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Search not working

Mmmooo

Dropbox search can’t find anything. The files, however, are there. How can I make Dropbox find them or reindex them???

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Mmmooo

Solved. Miraculously the search tool is finding files again after going on an unexplained weeks-long holiday.

If anyone else experiences this problem, try waiting it out. 🤷‍♂️

All comments

SarahT123

Thank you Walter, I'll keep my fingers crossed that the problem is resolved quickly. I've used the free version of Dropbox for over 10 years and have generally been happy with it. At least, I never noticed that anything was missing from search results. Granted, it was only the free version, so I wasn't using it to back up a large number of photos like I am now. I finally decided to upgrade to a paid account and am disappointed to discover problems now.

photogirl007

Thank you @Walter ,

It took me a couple of times to try to subscribe but I am now subscribed. I do hope they fix this ongoing search issue. It's gone on for way too long and I'm glad they're finally trying to resolve it.

Best,

~ jeanne

photogirl007

Hi @Nancy & @Megan , I switched computers this year but it wasn't working on my old one either. I currently am in Mac OS Montery 12.6 and previously was in Catalina. I am now on a 2021 16" Macbook Pro 16GB and prior was on a Macbook pro which I believe was 2017 and as stated was running Catalina. Plenty of memory as I had to run memory intensive apps like Photoshop and Lightroom and never had issues. Both laptop finders could not search Dropbox files. I think there might have been a short period of time it worked in the past year or so but it's been such a huge problem for so long I can't recall when it was. It does not search from the finder window or inside the app itself from the desktop. I have better luck on the mobile app.

Hope this is helpful. Sorry for the delay. Life is pretty busy at the moment. Which is why I need search to work even more so. Thank you!

photogirl007

@Nancy @Megan Also I'm using dropbox v.161.2.2.181 Storage of new files set to online-only. Select folders to sync/ to this Mac "Select Folders/ Drobbox folder points to my home folder. I am using selective sync. I've been using that feature for years.

Kanthosamy

The search functions from the Web does not work when the files are there. Please help me cos it is frustrating when you are doing urgent work

amcoffice

@Walter
I see that the incident page claims that the search problem was resolved October 20, which is absolutely not true. When I saw that, the first thing I did was run the same (simple) search that triggered the problem for me. Search still does not find that document.
I'd rather not waste more time posting about the problem all over again (but I will if necessary), much less be hampered in my work projects any longer, please reopen the search problem case and have completely fix Dropbox search.
Thank you

Alex Goals

I still have issues finding folders created on certain days

amcoffice

@Walter

According to incident page referenced in your post, the search issue has been "resolved."

I must disagree, even if the search issue is "resolved" for files going forward, Dropbox has still now resolved the problem that files apparently uploaded, renamed and/or moved during the span of the most recent search problems are still not searchable.

If so, that means that my work the last few weeks has been for naught.

@Walter, what is dropbox doing to make all of the files uploaded, renamed and/or removed during the search problem searchable? Will Dropbox fix that issue, re-index all files, or do whatever Dropbox needs to do to make ALL files fully searchable again. I've spent way-too-much time documenting all of this over the last few weeks. See my Tickets #19064142, #19082558, and #19046051 (two of which have been marked "closed" for some reason, but that's yet another Dropbox issue I'm dealing with, since the search problems are not fully resolved) for numerous screenshots documenting the problem then and up till today.

When will files uploaded, renamed, and/or moved during the most recent search problem in the past few weeks be fully searchable?

Thank you,

Judith

SarahT123

@amcoffice, I second your comments. I don't know what's been resolved? The files I moved, that weren't searchable before, still aren't searchable. This is SO annoying!@amcoffice

amcoffice

CORRECTION TO MY EARLIER POST:

I must disagree, even if the search issue is "resolved" for files going forward, Dropbox has still NOT resolved the problem that files apparently uploaded, renamed and/or moved during the span of the most recent search problems are still not searchable.

