I have a "ghost" folder which keeps re-appearing no matter how many times it is deleted. Any clues?
Hey, is the folder you are trying to delete empty or does it contain any files? Usually this happens because a piece of software on a computer that the folder is shared on is trying to access it, and is recreating it when someone else deletes it.If there is a file in there, looking at the 'previous versions' will tell you which machine the culprit is. If you don't have a file in there, add a test one, delete the folder again and when it reappears, you'll be able to solve the mystery! Deleting the folder on the rogue machine will fix it permanently.
hey, where is the folder - is it in your top-level directory? and where are you deleting it, on web or on the desktop client?
Hmm, so is it right at the top? Right when you open your Dropbox? Or is it a folder within a folder?Also, if you are a Dropbox for Business customer, you might want to check to make sure that the folder isn't a "team folder" i.e. something that is shared with everyone in your team. I don't think you can delete that.
Sorry, yes it's a folder within a folder. And we are a business customer. We don't use team folders but the main folder that this folder is filed under, is "shared" ... should I try unsharing the main folder, then try and delete?
Can I also add that I have previously been able to delete other folders, within this same main folder, without unsharing ... so not sure what is so special about this one! Our dropbox went haywire the other day and created doubles of folders, that didn't match. Very frustrating.
Thanks Holly. Will try when I get to the office tomorrow. There are also sub-folders within the folder, but they do not contain any documents. I think I know which machine is doing it though so will give it a go.
I have selected 'Delete' on selected folder, it disappears then reappears with the same exact 'date modified' date stamp within 5 seconds after I select 'Delete.' I have tried about 10x and so has my friend who shares the same Dropbox. Looked at security permission and I have all activated.
Thank you for any help.
Hi Island! Sorry to hear about this folder reappearing. Reappearing files and folders usually occur because one or more of the computers that are synced are still accessing the folders. If you delete them, an application on another computer recreates them to continue working on the files.
To solve this issue, you should delete the file or folder from the Dropbox folder on the computer that's recreating the file. You can see which computer has re-added the file by going to the website and checking previous versions of the file.
The instructions for checking a file's version history can be viewed here:
https://www.dropbox.com/help/11
Please note that you can only view the previous version of files not folders. If you have a reappearing folder, you'll need to open the folder until you locate a file, so that you can view the previous version of the file within the folder.
I hope this helps!
I have the same problem and this didn't help me.The instruction of this Help does not Help me see the folder's history.
It's a folder I created, and I have a few people that shared the same folder. Two days ago, I accidentally added a folder with to many GB, and I deleted it immediately. since than it's keeps showing with it's subfolders. All of them are empty of files. I'm unable to delete is as it reappears 5 seconds too.
I have the same problem. The folder I am trying to delete is empty, so it doesn't help to search for a file history
Sorry to hear about this! If you go to dropbox.com/support and follow the instructions there, you should be able to get in touch with a member of the support team. Please let us know the name of the empty folder which is reappearing, and we can figure out which computer is adding it.
Thanks!
I am having the same issue, can you tell me if this was solved?
I already done that, but today I received an answer from you guys, that tell me to go to support again.So you are telling me to go there, and there is telling me to go here.Do you recon this is a good support? that each one is "throwing" me to the other?come on...
Can someone Help please?
I had a contact with the French support team and they helped me solve the problem.There was one (authorised) computer which was trying to access the shared folder for synchronisation. Because the folder was considered active by Dropbox, Dropbox kept recreating it immediately. The support team was able to tell me which device. All I had to do is close Dropbox on this computer, then log to the Dropbox website from the same computer and delete the desired folders.
I already tried that, nothing I do helps.I really need the support team, but it seems no one really helps.
I'm hoping someone can help with this problem. I have been using Dropbox for a few years across a number of devices (2 desktop Macs, a laptop, an iPhone and an iPad). This last week, when I try to delete a folder it reappears a moment later. If I move it into another folder, the same thing happens. I have checked and all my other devices are switched off or not trying to sync while I am doing this. Any advice on how to stop it?
