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Macbook Pro Update Moved My Files and now I can't locate my Documents.

Hello,

I recently updated Dropbox on my MacBook Pro and instantly regretted it. For whatever reason, Dropbox decided all of my files needed to be moved upon the newest update. Unfortunately, not all of my files wound up where/how I expected. When the update was complete, my Documents folder appeared empty, and I was very confused. However, upon closer inspection, I looked in my Documents folder with Terminal, and my files are actually there, but they are not appearing in Finder. Unfortunately, I don't believe it's as simple as Hidden vs Not Hidden because I have Finder set to show Hidden Files, and they are still not appearing there.

Here's how my file structure works (I have a feeling this has something to do with it, and this may well be extremely suboptimal by Dropbox's new standards): Like most MacBook users, I work out of three main folders: Documents, Downloads, and Desktop. Right now, the Downloads and Desktop folders in my MacBook user folder are synced with folders of the same name located in "My Mac([Computer name].local)". I can make changes in the user folders and see them reflected in Dropbox folders. That's how I've worked with it for many years, and I suspect that the latest update doesn't like that very much because the update said something about separating Backups from Sync entirely. It's possible I've misinterpreted something here, so please let me know if you know better, but that was my understanding of the reason for moving files with the update.

So, here are my questions: How can I make these files/folders visible again? More importantly, is there a downside to working with Backups in this way? I'm not totally against changing the way these work (I can accomplish similar workflows with shortcuts after all), but I want to make sure my Backups are maintained. Please let me know if I can provide any further information to help diagnose this problem.

Thanks,

Brandon

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Comments

Megan

Hi @Brandonrowe14, let's jump right into this!

In regards to not being able to see your Documents folder locally, can you try to also check your Backup page online? What do you see there?

Also, if you access the app's preferences, under Backups do you see the folder path as 'setup'? Feel free to send me any screenshots you might have, in order for me to have visual too.

Keep me posted!

Brandonrowe14

Thanks, @Megan! I appreciate your help. Here are screenshots of both views. When I click "Manage backups," I get the third screenshot. I don't see a folder path listing on that view. Please let me know if I can provide further info. Thanks again!

Screen Shot 2023-03-06 at 17.17.46 PM.png

Hannah

Thanks for the update and the screenshots, @Brandonrowe14.

Syncing files in the Dropbox folder and using Dropbox backup, are indeed different from one another.

When syncing files in the Dropbox folder, you need to manually add them in, for them to sync.

With Dropbox backup, the backup is automatic, without manually adding the files in the Dropbox folder.

Have you been using Dropbox backup for the documents folder as well, like with the downloads and desktop folders?

If you manually search for a file that's in your documents folder through Finder, are you able to locate it?

And can you see the folder path for that file?

Brandonrowe14

Hi @Hannah,

Yes, before this update, I'd been using all three folders with the backup turned on. Here are four screenshots that I think will explain the issue pretty clearly. All file paths to documents within the Documents folder that I can locate in terminal look like this: ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox/My Mac (Computer Name.local)/Documents/FileName.ext. However, none of those files/folders created before the update are actually visible in the finder window in that folder.

For example, in the below screenshot, you'll see what the Documents folder in the backup looks like in Finder. With the exception of "Test Folder," which I just created, nothing is visible.

Screen Shot 2023-03-07 at 17.55.21 PM.png

However, when I go to this same view in Terminal (or in Dropbox in the browser), all of my files/folders are visible. I'll attach a mostly blurred screenshot below to show this. This is the exact same folder within the backup as shown in the Finder screenshot above. You can see one of my old folder names above "Test Folder," which again is the same folder I just made and is also present on the Finder view above. Screen Shot 2023-03-07 at 17.55.01 PM.png

Here's the strange thing. Finder doesn't seem to know the file path for that Test Folder, which is located in ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox/My Mac (Computer Name.local)/Documents/. "Where" is totally blank. See below:

Screen Shot 2023-03-07 at 17.59.17 PM.png
Additionally, if I try to drag and drop a file into the top level of the Documents folder, it will not allow me to do so. However, if I attempt to drag and drop a file into Documents/Test Folder, I am prompted with the below message.

