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Searching within deleted files

How do I search by file name in deleted files? When I use the search bar it searches not-deleted files, and as far as I can tell all I can do is sort deleted files by date range. I have no clue what the date of creation or deletion was, but I have the file name. Also, I only have one account using my dropbox, so who deleted it is useless. I would do ctrl+f, but dropbox's website only loads a few lines past the bottom of the visible page, so it's useless. And folders change, merge, and get removed over the years so searching by folder is also not helpful. I know I used to be able to search my entire deleted file history by file name a few years ago but haven't needed to recently.
Is there a limit to how far back deleted files are saved? I've been paying for the option sine opening my dropbox account, so in theory I should have access to anything I've ever deleted.

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Accepted answers

Jay

Hi there, depending on your plan you could have recovery periods from 30 days to 120 days, and potentially longer if you purchased Extended Version History before the new plans came out.

If you use the search bar, the deleted files will appear at the bottom of the list in grey, so you can check those grey files for the one you’re looking for.

Hope this info helps!

All comments

Jay

Hi there, depending on your plan you could have recovery periods from 30 days to 120 days, and potentially longer if you purchased Extended Version History before the new plans came out.

If you use the search bar, the deleted files will appear at the bottom of the list in grey, so you can check those grey files for the one you’re looking for.

Hope this info helps!

KWTM

How do I search for deleted files without knowing the file name? We have hundreds of thousands files in our Dropbox Business Team Folder and a good chunk have been accidentally deleted, the problem is we don't know exactly which files are misssing. Is there a way to search all deleted files from a certain time frame? We know when they were deleted and the Team Member that they were deleted by, however the deleted files don't seem to show in the 'Activity' panel in 'Admin Console' or in the search results when we search the 'Deleted Files' tab under 'Files'. They do show in our team folder when we select the 'show deleted files' function, but this option means that we have to open every folder to check if there are any deleted files within each folder - this would take us weeks to go through our entire catalogue of work.

Any other suggestions?

Daphne

Hey there, @KWTM.

You’ve definitely covered a lot of the bases there so good job so far!

What I could recommend from here would be to check the Events page in your account. You can filter for the specific Team folder and a time frame. It will give you a list of all events within there by team members.

To make it easier to identify deletion events, I could suggest using Ctrl+F and searching “delete”. Also, when you find a deletion event, you can click on this to see which files were affected and have the option to “restore” from the top right of the page.

Let me know how you get on with this - Thanks!

Dan_

Hi,

So, I think I remember the whole "greyed out results for deleted files" thing, many months ago... but here it is, Sept 2019 (barely), and I don't see that anymore in my search results.

I know there have been lots of changes in Dropbox over the last few months.

How do I search through deleted files as of Sept. 2019?

Thanks!

Dan_

Replying to self -- looks like I have to first click on "Files" on the left hand side, and then select "Deleted Files".

Jay

Hi @Dan_, it's still possible to do so.

While on the files page, you can click 'Show deleted files' on the right to show any deleted files, while still viewing your file structure.

If you just want to see deleted files, then you click the link on the left.

Hope this helps!

Dan_

Thanks Jay, that is very helpful. Appreciate the speedy reply!

Jay

No worries, glad to have helped out!

arigoldfilms

Hi folks, I'm also really baffled how to do this. I've tried clicking "show deleted files" and I get thousands of files.... I try to search for one file called "piano" which I deleted yesterday, and it toggles me back to all my files. I've been going round and round for two hours. I don't understand why I can't search among Deleted Files for a file called "Piano". Can someone please help? I've tried the instructions here. Thanks!

Jay

Hi @arigoldfilms, sorry to hear about this.

If you search for a file using the normal search bar, it will first locate all files that already exist on your account.

If you scroll down, you'll get to the 'grey' files, which are deleted files. You should be able to locate the file from there, unless it was possibly on a shared folder that you no longer have access to.

Let me know how it goes and if you can locate the file!

arigoldfilms

Unfortunately this does not work. The file that I deleted is called piano. There are literally thousands of text files in my dropbox that mention a piano. So when I search for the music file, I get a list that goes on and on and on and on and I keep scrolling and it keeps refreshing and so far I have scrolled back through a few thousand. I have not gotten to any Grey files. Is it really true that there is no simple way to search for a file name only in the Deleted section? I did try the other way where I searched during a time period that something is deleted, but because I did major file house cleaning during this time, I am also looking at thousands of files, text and otherwise. This functionality is unbelievably bad. Why can’t I just search in my deleted files for a certain file name??

Jay

Currently, there isn't an option to search for a filename specifically while you're on the deleted files page.

Since this isn't possible, I can suggest this to our dev team for their consideration to implement something like this in future to improve the usability of the site.

arigoldfilms

Yes I would argue that this issue is not "Solved" at all. I've lost 3 files, and there is no way to find them. Please tell the developers this should be remedied IMMEDIATELY.

We should be able to search by +Filename +Deleted. (And choose between filename and contents as well).

Attached is a photo of my browser history as I spent six hours trying to find the files by clicking and clicking and clicking. No luck.

