, it depends what you define it as. A KEY word to use in the message is DELETE, but that word is not used.

Further the second sentence is silly, if not completely false. The files are not available on the web and to other devices, because they never finished syncing in the first place. That statement is false. (Assuming the sync was not completed, which in my case it wasn't)

While you might disagree with my interpretation of the message, the fact that we can take multiple sides about this message should show how poorly written it is.

[Rich]

the fact that we can take multiple sides about this message should show how poorly written it is.

No one is disagreeing with you there. The feature needs to change.

[Veronica T.2]

So okay! I was one of the dumb ones that just clicked okay without realising the ramifications. I've now lost half my photos from the holiday I'm in the middle of.

No argument from me regarding how daft, ambiguous and FINAL this particular press of the button is, but my question is...

Is there any way to get my photos back????? PLEASE say there is!!

[Keith R.9]

Veronica,

Sorry this had to happen to you, I'm not a DB representative but I'd suggest you look into a file recovery tool. I have never had to use one personally, but just to give you an example, there's PhotoRec.There are of course many others, here is a list of alternative programs.

I'd check your recycle bin just to make sure files are not there (99% sure they aren't) and then download PhotoRec or another similar tool and try to use it. My guess is it should be possible to most/all of your files back, so long as they haven't been overwritten on your hard-disk. Which means you should not be changing a lot of files right now, and should do this ASAP.

Like I said, not a DB representative, and also have never used PhotoRec or similar, but give it a try as soon as you can.

[Server_Align]

I'll add my 10 cents worth.

I don't think DB CAN change this. 

The idea that this has remained as is for this long, with a known issue in it of deleting unsynced files, and as such a false statement to the effect that they will be safe on the cloud, all reeks of the code is buried in a Library routine and they dont have access to source code for it.

Why else would such a blatant failure be allowed to continue completely unchanged for so long.

All that would have been needed is a checkbox added with "Dont remove the files, I know they wont sync [x]" and the remove code only run if it wasnt checked. 

But can they fix it....... Apparently Bob doesnt work there anymore.....

[Veronica T.2]

Thank you, Keith R.

I have searched the Trash, and everywhere else I could think of. No sign of the files anywhere!! (Still can't believe they would make this button press so final!!)

Anyway, I have since re-synced the folders in the hopes that they would magically reconnect. I have managed to get most back (and in fact, the situation wasn't as dire as I'd first feared). 

I'm still not certain about the final result, and how many files I lost overall, but I have phone photos as a backup (not in the same league as our camera, but better than nothing). 

Thanks for your recommendations though. I will give these a go, if I notice something irreplaceable. Although, as everything has been madly syncing since coming back into WiFi range, I doubt they'll be much help.

Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

Veronica