Screen Shot 2023-03-07 at 20.36.36 PM.png

Hannah

Thanks for the update, Brandon.

There might be something that went wrong, when backup was set up for the documents folder.

Would you mind going to your Dropbox folder and then taking a look into the "My Mac" folder, to see if you can locate all your documents folders and subfolders there?

And also, can you check your backups page online, to see if the files are there as well?

Brandonrowe14

@Hannah The files/folders created in "My Mac/Documents" before the update are visible on Dropbox Backups in the browser and via Terminal, at the filepath I mentioned above. They are not viewable in Finder.

Walter

Hey @Brandonrowe14, sorry to jump in here, but have you tried disabling the Dropbox Backup feature for your Documents folder and re-enabling it anew to see if that does the trick perhaps?

Brandonrowe14

Thanks, @Walter. I appreciate your help! I went ahead and started to try that. When I clicked "Setup," this happened. Confusingly, the file path for each folder is /Users/[myusername]/[Folder]. I would figure that was the default location.

Walter

Thanks for the screenshot and happy Monday @Brandonrowe14

May we reach out via email to have a further look internally at this point?

Kristojanis

I have the same issue with updated Dropbox, its annoying and I would love old backup folders back.
Now it seems the only way to reach your backup folders (Desktop/Documents/Downloads) is in Dropbox website.

It was very convenient to reach backup folders (Desktop/Documents/Downloads) on other devices mobile or PC, share documents and so on, but now its gone..
I have even tried uninstalling Dropbox and installing older version, but it didn't help.

Jay

Hi @Kristojanis, could you clarify the issue exactly? Are you not able to access the folders locally? Do you get an error when trying to view them?

Or, are you referring to accessing the backup specifically, while on local devices?

Kristojanis

Hello,

Previously in my Dropbox folder (~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox/) I used to have "My Mac (Computer Name).local" folder, that contained backup folders (Desktop/Documents/Downloads).

After the update, in the Dropbox folder the "My Mac (Computer Name).local" folder is gone.
The only way I can access the backup folders form other devices is through www.dropbox.com, than 9 dots on top left corner and "Backup".

The new route is long and difficult, makes usability of backup folders very poor.

Jay

Is this the backup for the specific computer you're using at the moment, or for another computer using the backup?

Kristojanis

I am using dropbox on one computer a Mac and also my phone and from time to time on my old PC.
The backup is setup for the Mac, but and it was visible along other folders while using phone or old PC, that is not the case after update.

DrNorm

EXACT SAME ISSUE... I was urgently needing a specific file to synch from laptop to cloud so I could access it on my desktop and, because DB synch status showed it was in the middle of a backup and would take many hours... I thought I could just "turn off backup" temporarily and then it would go back to synching the contents of by regular DB folders and I could re-enable Backup at a later time when I was not needing to use the computer.

BIG MISTAKE. Now everything is completely corrupted and messed and messed up. I tried "recovering" the backup but it won't let me do it to the same machine that it was created from???? I have no re-enabled Backup and am waiting for it to complete the first backup, at which point I "hope" that I can take a copy of all the files from the backup (that I downloaded to an NAS, thankfully, as they are otherwise "gone" and the original 8GB DB Backup is now missing.

This is even after I selected to keep all the files when Backup was turned off. It gives you two very confusing options ("keep in DB backup" or "keep in original location" but neither seemed to work correctly)

I have been a DB user since day one and referred so many people they should be paying ME.... but the changes with MacOS 13 have been bad (or at least, badly handled) that I am pretty soured on it. Not to mention the REALLY poor support network and FAQ's.

Emmet

This feature is not currently available on the Dropbox Backup Beta experience. The team is currently exploring solutions to this. In the meantime, there is a workaround by accessing the content from the web.