Previously deleted or moved files and subfolders reappear

[lizchart]

My company has a shared folder that has somewhat "spontaneously" decided to restore deleted files and subfolders.  I generated an Event list and found the culprit. However, I'm unsure how to fix this as well as how to avoid this in the future. Any suggestions?

[Jay · Accepted solution]

Hi Liz, you can’t prevent users from restoring deleted files, unless you permanently delete the files. This prevents any option to recover them, even from our end.

You can submit a rollback request, if you want the shared folder to return to before this change was made on the system.

Hope this info helps!

[lizchart]

restoring action makes sense, however, this was not something this member actively did. Is there a possible syncing issue knowing multiple people computers and laptops have access to the folder? or any notable actions that would cause instances of reappearing deleted/moved folders so we can avoid that in the future?

[Jay]

If the event says restored, then the files were definitely recovered using the built-in system on the Dropbox site to restore files.

The adding and deleting of files could be attributed to moving files out and into a shared folder (i.e. deleting from one shared folder, and then adding them to another shared folder, or back to the same one).

Another possibility is that someone with an older version of the Dropbox desktop application (and I do mean old, several versions back) connected to the web, their version of the files as they appear on the machine would sync to the site, overwriting what’s already there.

[lizchart]

that's interesting, I do have a follow-up question- 

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@Jay wrote:
If the event says restored, then the files were definitely recovered using the built-in system on the Dropbox site to restore files.

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which built-in system on the site? Or, are you referring to a user being online instead of local files?

Is there a way to get these files, seeing as they were restored in bulk, deleted in bulk? since they were added back by the same member at the same time?

[Jay]

By built-in, I meant the events page, or deleted files page, which allows users to restore files, which you were on in that screenshot.

In order to see if it’s possible to rollback that shared folder, would it be okay if we reach out to you at the email address associated with your forum profile?

[lizchart]

yes, please contact me directly