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My backup files haven't synced since 2021 and I can't access my user profile.

I'm unable to access my user profile on the computer where all my files were stored due to a system malfunction. I had Dropbox installed on this computer, but the license had expired.
Dropbox created a folder called "My PC" within the Dropbox folder. I tried to back up my files and noticed that the "downloads," "desktop," and "documents" folders were inside the "My PC" folder on Dropbox. However, the synchronization seemingly stopped in 2021.
If the synchronization stopped in 2021, why did the files keep going to the folder inside Dropbox? I'm concerned that I've lost my unsynced files. I need a solution to recover these files.
Additional details:
* I cannot access my user profile on the computer where the files were stored.
* The Dropbox license on that computer was expired.
* The files were located in the "downloads," "desktop," and "documents" folders within the "My PC" folder on Dropbox.
* The synchronization stopped in 2021.

I kindly request assistance in recovering my unsynced files. Please advise on the steps I can take to retrieve these files.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

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Comments

Nancy

Hey @Paulo Torres! Thanks for your post.

Can you clarify what you mean when saying your Dropbox license has expired on that computer?

As for your backup, have you checked your Backups page online? What’s the status of the backup and can you see all of your files there? Feel free to send me a screenshot, too.

Let me know, and we’ll go from there.

Mark

Hi @Paulo Torres

So the folders inside of Downloads, Desktop etc. that were inside of Dropbox were just being saved in to another folder on your machine - one called Dropbox. There wasnt anything magical about that one. They werent syncing if you had no quota to do so. But they were saving there if you kept telling your computer to do so because it is just a folder like any other.

The only way to get the unsync'd files is from the machine they didnt sync from. They are not, and never have been, on Dropbox. It isnt possible in recovering from Dropbox as they never had them.

Paulo Torres

Hello Nancy!

So, I received the Dropbox license when I bought my laptop and I was syncing the documents, etc. folders to Dropbox. After a year, my license expired but the files continued to be saved in the folder within Dropbox. I know they were not saved to Dropbox, however, I couldn't recover them and it seems they were not saved precisely because the folders were inside the Dropbox folder. I would like to understand how Dropbox's procedure works to understand what happened to my files.

It is also important to note that the files in txt and Word format were all used in Dropbox, but they were corrupted. The PDF files do not show any sign of them in my Dropbox.

Where do new files go after synchronization stops?
I need to understand this to inform a technical professional.

Thank you.

Mark

@Paulo Torres wrote:
Where do new files go after synchronization stops?
I need to understand this to inform a technical professional.

Into the folders you saved them. However, Dropbox uses symlinks so the folder directory you expect may not be actually where they are located if you are not using Finder for example. So possibly try running a search on the file name to find them

Rich

@Paulo Torres wrote:
Where do new files go after synchronization stops? I need to understand this to inform a technical professional.

As Mark mentioned, wherever you saved the files. It's important to remember that the Dropbox folder on your computer is just a regular folder like any other. There's nothing special about it. Any files you save to the Dropbox folder are, by default, saved on your local hard drive. This is regardless of whether or not syncing is taking place or whether or not the Dropbox application is even running. It's just a folder.

If the synchronization stopped in 2021, why did the files keep going to the folder inside Dropbox?

Because your key folders (Desktop, Documents, etc.) were located inside the local Dropbox folder. If you used the Backup feature to back up these folders to Dropbox, then all that did was MOVE those folders into your local Dropbox folder so they could sync. The folders were still on your local drive, just in a different location (Dropbox\My PC).

If syncing had stopped (for any reason) and you continued to save files to those key folders, then the files would still be located on your computer in the same location; the Desktop, Documents or Downloads folders located in the Dropbox\My PC folder.