SarahT123

I noticed something today. The search functionality seems to depend on whether I search from a higher level folder. I used a nested folder system to organize my photos, as an example you can think of it this way:

—Photos

——National Parks

———Wyoming

So let's say I have 5 photos under "Yellowstone" named "Yellowstone Bear 1", "Yellowstone Bear 2" .... "Yellowstone Bear 5"

This is what happens when I search for the word "bear"

—Photos: all the Yellowstone Bears show up!

——National Parks: I get "Yellowstone Bear 5" and 26 bear photos from other national park folders. Yellowstone Bear 1-4 are missing from the search results.

———Wyoming: only "Yellowstone Bear 5", Yellowstone Bear 1-4 are missing

This is very perplexing to say the least!

And yes, I confirmed that Yellowstone Bear 1-5 are all in the Wyoming folder.

EDITED: I tested this with some other photos and some show up in search results from the highest level folder, but others do not.

I'm feeling very upset with Dropbox right now. I am considering moving all of my photos to a different platform (which is going to take a huge amount of time) and cancel my paid Dropbox account. What a giant pain and extremely disappointing for a service that has been around for so long.

photogirl007

Update:

Upon seeing the "resolve" I restarted and tried searching again and indeed more files are searchable. Hurray! I am not going to count this as a fix quite yet. It's been too difficult and I know better than to think it's over but I appreciate them trying to get it done. It just shouldn't have happened.

Exactly! I hate when @dbox_ tries to blame the browser or the computer or version or user for something that everyone else has had issues with. It obviously is THEIR issue. Can you guys please just fix it and stop asking us all these nonsense details? The bottom line is this and I think most would agree... The search works in the mobile app. It does NOT work on the desktop app. It doesn't work in the browser. This has been through the past two macbook pro's and across Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. None of that matters. It doesn't matter what term you search for. Photos and screenshots will do nothing. You're just making us go through senseless hurdles. I'm on a very recent version of dropbox v162.2.2409 on a 16" 2021 Macbook Pro in Montery. before that I was in Catalina on a completely different system. It wasn't working then. However it WAS working about 4 or 5 years ago. So you guys are sliding backwards. Any fix suggestions would be appreciated. That's what we come here for. Thanks

@Megan

Walter

Hi all, thank you for your reports and sorry for the late reply.

If any of you are still facing issues with searching your Dropbox files, please let us know here and we'll reach out via email to investigate further.

Thanks!

kymh

Hi Walter. I am still experiencing the issue. Help?

Walter

Thanks for the nudge @kymh - I've just followed up via email, so please have a look at your inbox and we'll take it from there.

MazzolaMj

Just gonna jump in here—I wrote on this forum months ago that the MacOS desktop Dropbox folder is not searchable by the finder, nor is it even findable by the finder. From the root folder of the laptop the contents of my dropbox can be searched, but not from anywhere else.

On MacOS 13.1 the problem persists.

Yes, the app reports "Your files are up to date"

Please fix this. It's been too long.

MazzolaMj

Jumping-in here; the status page declares the issue resolved and clearly it has not been resolved.

Megan

Hi @MazzolaMj, happy Friday!

Could you let me know which version of our app you have installed on your device?

Also, any screenshots you have on your end, that show the issue you mentioned, are welcome.

Keep me posted!

MazzolaMj

Hello Megan; attached you will find screenshots showing what I described in prior post.

Using the web version is not acceptable to me, please fix the desktop app and the MacOS integration in particular.

Poor search: finds "00-" & invalid itemsWeb search at least found the folderSearch within entire machine finds itemsearch within Dropbox on MacOS 100% fail

App version

Thank you,

Nancy

Hi @MazzolaMj, and sorry for jumping in here.

Were you asked at some point to install the Dropbox Update for Mac, by any chance?

If yes, did you start having this issue after that point?

MazzolaMj

Hello NAncy! Thank you for your questions.

I updated to the latest Dropbox version earlier today. Then tested to see if the situation is the same as it has been for months and the answer is: YES.

As shown by the screenshots in prior message.

Thanks for asking,

best regards & Happy Hols,

Megan

Hi @MazzolaMj, I just sent you an ticket, in order for us to have a closer look into this.

Thanks!

MazzolaMj

Thank you Megan, for following-up.