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Some of my files inside my Dropbox folder show up as zero bytes. Why is that?

saguilar2012

When I save file, the file will appear in my DropBox, but when I open it the file is completely blank or only kept an older version of the document. I realized some of these "saved" items are being saved as Zero bytes. I am not sure why this is happening.

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Accepted answers

Jay

If it is still syncing, then it means that it isn’t up to date yet.

I’d recommend waiting until all your files have finished syncing before attempting to open those files.

If it doesn’t stop syncing, try an advanced reinstall of the app to see if this resolves the issue.

All comments

Jay

Hi there, are you opening the files on the Dropbox site or on your machine itself?

If you’re using the site, could you try switching browsers to see if this helps? Otherwise, use incognito/private browsing mode without any extensions running, clearing your cache and even resetting your browser entirely.

If the machine, could you check if the Dropbox desktop application is running, and what status it has in the menu bar or system tray?

Let me know how it goes!

saguilar2012

Hi Jay -

I accessing it from my computer/machine. I am not sure what you mean by "check if the Dropbox desktop application is running, and what status it has in the menu bar or system tray?" I access my DropBox from my favorites and it's also something i can access from my dock. How do I check if it is running and its status?

Jay

Is it visible in the menu bar or system tray, as per this article?

When you hover over the icon, you’ll see if the app is syncing or up to date.

saguilar2012

Ah ok. When I looked at the menu bar, it appears that the Dropbox incon is Syncing. Is there any other reason why it is saving my docs as Zero Bytes, resulting in blank pages when I open the document?

Jay

If it is still syncing, then it means that it isn’t up to date yet.

I’d recommend waiting until all your files have finished syncing before attempting to open those files.

If it doesn’t stop syncing, try an advanced reinstall of the app to see if this resolves the issue.

Alinemac

I have the same problem. I accessed the document directly on Dropbox. It shows many documents I have stored there but it says the document is zero bytes and its empty. I am kind of in despair! Can't lose all that work!!!

Mark

My guess @Alinemac is that you are on a Mac and the file has either been moved to, copied to, or saved to Dropbox which has then uploaded the temp 'holder' file that Dropbox creates (at 0bytes). Time hasnt then been allowed to upload the full file once the copy/move etc. has finished.

The only way to retrieve the file now is to go back to the original device and let it finish uploading

MikeHorn

I realize that this thread is a couple years old, but I have just started having this same problem on my Mac. Have been using this same set of folders for almost a year with no problems but now they are all showing (in Finder) as Zero Bytes. If I got to Dropbox in a browser, the files are all there. But when I need to use the files, I have to go to the browser, download a copy, and then use. Not only are there extra steps but we also have potential version issues with the files themselves. (We use Dropbox as "public" storage and sharing of approved product photos).

In a browser, everything is normalIn Mac Finder, the files are showing Zero Bytes

Mark

Hi @MikeHorn

Have you set up Smart Sync? https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/smart-sync

MikeHorn

I thought I had selected that when reinstalling Dropbox. I do not see the SmartSync option in Finder.

Screen Shot 2022-03-26 at 12.23.08 PM.png

Mark

Dropbox isnt running on your machine by the look of it @MikeHorn

www.dropbox.com/downloading to reinstall and see if that helps

MikeHorn

I tried a complete uninstall/reinstall and have the same problem. I see the normal files in the browser but in Finder, a bunch say "Zero Bytes." It's not all of the files either. I'm using an M1 MacBook Air. I installed the Silicon Mac file.

Megan

Hi @MikeHorn, how are you today?

Can you see the updated version of files online on the web? Also, what is the app's syncing status?

Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there.

5yska

Hi to all,

we started having this issue today! All of our precious and heavy .STL (3D) files are showing 0 bytes both locally and on the web. We are paying to have dropbox in order to keep those files in the cloud and not locally so we do not have another back up to re-upload everything back to dropbox (the very reason why we have dropbox in the first place... )

Please help! All is synced, the files are not new and we have been using them previously with no issues. Why would they go blank now?

best regards,

Hannah

Hey @5yska, thanks for the nudge here.

