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Re: Randomly deleted files and folders

Randomly deleted files and folders

currentcapital
Helpful | Level 6
Go to solution

Anyone else experiencing files and folders being deleted from Dropbox without human intervention?

 

I know that I'm going to get the stock Dropbox answer here that it can't happen, but I can explicitly tell you it does.

 

What I saw was random deletions of over 10,000 files/folders in the space of less than 33 seconds. Even with the best will in the world - not to mention the fastest fingers - this just isn't possible. Especially considering that some complete folders, and in some cases just files within folders, disappeared at 13:30 BST yesterday, all within 33 seconds (according to the event log). 

 

The kicker is that the only person who has access to these files/folders is me - and I know for sure that I didn't delete them.

 

I guess there may be 2 explanations:

 

1) I entered a fugue state and decided to delete all my work on a number of cases

2) Something is happening with the Dropbox software that either Dropbox don't know about or can't fix

 

Been trying to get Dropbox support to assist, but got the usual default customer service answer of "it's not us it's you". Well, I know it's not me - so by extension it must be the software!

 

Next step is to request a refund of my yearly plan as I cannot have something that intervenes in my workflow like this and then wastes half a day (and counting) trying to figure out what's missing. I guess the only silver lining is that I have a Dropbox business account, so files are kept forever. Small benefit, but a good one at this stage.

 

So, after my long winded moan above, anyone have a resolution to stop Dropbox from deleting things from my folders? Or is it just time to move on to another provider?

 

Finally, don't let anyone from Dropbox tell you differently (especially the "Super Users") as I can categorically say it happens. They'll tell you it can't, but I know for a fact that it can.

 

Best of luck and hoping you don't fall foul of the same problems I've had.

60 Replies 60

crewsgrady
New member | Level 2
Go to solution

We are in the same boat. Dropbox "help" has consisted mostly of canned chats and email responses and refusal to give a call back. I've been very disappointed. Our mass deleted docs were also restored randomly and out of place. Once we tried to move them all around appropriately on a desktop version, caused another mass deletion online. No satisfactory explanation from dropbox. Service used to be much better. I hope they acknowlege the cause and get everyone assisted that is having this problem.

SKBJ
Explorer | Level 4
Go to solution

Exactly the same happened to me this week. Hundreds of files, all Word  + Excel docs vanished into thin air!! The folders are all there, other files extensions like PDF or jpeg are there but they don't concern me there's maybe 20-30 files of that kind, the W +E files are the ones I used for my client work. 

I am absolutely fuming that I keep getting responses that have nothing to do with solving the issue and taking responsibility.

 

If a person is a single user of a folder of course the events log will say "You added or You deleted" but I well know I did not do anything, I wasn't even at my computer at the time it happened and I was home so there's no chance someone sat at my computer and started moving things, plus it all happened in a few minutes....apparently in 1 minute alone "I" moved and equally deleted over 100 files...that's physically impossible!!

 

Now I see others experienced the same, so I too would like for Dropbox to start taking responsibility, but first off they need to restore all the files where they were, this is despicable!!

 

And thinking I was even considering moving to Dropbox for work. 

Not after this experience!

Jane
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Hey SKBJ

 

Thanks for getting in touch, missing important files is troubling, I understand your frustration. 
 
I 've run a search on our system and I've made sure that your open request has been forwarded to our team specialists, who will take care of the restoration. Rest assured that you’re in safe hands from this point on. If you have further concerns about why your files were deleted, please include these in your reply there, our team specialists will definitely help you determine the cause, so as to prevent this from happening again in the future. 
 
Hope this gets resolved soon! 
 
Kind regards, 
JaneA

 


Jane
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support

 

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Watts H.
Helpful | Level 6
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Yes, Dropbox help totally useless, to the point of being comically bad:  multiple emails from different "customer service" staff insisting they would help, with NONE of them responding to the very clear details I laid out and requests made for their help.  Literally, after weeks of correspondance, NOT ONE DROP BOX STAFF MEMBER responded in any coherent way at all.

 

At some later point, all of the folders that had been moved/altered then "mysteriously" dissappeared from my dropbox root folder.    HUH?  (dropbox staff going in to "clean up" screw up? -- no idea...)

 

My lesson here:  Dropbox CANNOT BE USED FOR CRITICAL BACKUP:  the system will corrupt, relocate, and potentially delete or alter files by itself, and they have no ability to research, confirm, reverse, monitor, or protect against such events.  Because this is a "mirroring" system, these faults in Dropbox will potentially result in permanant loss of important data.

 

Jane
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Hey Watts H

 

I'd be glad to investigate this with you. 

 

Would you mind opening a new ticket and let me know once you have done so, in order to follow-up and look up the piece of information you'd like to know more about on our system? 

 
Thanks in advance for your cooperation!
 
Warm regards, 
JaneA

 


Jane
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support

 

Heart Did this post help you? If so please give it a Like below. 
:white_check_mark: Did this post fix your issue/answer your question? If so please press the 'Accept as Best Answer' button to help others find it.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Still stuck? Ask me a question! (
Questions asked in the community will likely receive an answer within 4 hours!)

Watts H.
Helpful | Level 6
Go to solution

No, had enough "help" from you and your colleagues, thanks.

 

Totally incompetent.

 

 

Watts H.
Helpful | Level 6
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Can't help with follow that up with a:  "are you joking?"

 

If you are so determined to help -- do the research and send me answers to my original requests, which you should be able to find in correspondance logs related to my account (if not, that is not my problem, so don't bother me with that excuse either...).

 

And, make a BIG NOTE in my account to your colleagues:  DO NOT SEND THIS CUSTOMER ANY MORE MESSAGES OFFERING TO HELP.

 

Either respond to original requests, or don't waste any more of my time.

currentcapital
Helpful | Level 6
Go to solution
@Mark the "SuperUser"

I love the attitude. You are without doubt the most helpful person on these boards.

I'm not sure how much more helpful you could be - it's absolutely amazing.

Writing everything off to some "100s with buggy systems" and why would dropbox care about them? Guess people pointing out a problem is just too much to deal with.

Hope Dropbox know that you are the face of their company!

currentcapital
Helpful | Level 6
Go to solution
As I initially started this thread, I will throw my two cents in here.

Short answer - Dropbox support are absolutely no use. Back everything up to hard drive, cancel your dropbox account and move to a different supplier.

I've got things running on Sync.com and everything seems to be working as it should be. They even encrypt everything end to end and charge less than the buggy Dropbox system.

Hope this helps

currentcapital
Helpful | Level 6
Go to solution
Love it.

The "help" I got from Support could have been provided by a 3 year old.

Sync.com for me, but make your own call.

Cheers
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