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Delete, edit, and organize

Solve issues with deleting, editing, and organizing files and folders in your Dropbox account with support from the Dropbox Community.

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Re: Searching within deleted files

Searching within deleted files

LabelsRus
New member | Level 2
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How do I search by file name in deleted files? When I use the search bar it searches not-deleted files, and as far as I can tell all I can do is sort deleted files by date range. I have no clue what the date of creation or deletion was, but I have the file name. Also, I only have one account using my dropbox, so who deleted it is useless. I would do ctrl+f, but dropbox's website only loads a few lines past the bottom of the visible page, so it's useless. And folders change, merge, and get removed over the years so searching by folder is also not helpful. I know I used to be able to search my entire deleted file history by file name a few years ago but haven't needed to recently.
Is there a limit to how far back deleted files are saved? I've been paying for the option sine opening my dropbox account, so in theory I should have access to anything I've ever deleted.

35 Replies 35

peta4
Helpful | Level 5
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Hello,

 

searching in deleted files worked until July 2021. Now as of 19 July 2021, the search bar no longer shows deleted files. Is it a bug or am I just not aware of the new way how it's done now?

 

Thanks a lot, I use searching in deleted files very frequently, so it is important to me.

 

Cheers, Peter

Pollard
New member | Level 2
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I have been using the search feature to look at deleted files regularly and all of the sudden it doesn't work anymore.  VERY FRUSTURATING.  Occasionally I need to go back and look at a deleted file and see what folder it was in when and I use to be able to do that easily.  Not any more - why the change?  Please change it back!

sprocket003
Collaborator | Level 8
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It shouldn't be so hard to find deleted files. It took me ages to find a file I deleted the same day!

 

  1. Make deleted files searchable, not just being able to filter to date and location, but file name or even contents.
  2. Don't put deleted files together in groups or "deletion events". How am I supposed to remember or know that a file was deleted (often accidentally) with another group. Must I search through every deletion group. Doesn't make much sense.

The user experience of finding deleted files is very difficult and time consuming. Not so user-friendly.

sprocket003
Collaborator | Level 8
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Apparently they no longer appear at the end of a search.

Bartek Expo Construct
New member | Level 2
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I am having the same problem. Today I tried to find one of my deleted files and I had to go through dozens of pages. A searchbox to search within deleted files would be great. I see you had this idea in 2019... Now it's 2022 and it still has not been implemented. The same for EVENTS. I spent an hour browsing manually through all my events to find the deleted contents I needed. 

Walter
Dropbox Staff
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Hey @Bartek Expo Construct, thanks for joining the discussion here and sharing your thoughts on this.

I just wanted to mention that you can post your suggestion for a search-box in the deleted files page and/or the events page in our Share an idea area.

This way other users will be able to upvote it to show their interest and/or provide their own feedback on this too.

Walter
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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arigoldfilms
Collaborator | Level 10
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Hi there - this idea has a thread - commenting and Voting For This Idea is the best way to make Dropbox take notice:

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Delete-edit-and-organize/Searching-within-deleted-files/m-p/577443#M...

eduluke
Explorer | Level 4
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Just tried to recover an accidentally deleted file for the first time and got really frustrated. 
No search function. Facepalm Dropbox

emclusk
Explorer | Level 4
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Posting issues so far for so long has not provided a way to search deleted files. Support thus far has not been helpful for those of us lookiong to find files deleted long ago (I have Packrat gradfathered). Dropbox: are you trying to push users out?

Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Hey @emclusk, thank you for the nudge and your feedback here.

 

Are you trying to restore something deleted a long time ago? And if so, have you tried contacting our support team about this?

 

If you want, I can open a ticket for you, in order to look further into this.


Hannah
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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