What is your computer's OS and was it recently updated?

Which version of Dropbox do you have installed on the computer and what is the sync status at the moment?

You can see that by hovering your mouse over the Dropbox icon in your system tray/menu bar.

5yska

Hi Hannah,

thank you for getting back to me on this one!

it's says "Up to date" and number 147.4.4800. My Mac Book OS is Big Sur so not recently updated. It is also happening on my partner's Mac with Monterey OS. It is only happening to one folder of STL files, not affecting other folders. It's very bizarre and stressful as we don't have another back up for those 😞

best regards,

Hannah

Thanks for the update here!

Can you check if you see the correct file sizes, when looking through the version history for those files?

maria1801

I'm experiencing the same issue. I'm on Mac OS Monterey version 12.3.1 and using Dropbox from my desktop. I use Dropbox version 148.4.4519 and it is up to date. The files are made available offline but won't open neither on desktop or online.

Nancy

Hi @maria1801, I hope you’re doing well.

Can you please try @Hannah's suggestion above, and check the previous versions of your files?

If you can also provide a screenshot of what appears on your end (both on your desktop app and your web account), that’d be super helpful.

Give me a shout, when you’ve got more updates!

idontgetoutmuch

I also have this problem. I have read through the thread. What is the latest suggestion to fix this problem?

idontgetoutmuch

I've looked at version history and I can see that a file has 900 bytes via the dropbox browser but 0 bytes on my desktop.

Nancy

Hi @idontgetoutmuch, I hope you’re doing well!

Can you let me know if you see any syncing icon next to this file on your desktop app, and what that icon is (green checkmark/cloud icon etc)?

Also, what OS are you using and what’s the current syncing status of your Dropbox app?

idontgetoutmuch

It has a cloud icon. Another file in the same folder has a green check mark. I am on macOS 12.4. The app reports all my files are up to date.

Megan

Hey @idontgetoutmuch, thanks for the info!

If you right click on said file, do you see the option to make available offline by any chance?

idontgetoutmuch

@Nancy wrote:
Hi @idontgetoutmuch, I hope you’re doing well!

Can you let me know if you see any syncing icon next to this file on your desktop app, and what that icon is (green checkmark/cloud icon etc)?

Also, what OS are you using and what’s the current syncing status of your Dropbox app?

I have a green checkmark. I am on macOS 12.4. Dropbox says my files are up to date.

Dropbox on the web says the file is 500 kb - the dropbox app says it's 0 kb.

idontgetoutmuch

Ok so I have to right click and then select make available offline. I never used to have to do this 😞

idontgetoutmuch

So having to click on thousands of files to synchronise them really makes dropbox unusable.

antoniojl

I've been having this problem for a long time. I figured Dropbox had screwed something up, as lots of very old files were showing as zero bytes; some PSDs, some text files, lots of files (but crucially, not all of them). My theory was that, at some point, Dropbox decided to sync the zero-byte placeholder file back over the actual file. However, I've just searched for a text file in my Dropbox, and the search metadata finds the text, even though the file's content (on the web, and on my Mac), is empty, zero bytes. The file's history only shows it being created, at 2.04kb, but when I restore or download that version, the file is empty. Is there a way to fix this? Where has my data gone?

Jay

Hi @antoniojl, have you tried marking those files and folders as available offline, in order for the file to be local on your machine?

antoniojl

Yes, I tried this, but the files still appear as empty. In fact, they have the file _size_ of the full file according to Dropbox web (i.e. 2kb in the one case I mentioned), but upon being opened by a hex editor, the contents are zeroed out entirely, e.g.:

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
...
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000

This is also true of the files in other formats (e.g. PSDs). This definitely seems like it occurred in an incident; not all my files are affected, and it's only ones of a certain age (rather old/infrequently accessed). Does Dropbox even still have my data (as per the web search being able to show a preview of the empty text files), or is it actually lost?