Deleted files due to external drive getting disconnected

[dragomirradev]

1. It looks like the external drive where I keep the local copies of my Dropbox files got disconnected.

2. This caused a number of files to get deleted from the Dropbox server and from all local copies on other machines.

3. I read up on this issue online and I can confirm that this the cause was the unmounting of the external drive.

4. Now I am restoring the files to the server using the Dropbox "undelete" option.

5. This has been looking good. The files are almost all back on the server (perhaps 10% left to go).

6. However, when I re-plug the external drive and Dropbox starts syncing again, it restarts deleting files from the server.

I don't understand step 6. How can I prevent this from happening? Note that the file path to the external drive hasn't changed from before the crash.

Can someone help me out?

Thanks.

Drago

[Megan]

Hi @dragomirradev, thanks for posting here! 

First of all, amazing troubleshooting process, in order for you to restore the files after the deletion. 

Now, in regards to the app deleting the restored content: is the app running when you plug in the external drive? Does it make any difference, if you pause the app, plug the external hard drive, and then resume syncing? 

Let me know more! 

[dragomirradev]

Thanks.

I don't think that this made a difference. I had killed the app and rebooted the computer with the drive attached to it. Then the deletions continued again.

I couldn't make progress this way. This was very time consuming and disappointing.

I am now trying to rebuild the local copy on a different drive, starting with an empty drive. Based on my previous experience, this will take weeks. And I don't know what will happen if the drive gets disconnected again and starts deleting files again.

Any advice?

Thanks.

Drago

[Megan]

Hi @dragomirradev, it's indeed possible that this is happening because you're using an external hard drive.

When you visit your account online, are the files fully restored, or does the restoration process still take place? I'd suggest you give some time for the files to fully restore online, then try again. 

As for the different drive that you mentioned, I am assuming it's also an external hard drive? 

[dragomirradev]

The external hard drive is ok.

However, when it got accidentally disconnected from the power supply, this caused all files on the server to be deleted.

The question is how to prevent this from happening again. Can you add some safety measure in dropbox that would recognize that the entire local copy of the files has been disconnected and issue a warning to the user before automatically assuming that all these files need to be deleted.

Thanks.

Drago

[Megan · Accepted solution]

Hi @dragomirradev, unfortunately when working with your Dropbox folder on an external drive that's always a possibility. 

We can’t guarantee perfect functionality of the Dropbox app if you’re running it on an external drive. For the Dropbox application to work properly, I’d recommend that you install it on the hard drive of your Operating System. 

This is because Dropbox can’t always work correctly if the Dropbox folder becomes inaccessible, and this can happen if it's located on an external drive. 

I'll forward your feedback to the appropriate areas so we can continue to improve.

[dragomirradev]

Thanks.

What I said is a very easy fix.

When Dropbox recognizes that several TB of data have been disconnected, it can send a warning to the user. This way the user can realize the issue and reconnect the drive before the files get deleted from the server. This should be a very easy fix. Are you sure that such an option doesn't already exist?

[Rich]

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@dragomirradev wrote:
Are you sure that such an option doesn't already exist?

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No such option exists. This is why it's been recommended that the local Dropbox folder NOT be stored on an external drive. As you've seen, under the right conditions, file deletions can occur. If the external drive becomes disconnected at any point while Dropbox is running, or if Dropbox is started while the drive is disconnected, Dropbox can see this as a mass file deletion.

[dragomirradev]

Yes, that's what I am talking about.

As you know, internal hard drives are not large enough, so that's why people use external drives.

What I am asking of you is to make an easy change to your software so that users get a warning if the entire drive gets disconnected. It takes probably two lines of code to implement it. All the message should say is 'are you sure that you want to delete 3.7 TB of files from your account, yes/no'.
Such an option may already exist. Can you please check if it does and, if not, please implement it.

Thanks.

I have already lost many dozens of hours dealing with such issues with Dropbox.

[Mark M.68]

Totally with you @dragomirradev

It's crazy, we run a design studio with very large files that need to be worked on locally and use external drives as laptop HDs aren't big enough. we have recently had a few instances of exactly this. Never used to.

To the point today where our whole studio has 11 hours of re-syncing because one user disconnected their external drive and it instantly deleted all the files. All the effort dropbox put into security and this is a huge weak link.

Sorry to say that today is the last straw and will be looking at alternative solutions as support just said..."yep, that's what dropbox does, be careful"