conflicting copies and deleted files still appearing

[nathan s.2]

For weeks now we have been seeing the same users getting conflicting copies in there group dropbox folders. These users won't ever open these specific files therefore don't understand why the same files constantly have conflicting files.
This is not the only problem users have been complaining that when they've deleted files from dropbox that the next day these files have reappeared again.
Help with this is much appreciated.

[Julia B.4]

We also are having similar conflicted copy problems. Copies are appearing tagged with users who not been even in the folder nor opened the file.  Also getting conflicted .pdfs which surely can't happen. Files that have been deleted are reappearing a few hours later. Driving the office mad. 

[Mariedb]

Hi all, 

Thanks for your messages and your feedback. 

1. Dropbox works in such a way that it syncs the latest version of the file picked up by Dropbox. Problems with this would only occur if Dropbox is installed on a server:

It is possible to run Dropbox on a computer running a server OS. However, because Dropbox runs as a user process rather than as a service, the user account has to remain logged in for Dropbox to sync properly.

If you can't stay logged in, you'll need to install Dropbox as a service. Here's one application that can help do this:

http://www.coretechnologies.com/products/AlwaysUp/

However, these methods are not supported by Dropbox, and we cannot provide technical support for them. If you have any trouble, you may want to check out how other users have done this from our forums:

http://www.dropboxforum.com

Additionally, keep in mind that while Dropbox can run on a server OS, we do not recommend locally sharing the Dropbox folder, or any folders inside of the Dropbox folder, over your local network or using it for other server-specific functions due to the way the Dropbox application works with this Dropbox folder.

For information about running Dropbox on a server, and general recommendations, please visit the following Help Center article:

https://www.dropbox.com/help/42

For information on how to migrate the content of a server to Dropbox and suggestions to improve the efficacy of the process, please visit the following Help Center article:

https://www.dropbox.com/help/9116

2. If there are two profiles/ users/ programs accessing the same file at the same time (this could be an anti-virus scanning the files while the file is open on your computer), then Dropbox will detect that there are changes being made at the same time and will created a conflicted copy. 

To see whether this is the issue you are seeing, please try editing the file outside of Dropbox and then placing it in Dropbox again to see whether a conflicted copy is created at this point. 

Do let me know how you get on. Thanks! 

[Tamie W.]

"Problems with this would only occur if Dropbox is installed on a server"

Nope! Mine is installed on a couple of different computers, but not a server.

"If there are two profiles/ users/ programs accessing the same file at the same time "

Again, not in my case. As mentioned in my own original post, I wait until DropBox is finished syncing and Computer A is shut down before I ever bother booting up the other, let alone starting up DropBox on Computer B. And vice versa.

In either case, I'll still find "conflicted copies" on Computer A. Also, it's the exact same profile/user, just a different machine. I don't use DropBox to share with other users (though I have one single folder set up for sharing), I use it as a substitute for when I couldn't remember which version was the most up-to-date when migrating files via flash drives.

[Richard M.41]

I agree with Tamie W. and will add that when the conflicted copies started showing up for us, each of them was corrupted beyond recovery as was the non-conflicted copy. Restoring from dropbox backups was only successful occasionally and we finally just deleted hundreds of files and went back to local backup copies (thank goodness we had).

[Julia B.5]

I also agree with Tamie and Richard. Dropbox is not on a server. I have had multiple conflicted copies generated by three different computers on the same day at the same time - none of which were operating at the time.  How could that happen? I have been in touch with support but they really have no answer to this.

[hanna p.]

I have one computer only. I am trying to set up an organized filing system, but it is simply impossible with DropBox. My system is growing an growing while I am NOT adding any new information!. Please do something about this.

[Ray H.]

I'm having very similar problems

I have 2 computers both running dropbox & W10

On one of the computers (lets call this the Master) I moved (added) a folder with about 5,000 files/pictures in it and left it to synch - this is when the fun began as both computers ('Master' and 'Slave' my laptop) started to report - 'xx files added' followed almost immediately with 'xx conflicted files added' popups on both computers - after a day of synching and physically deleting the conflicted copies from both computers - they were still coming in (being added)  - I turned off the dropbox synch on Slave and the problem stopped on both computers - turning the synch back on on Slave and it all started again on both computers.

Does anyone know why/how and if so how do I stop it - I still have 3,000 files synching reporting 2 days left on both computers - HEEELLLLLPPPPPPP!

[Mariedb]

Hi there, 

If another program is accessing the files while you are editing/ moving/ deleting them, then conflicted copies will be created. Try placing the files outside of the Dropbox folder when you are modifying them (or quite Dropbox when you are making the change). When you place the files back in the Dropbox folder or when you activate Dropbox again, the changes should be taken into account and you should not get any conflicted copies. 

Let me know if you are still having issues with this. 

Thanks! 

[Daryl C.]

There is definitely a bug.  I have 3 Windows 7 Pro PC's (not server).  I ONLY edit the files on 1 PC (have not opened the files in anyway on the other 2 PC's).  The 2 other PC's have DropBox installed just to keep a local backup of the files, but again they have not been accessed or opened in anyway on the other PC's.  The other 2 PC's have actually been off for a couple of weeks so there is no way the files were accessed much less changed. 

I turned one of the other PC's on yesterday and while DropBox was indexing on that PC it started creating Conflicted copies from the PC that had been off for the files that were changed on the main PC while it was off.  I later shut down that other PC after sync finished and then today booted the 2nd backup PC which has also been off.  It now created conflicted copies from it for files that were changed on the Main PC while this other PC was off.  We all understand how it's "supposed" to work, that if two copies are changed it creates the conflict to not lose the changes but why is it creating conflicted files by turning on a PC that had been off and in no way even opened the files much less changed them.

Please correct this error as it is creating a situation where it may render DropBox unusable for many people.  Thanks.

[Fabien P.]

My dropbox contains about 300MB of files. Last year I got another macbook from work with a 256GB SSD... no luck syncing my files. So I waited... and I just got myself a 1TB external and I have reinstalled Dropbox on this new computer.

It's tried to sync over 600,000 files!! nowhere near what I have, but it creates a range of conflicted files for every file I have and so I never finish downloading. The list goes on.

My itunes folder was 30,000 files (really only about 5,000) and I've tried to get my files for 30 hours straight. I made the mistake of 'pausing sync' for 5 minutes (needed for bandwidth) and for the last 3 hours it has now been merely downloading the file list. I don't even know when it'll sync again... but I can tell you that it says it is "uploading 54,000" files... God knows why...

Dropbox: my life is on this thing. You'd better figure out how to get me my files.