Screen Shot 2019-09-10 at 1.56.26 PM.png

Mike K.61

Seconded for including this as a feature, and for saying this question should not in any way be marked "solved", that is overtly deceptive. I am trying to search my deleted files for a phrase that I have literally tens of thousands of in my regular files. By you forcing me to scroll through all the existing files before seeing the delete ones, you have forced me into a hell of literally two days of scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling.

And that's the very abbreviated version. Now multiply how annoying it is that I just did that to you by several dozen, and how much of your time that uselessly wasted by several thousand, and you have some idea of what trying to find this deleted file has put me through for the last two days.

Maybe instead of rolling out fancy new bells and whistles and trying to replace google docs, your developers should get the basic functionality we pay for, so it's actually usable without it literally taking over a day of work just to find a deleted file.

wim r.1

Any update on this? Still looking efficient way to search particulary in delted files. How to do this ... pain still there.

Lusil

Hey @wim r.1, thanks for checking in with us!

When you search for files on the website, deleted ones will currently appear at the very bottom of the results.

However, you can view and filter deleted files online by, for example, date or user. You can find out more about it in this article.

Also, you can post any ideas of features here, where other users who share the same interest can comment and upvote.

I understand this may not be the reply you were looking for, but I hope it helps to some extent.

wim r.1

This is not the answer in my point of view. I want to *search* in deleted files, not have to sort and stuff ... as @Mike K.61 mentioned it is quite hard to eally find what you want the way discribed in the link posted above ... not solved from my point of view.

vleon1012

Greets,

I'm replying in August 2020. It looks like a specific search for deleted files hasn't been implemented yet.

It would be extremely helpful to be able to specifically search for Deleted files. It shouldn't be necessary to search all files and then hunt for deleted ones, especially when there could be thousands of undeleted files that match the search text.

The filenames are obviously being retained with a logical delete flag in the database. It shouldn't too difficult to implement the existing search functionality for files with a logical delete flag.

This could be implented in at least one of two ways:

- Search for deleted files specifically on the deleted files page

- Add 2 checkboxes next to the global search prompt. "Deleted Files" and "Existing Files" or something along those lines. The user can select one of both options.

Searching for deleted files is usually an urgent (if not frantic) task and scrolling through results is a waste of time.

Cheers,

-Vic

jeromeca

Same problem here.
Very frustrating.

Please solve this!

It's a very simple development!

peta4

Hello,

searching in deleted files worked until July 2021. Now as of 19 July 2021, the search bar no longer shows deleted files. Is it a bug or am I just not aware of the new way how it's done now?

Thanks a lot, I use searching in deleted files very frequently, so it is important to me.

Cheers, Peter

Pollard

I have been using the search feature to look at deleted files regularly and all of the sudden it doesn't work anymore. VERY FRUSTURATING. Occasionally I need to go back and look at a deleted file and see what folder it was in when and I use to be able to do that easily. Not any more - why the change? Please change it back!

sprocket003

It shouldn't be so hard to find deleted files. It took me ages to find a file I deleted the same day!

Make deleted files searchable, not just being able to filter to date and location, but file name or even contents.
Don't put deleted files together in groups or "deletion events". How am I supposed to remember or know that a file was deleted (often accidentally) with another group. Must I search through every deletion group. Doesn't make much sense.

The user experience of finding deleted files is very difficult and time consuming. Not so user-friendly.

sprocket003

Apparently they no longer appear at the end of a search.

Bartek Expo Construct

I am having the same problem. Today I tried to find one of my deleted files and I had to go through dozens of pages. A searchbox to search within deleted files would be great. I see you had this idea in 2019... Now it's 2022 and it still has not been implemented. The same for EVENTS. I spent an hour browsing manually through all my events to find the deleted contents I needed.

Walter

Hey @Bartek Expo Construct, thanks for joining the discussion here and sharing your thoughts on this.

I just wanted to mention that you can post your suggestion for a search-box in the deleted files page and/or the events page in our
Share an idea area.

This way other users will be able to upvote it to show their interest and/or provide their own feedback on this too.

arigoldfilms

Hi there - this idea has a thread - commenting and Voting For This Idea is the best way to make Dropbox take notice:

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Delete-edit-and-organize/Searching-within-deleted-files/m-p/577443#M10948

eduluke

Just tried to recover an accidentally deleted file for the first time and got really frustrated.
No search function. Facepalm Dropbox

emclusk

Posting issues so far for so long has not provided a way to search deleted files. Support thus far has not been helpful for those of us lookiong to find files deleted long ago (I have Packrat gradfathered). Dropbox: are you trying to push users out?

Hannah

Hey @emclusk, thank you for the nudge and your feedback here.

Are you trying to restore something deleted a long time ago? And if so, have you tried contacting our support team about this?

If you want, I can open a ticket for you, in order to look further into this.

emclusk

Yes, but the assumption seems to be that I know the name of the file. More detailed and varied options need to be facing the user while in deleted files at least as much as the default search allows. It is maddening to be sent away from deleted files to conduct a serious and easy search.