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Files keep disappearing from my folders, after uploading them to Dropbox.

Whenever I transfer files from my desktop into my Dropbox, they appear to move successfully initially, then a couple days later the files are no longer available in Dropbox. The folders that I transferred are there, but they're 100% empty. All the files are gone. Anybody know why this is happening or how to prevent it?

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Nancy

Thanks for posting this on the Community, @DCC1!

First off, how do you move these folders to Dropbox exactly? Are you dragging and dropping them into your local Dropbox folder or are you manually uploading them to the Dropbox website?

If the former, do these folders appear empty on your web account, too?

Are you taking any other actions on Dropbox, right before the files disappear and can you locate them in your Deleted files page after that?

Let me know more info, and we’ll have a look.

DCC1

Thanks Nancy. They way I've been transferring them is by copying the file from my desktop and dropping it into my local drop box folder. I've also tried just dragging it from my desktop to my local drop box folder.

In both cases, it's a very large folder with many other sub folders and files that I'm trying to move to Dropbox. In both cases, the transfer appeared to be successful. I was able to go into Dropbox (both local and through the web account) and see my folders and files. Then, in both cases, about a week after the successful transfer, all the files are gone. All the folders that I moved are still there, but they're totally empty. This is the case in both my local and web folders.

I don't think I'm taking any other actions in Dropbox before the files disappear. I just go in there one day to access a file and it's gone. Then I check all the other folders and they're empty.

Thanks for the help.

Nancy

Thanks for providing more info! Did you get the chance to check your Deleted files page in the meantime?

Besides that, you can also have a look at your Events page.

Can you see your missing files there and find more info on what may have happened (and also restore them)?

DCC1

Got it. Sorry I didn't look there initially. I don't seem them in my Deleted folder. But in my Events folder I can see that 9189 files were deleted on Aug 29th. That must be it. And I know I wasn't online that day, so I'm not sure how that could have happened. And as I look back in the Events folder over the last several months, I see hundreds of other deletions that I don't think I did myself. Any idea what's up?

Nancy

Hmm, I see. Have the files, that appear to have been deleted, been shared with anyone else? Or are they all personal files you uploaded to Dropbox?

Can you send me a screenshot of what you see on your Events page? We don’t have account visibility here on the forum, so I can take a look this way.

Were you able to restore the files you saw deleted at the end of August via your Events page?

DCC1

They're all personal files. Nothing has been shared. I didn't try restoring anything yet because I also kept all the files on my hard drive in case this happened.

Megan

Hey @DCC1!

Deletion events can sometimes happen when someone reorganizes files in a new location or even when a there's another program accessing your content.

You can find out more about deletions, and why they happen in this relevant thread; where my colleague Jay shared some of the possible reasons.

Also, you can see more detailed information about which user and computer added, deleted, or changed a file by looking at the "previous version history" on the website once you restore the files.

If you need help restoring your content, let me know and I'll be more than happy to help!

DCC1

Thanks Megan. I think I'm good on being able to restore my content. Where I could use help is figuring out how to make sure it doesn't happen again. Because I do still need to transfer all those files into my Dropbox eventually and get them to stay.

Hannah

I understand where you're coming from, @DCC1.

Can you try to restore one of those files and then go through its version history, like Megan suggested, to see which device they were deleted from?

Perhaps there is some kind of third party app accessing the files, like an antivirus for example.