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Re: Unchecking a folder in Selective Sync deleted a 100 GB folder from my HDD

Lost files after enabling Selective Sync

vadoff
Helpful | Level 6
Go to solution

What the **bleep**!?

I just lost tens of thousands of crucial log files because I happened to move a large archive folder into Dropbox, then decided not to sync the log folder.

Why the hell would not syncing something permanently delete the files from my LOCAL computer? I'm so [profanity removed by moderation acording to our Community Guidelines], this is ridiculous.

3 Accepted Solutions

Accepted Solutions

Mark
Super User II
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Because that is exactly what you told it to do. And what you confirmed it to do when you are given the pop up prompt.

 

Screen Shot 2018-03-25 at 12.56.15.png

 

 

Edit: that said as long as you are quick and reverse that Selective Sync choice via the menu as Dropbox uses an internal cache you may find that the files are restored - even those none uploaded.


 


:penguin::penguin: - :penguin: - :penguin: - :penguin:


Heart Did this post help you? If so please mark it for some Kudos below. 


:white_check_mark: Did this post fix your issue/answer your question? If so please press the 'Accept as Solution' button to help others find it.


:arrows_counterclockwise: Did this post not resolve your issue? If so please give us some more information so we can try and help - please remember we cannot see over your shoulder so be as descriptive as possible! 


 

View solution in original post

Rich
Super User II
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@vadoff wrote:

It shouldn't even be designed in such a way that unsyncing something deletes it from the local computer


Yes, it should, when the entire purpose of the feature is to remove a folder from the local drive. That's the point of Selective Sync. It's not meant to allow you to store a folder in your local Dropbox folder that doesn't sync. It's meant to REMOVE folders from your local drive to save disk space while keeping those folders stored in your account online.

 

It clearly states that the folder will be removed; both in the documentation for the feature and in the confirmation that appears.

 

View solution in original post

Magnus T.2
Helpful | Level 5
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You said:

 

"It's not like it even went into the trash can, which would be annoying but at least acceptable. If it's going to be PERMANENTALLY DELETED, such a warning should be present and made absolutely clear."

 

The key thing (which I haven' seen any of the previous responses point out) is that the files have not been permanently deleted. If you go into the selective sync box and re-enable syncing for the folder (it will be available there), then it will re-appear on your local computer. It will take downloading of the many gigabytes of the files from the cloud, so do it on a fast network connection, but they have not been deleted if you just did what it seems from context.

 

Good luck, hope you get your files back!

View solution in original post

22 Replies 22

Mark
Super User II
Go to solution

Because that is exactly what you told it to do. And what you confirmed it to do when you are given the pop up prompt.

 

Screen Shot 2018-03-25 at 12.56.15.png

 

 

Edit: that said as long as you are quick and reverse that Selective Sync choice via the menu as Dropbox uses an internal cache you may find that the files are restored - even those none uploaded.


 


:penguin::penguin: - :penguin: - :penguin: - :penguin:


Heart Did this post help you? If so please mark it for some Kudos below. 


:white_check_mark: Did this post fix your issue/answer your question? If so please press the 'Accept as Solution' button to help others find it.


:arrows_counterclockwise: Did this post not resolve your issue? If so please give us some more information so we can try and help - please remember we cannot see over your shoulder so be as descriptive as possible! 


 

vadoff
Helpful | Level 6
Go to solution

That warning is nowhere near informative enough.

 

"Removed from this computer's Dropbox" could simply mean unsync'd. I've never seen any other program where such a destructive action that could potentially delete GB of files be worded in such language before.

 

It's not like it even went into the trash can, which would be annoying but at least acceptable. If it's going to be PERMANENTALLY DELETED, such a warning should be present and made absolutely clear.

 

This is such an obvious design flaw, the fact that it's present and you're defending it is simply mind boggling. It shouldn't even be designed in such a way that unsyncing something deletes it from the local computer, that's a behavior that I'm sure almost no user wants. And at the very least, there should be multiple options that the user could select in order to handle those unsync'd files: "leave it alone", "delete them", etc.

 

I thought Dropbox had some decent designers, come on this is design 101.

Rich
Super User II
Go to solution

@vadoff wrote:

It shouldn't even be designed in such a way that unsyncing something deletes it from the local computer


Yes, it should, when the entire purpose of the feature is to remove a folder from the local drive. That's the point of Selective Sync. It's not meant to allow you to store a folder in your local Dropbox folder that doesn't sync. It's meant to REMOVE folders from your local drive to save disk space while keeping those folders stored in your account online.

 

It clearly states that the folder will be removed; both in the documentation for the feature and in the confirmation that appears.

 

vadoff
Helpful | Level 6
Go to solution

So I was expected to fully check the documentation of the feature before using it? Come on.

Once again, the wording of the window popup isn't clear enough AT ALL for the dire action it's about to perform.

 

You guys are useless, I'll just email some Dropbox designers or PMs directly.

Magnus T.2
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

You said:

 

"It's not like it even went into the trash can, which would be annoying but at least acceptable. If it's going to be PERMANENTALLY DELETED, such a warning should be present and made absolutely clear."

 

The key thing (which I haven' seen any of the previous responses point out) is that the files have not been permanently deleted. If you go into the selective sync box and re-enable syncing for the folder (it will be available there), then it will re-appear on your local computer. It will take downloading of the many gigabytes of the files from the cloud, so do it on a fast network connection, but they have not been deleted if you just did what it seems from context.

 

Good luck, hope you get your files back!

Pascal01
New member | Level 2
Go to solution
No. And why have they disappeared in Voice Recorder?

Valeria1
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

I cannot access that window you speak of .. how do get it besides waiting for it to "appear" becasue it is not appearing.....

Gabrielx
New member | Level 2
Go to solution

The name should not be selective synch !
I also expected the folder to stay here locally and not be synched to the cloud.

Really wrong on many levels.

 

Source63
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

No, it most certainly should not.

This is a total deviation form functionality, intended or otherwise, from previous releases - and is a sharp contrast to many other cloud sync tools we have ever used.

Example of old behaviour: Source folder that is shared across multiple devices. Each device needs a unique local config. Solution before last update? Uncheck the config file/folder. Now each computer has a local copy of their own config which does not overwrite all others, nor gets deleted by dropbox.

Since Update: All configs are destroyed. An outdated copy is possibly accessible through a convoluted web interface.

And that is why we cancelled all corporate and private accounts and are moving to Google Drive and GitLabs.

Dropbox have certainly dropped the ball on this one. Total deal breaker.

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