If the folder is empty, insert a file into it, and then delete the folder, this is a known glitch (unknown cause). If the folder has a file appearing in it, then right click the file and check previous versions, for the machine that is uploading it again, this machine is normally failing to delete the file, and following that finds the file still there so thinks its a new file and uploads it again.
Hi,
I have exactly the same problem and it the issue also started recently - I do not recall seeing this earlier. I note that I have just upgraded to PRO.
I hope we will get a good explanation or answer soon.
Note: The issue occurs on the mac but also when deleting in the Dropbox browser interface.
This issue is still happening here too, and the suggestion here failed to resolve it.
@Charles V. : I gave advise for an empty folder option, and a file present folder option.
Which do you have?
Just saying you still have it and nothing else wont do anything to help you out, its like ringing 911 after your last call and repeating you need help and hanging up again without an address supplied.
I am having this problem also. Has anyone found a way forward?
Nope ... I posted the original query and none of their suggestions deleted the folder. It is still there. I still can't see why someone from "Dropbox" can't access it and delete it, when they can see everything else that is going on.
hey, if you file a ticket at dropbox.com/support we can take a deeper look at the issue.
I had the reappearing folder issue, and in my case, it was caused by deleting the folder on two computers, rather than deleting the folder on one computer, and letting it sync to the other. The folder was filled with subfolders and files, and deleting it on my computer or on the Dropbox site didn't work, it just kept coming back. I finally deleted it by a weird combo of actions, but it may have just required deleting it from my other computer. Not sure if this will aid anyone, but Dropbox Support is pretty helpful, so if you don't get it solved here, contact support! And if support helps you out, can you say what they did, so others can learn from this thread?
I have the same issue. Was there any resolution here? I've tried deleting from the dropbox website too and it still reappears.
SOLVED: Just had a persistant set of three folders that kept re-appearing after deleting locally (on my linux machine). I "Launched the Dropbox website" and after a while - not the first look in the folder! - I found a single file - with a very long file name. (The names were file names I had chosen). Once I saw these, deleted each file, then deleted the directorys one by one. Virtually straight away the locally synced versions disapeered off my linux machine :-)
Think I found an answer for this. Log on to the browser version. Go to Settings (on the dropdown under your sign in). Click on Security tab. Scroll down until you see your devices. I had several devices listed that I don't use anymore. Once I removed those devices, the delete function started working, both online and on my desktop. You will be able to see if you have such a problem by looking at the last time the device was accessed.
Hi All. I've had the same problem for a while and somehow today I think I've cracked it... though not exactly how as it was totally a case of trial and error. I started by logging out of Dropbox on all devices I thought might be connected including the PC I'm using now as well as a couple of iPads.
I'm not sure it's an issue with Dropbox itself as I found some settings in the "Auto-play" part of the Control Panel of my PC which I think may have been causing the error. I'm running Windows 7 - to open the Control Panel, click on the Start Button on the bottom LHS of the screen, Control Panel will be on the LHS of the menu that pops up. Click on Control Panel. When the Control Panel open up, click in the Search window at the top RHS of the screen and type "auto". A list of results will appear, one of which should be AutoPlay. Click on AutoPlay. In this screen you will see a a large number of items which can be configured. When I opened this screen it had "Import Photos and Videos using Dropbox" selected for a lot of the configuration items. For each one that had this, I changed it to "Ask me everytime". Once you've updated all the "... Dropbox" items, then click on the Save button. Once I did that I opened Windows Explorer, went to the Dropbox folder and deleted all the folders that I didn't want. I then logged back into Dropbox on my PC only. Can't remember if the folders had already disappeared, but if they hadn't I also deleted them within Dropbox. Then I started typing this comment... and the folder still hasn't come back! Hope this helps.
