Why was my Dropbox quota reduced?

[Rachel L.]

I alternate between using Dropbox on my laptop (Windows 10), and the Dropbox Android app on my tablet.

I just started up Dropbox on my laptop and got a Windows notification saying my Dropbox space had been "reduced." ? I couldn't tell by how much, though; it listed 1000-something GB, which seems like how much space I should have, since I'm on the paid 1TB plan. I checked the settings in the desktop app and it says I'm using 2.0% of 1,027.2GB (site says I'm using 20.99GB out of 1TB). I don't know if that's the exact amount of GB space I had before, but I know I was using up 2% earlier, so that hasn't changed.

I checked my account settings, I'm not due to renew my subscription until June. Still on the paid plan.

Checked my deleted files on the Dropbox site; nothing recent. I hadn't even made any changes to any files between now and the last time I used Dropbox, so I don't know why I'd suddenly get this notification. I can't even tell by how much it was supposedly reduced? (The notification disappeared as soon as I read it.) I have no notifications on the Dropbox site or in the desktop app. (Haven't checked my tablet yet.)

Any idea what might have prompted this or what it means? Is it something to do with Windows rather than Dropbox? If so, what? There's no chance I've lost any files? (They're all saved to my hard drive, but in the Dropbox folder.)

[Mark · Accepted solution]

Did you have any promo space on your account?

That is usually time limited - www.dropbox.com/events may show it

[Rachel L.]

I have no idea what promo space is. 😕 When I clicked the link you provided, though, it does say, "Your quota was decreased to 1 TB. Yesterday 11:36 PM." It gives no further details.

I thought the paid plan was 1TB to begin with? So I'm not sure how much I lost, or what it was from. The last time I added any space to my account was when I switched to the paid plan last June.

EDIT, ah, wait! I looked under "Plan" for my account. It says there was a 25GB "HP promotion" for "HP + Dropbox" 4/28/2017 and it's expired. I don't quite recall what that was but that must be it.

Thank you!

[ManuG]

What's the default space on Dropbox? because suddenly mine is not sync anymore as apparently it's full but I only have 3.25GB on it! I'm sure it used to be 10GB of free space?

[Mark]

The default free account is 2gb or 2.5gb if you were referred by somebody.

[dolphinleaver]

It looks to me that it is time to move to Google Drive. 

Mine got suddenly reduced for no reason and now it can't sync my documents. No worries but unfortunately for Dropbox there are many easy alternatives

[Rich]

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@dolphinleaver wrote:

Mine got suddenly reduced for no reason and now it can't sync my documents.

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There's always a reason and if you follow Mark's information above, you'll likely see what the reduction was from. It was likely a space promotion that expired, either from a mobile device or HP, Dell, etc.

[Tammy Workman]

over the years I referred so many people I had earned extra space - I have now been reduced and files I could once open I am no longer "eligible" to open!!! ANd so unless I pay more my files are hostage  😞  wth - so much for earned space

[Rich]

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@Tammy Workman wrote:

over the years I referred so many people I had earned extra space - I have now been reduced ...

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Space earned from referrals is permanent. You don't lose it. If you've had a reduction in space then it was likely from some other time limited bonus, such as that from a mobile device, certain computer brands or some other promotion.

Also, a reduction is space doesn't prevent you from opening any files. There is no "eligibility" for open files you store in Dropbox. Your files are your files, and Dropbox cannot prevent you from using them.