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Mistakenly deleted Dropbox app from Applications folder on my iMac with Monterey 12.4.

I'm a personal mac user, not part of a group or team.

The deletion included some old files I no longer needed. After the deletion, I emptied the Trash folder. This occurred around July 12th, I think.

Now I can't access Documents, Downloads or Desktop folders using Finder. I have always used Passport with the Time Machine app as backup, and no matter how far back I go, neither the Dropbox app nor the Documents, Downloads, Desktop folders can be be found. I had hoped to recover them. I tried upgrading to Monterey 12.5 and that made no difference.

My Dropbox app was Basic, so I have just ordered an upgrade to Dropbox Plus, and hoped to recover everything with that. But when I sign in to Dropbox.com and try to download Plus, I get a message saying, "Dropboxinstaller.dmg failed".

Help!

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Accepted answers

Jay

Hi @JohnL3, since you mentioned the Documents folder was in Dropbox, it's possible you may have enabled the computer backup feature, however, it might not have completed the migration, as there are no files on the Dropbox site on the events page or the deleted files page.

As you also deleted the Trash on the machine, it's possible that the specific folders were also in the Trash somehow, though it wouldn't be possible to determine this now.

All comments

Mark

Hi @JohnL3

Unfortunately upgrading to a different plan now wont give any more recovery windows I'm afraid.

In terms of reinstalling you probably need to do an advanced reinstall https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/desktop/advanced-reinstall

JohnL3

Mark, thank you for the reply.

I had already mistakenly deleted the Dropbox app and emptied Trash a week or so ago, which started the problems I posted to you. So I skipped right to the Terminal folder step and followed the instructions to enter the code lines.

Using Finder to look for "~/dropbox on the hard drive doesn't come up with anything. So following the instructions to reinstalling in a certain location are a bit confusing to me.

After entering the code to Terminal, I again tried to download the new Dropbox app I signed up for yesterday. I got the same message I posted to you - "Dropboxinstaller.dmg failed."

Since I'm not a tech, just a user, maybe I should take the Mac to an Apple Genius, unless you have further suggestions.

Megan

Hi @JohnL3, let's jump right into this!

In regards to your missing files, it's a bit concerning that you emptied the trash, however it'd be worth having a look into your events page.

The Events page at www.dropbox.com/events gives you an overview of all activity in your account including deletions.

Now, as for the app keep in mind that the downloading link and app itself remains the same, no matter what plan you're using. Just pointing this out, since you mentioned it's a new app.

Do you see the error when installing the app or downloading the installer?

Let me know more!

JohnL3

Thanks, Megan.

I just went to the Events page and there's very little in there. I don't see anything about downloading errors. In fact, there is no activity recorded until 7/22, when it says I added a Documents folder, which is empty, and increased my quota to 2TB, which must be my order for the Plus version. When I change the date on events - looking back to 7/21, 7/20, etc., there is simply a message saying "you have no activity yet".

Nancy

Hi @JohnL3, and sorry for jumping in.

Have you also checked your Deleted files page perhaps? Do you see anything more or are your computer files not showing there either?

JohnL3

Hi Nancy,

I just checked Deleted Files page, and it says "there are no recently deleted files".

To update you, I just returned from our Apple Store, where I had an appointment with a "Genious". He spent several hours and ran some software, but ended up having no idea what is wrong or how the Finder folders Documents, Downloads and Desktop could have disappeared, or where they are, or how to find them.

I myself can't see how anything I did could have caused the problem. All I did was delete the Dropbox app.

JohnL3

If Dropbox was routinely sending my files to the Dropbox Cloud, would the missing files have previously been stored on a Dropbox server someplace?

I was using Dropbox Basic, which I think stores the backup for 30 days, right?

Hannah

Hi there, @JohnL3, how are you?

The thing is, did you ever access these desktop files through our website?

Meaning, did the desktop folders actually sync to your Dropbox?

If they synced, and you deleted the Dropbox app along with the folders, the deletions should appear both in your events and deleted files page.

But if they never actually made it to your Dropbox account, they wouldn't be accessible from there or recoverable.

JohnL3

Hi Hannah, I'm fine thanks, except for my iMac issue.

No, I never did access files using the Dropbox website. I see your point.

So would this mean that deleting the Dropbox app had nothing to do with the loss of my files?

Could it be a Monterey problem?

Jay

As you also deleted the Trash on the machine, it's possible that the specific folders were also in the Trash somehow, though it wouldn't be possible to determine this now.

JohnL3

Thanks for all of your comments!