I changed the linked email for my free Dropbox account and cannot access my old files. How do I recover them?
Hey @Pb17, it sounds like you might have created a new Dropbox account, instead of changing the email address to your existing one.
Had your files been deleted, then you should be able to see them when accessing your events page.
When you say the usual ways to access the old account are gone, can you clarify more? I suggest that you either sign out of the current Dropbox account, and then try to sign into the old one, or you can do this using an incognito tab on your browser.
If you have any problems when doing that, please let me know.
Hi @Pb17, welcome to our Community!
Just to clarify: did you manage to change the email linked to your Dropbox account hence you no longer have access to your account, or you no longer have access to the old email address, in order to receive the 6-digit-security code and access it?
Is it not feasible to recreate the email address and attempt to login again?
Another thing you can perhaps try is to check whether you had previously installed the desktop app on one of your computers. If you had, then there’s a chance your local Dropbox folder is still located there, along with your files.
I hope this clarifies!
That was a great idea to use an old computer. Unfortunately my 2013 MacBook is maxed out at El Capitan OS. When I tried accessing Dropbox on the old computer is says there is an updated version of Dropbox and it looks like the current version of Dropbox is not supported by my old iOS10. Any solution?
Access it via the website instead from that device @Pb17 ? It should still auto log on
Hi, Does anyone know of a solution to this problem?
HI @Pb17, are you able to logon to the Dropbox site at all?
Could you clarify the steps you took on how you changed your email?
I tried logging in on the Dropbox website but it sent a code to the defunct email address.
As to the steps in changing my email, I believe I did it in the preferences section with the button to edit the email address.
Without being able to access the original email address, it wouldn't be possible to change the email address on your account.
Is the email address completely deleted? Can you contact your email provider to at least temporarily open it again?
I just went back into the preferences and the new address is all that displays for that field
. The old email address was gone in 2017. I cannot access it. The preferences edit never requested access to the old account. I would think it should have had some verification but it seems it didn't.
Hey @Pb17, sorry to jump in here as well.
For you to be able to change the email address of your account, you would have to be logged in to it, to begin with.
Also, changing the email address of the account, does not affect your access to your files.
They should still be in your "All files" page; do you see them there?
Hi Hannah,
Well I don't know how that happened but I changed the linked email 2 days ago to my current email and it is totally functional. I should say also my Dropbox was totally functional before I changed the linked email and I only did that because the old email was defunct for 10 months. The only linked email that comes up now in preferences is the new one. If I start to type in the old one, that address comes up but that server is turned off (out of business).
Hey @Pb17, if you check your account's events page, what do you see there? Any sign of your files?
The Events page at www.dropbox.com/events gives you an overview of all activity in your account including files events (adds/edits/deletes), as well as adding or removing shared folders.
The event page shows jjust the file I added to this new account when I changed the linked email to see that things were working. They were. . I have Dropbox on my MacBook and I pad. After changing the email link on the MacBook, the iPad wanted to confirm things and was non responsive so I deleted the app and installed a new one that’s when it seemed to lose any connection with the files I had in Dropbox. The events does show the added app of Dropbox. I didn’t change anything on the MacBook but I had to login with the new iPad app. I’m surprised the MacBook didn’t have a connection to the old Dropbox content. There is nothing in the file folders, nothing in deleted files. It’s like the old Dropbox never existed.
It seems the usual ways to access the old account are gone. Is there a way to use my old email address and access that Events page? It automatically went to the new email Dropbox account.
Genius! That’s exactly what happened. All the files are there in the old account. One extra thing, is there an easy way to transfer those files to my new account?
Megan, Thank you so much. The first trick to find my old account and following your instructions, was to log out of this new account then starting on a clean slate, then to enter my old login info. The other clue you solved was to suspect that I never lost the old account and instead had just created a new one. So you solved my problem. Did I say Thank You!
I have a notice at the top of the Dropbox page that says “we can reach you at your address “. Should I follow through and try the link to update my email contact?
The notice says “we CAN’T reach you at my old address….my question it still active.
Hey @Pb17, I'm really glad Megan was able to figure this out and help you get back to your account!
Now, if you'd like to change the email address, while you're logged in to the old account, you can go to this page and edit it from there.
If you see that you can't change it, because you don't have access to the old address, my suggestion would be to just download your files from the old account and then upload them to your new one.
I hope this helps!
Yes, the downloads out of the old Dropbox and just upload them to the new address seems to be the slower but safer way to go. Thanks you😋
Sorry to see you're having this issue, @angelaaltman.
When you say that you unlinked yourself from Dropbox, can you clarify what steps you followed exactly?
Do you have any devices still linked to the old account?
You can contact the support team for it. You need to open a support ticket and try to retrieve your information. One more thing, you can just provide them with your email and details so that dropbox support can help you get your account back.
I have been trying to change the email address on my Dropbox account for months without having access to that email address because it was cancelled due to a business restructure. I forgot to change the details before the email address disappeared. I keep paying Dropbox for this account and don't want to loose the stored data. I have sent Dropbox details of the CC payments, etc. I can't get a real person to respond. I always need to use a security code sent to the old address. Can anyone help me find a real person in Dropbox?
@PetermHart wrote: I forgot to change the details before the email address disappeared. I keep paying Dropbox for this account and don't want to loose the stored data.
I forgot to change the details before the email address disappeared. I keep paying Dropbox for this account and don't want to loose the stored data.
You can try contacting Support, but without access to the email account you may not be able to gain access to the Dropbox account. You need to maintain an active email address on your account so you can receive password resets and one-time security codes used during sign in.
To contact Support, visit the Support page while you're NOT signed in to a Dropbox address, including these forums, and you'll see an option for sign in issues. It's best to use an Incognito or Private browsing session to make sure you're not signed in.
If you're unable to gain access to the account, Support will at least be able to cancel any future payments if the account is on a paid subscription.
Hello Rich, Thanks for your response. I also have a private Dropbox account with a valid (private) email address. I did contact support and did provide the credit card details of a recent auto payment. I received an email (to my private email) titled: "Oops Did something go wrong ? You deserve to have the right plan." I concluded that my request for review was interpreted by a chat bot as a sale opportunity. I can't access the existing Dropbox account because I need a security code that keeps getting sent to the old email address. Peter
Hey @PetermHart - did you try to contact our support team as Rich suggested?
If you did and got a ticket ID, please share it with us here so that we can look it up in our system.
Hello Walter, No haven't got a ticket because I haven't got a working email address. My impression is that without a working email address, the only thing that will keep working is the credit card charges.
Hey @PetermHart, when you contacted our Support, you should have received a ticket number of your communication with them.
Would you mind checking your spam/junk folder too?
If you find nothing there, I can definitely assist by opening a new ticket number on my end for you. Let me know!
@PetermHart wrote: No haven't got a ticket because I haven't got a working email address.
No haven't got a ticket because I haven't got a working email address.
You need to enter a valid email so you can receive a response from Support. When entering a ticket, make sure you enter a valid email address in the field that says Email address associated with the account. You can then enter the problem email address in the section further down for other details.
