Some online-only files have 0 bytes and no content on the desktop app and website.

Question

I recently discovered that many, if not most, files in one particular folder are showing a file size of zero bytes, and opening them shows no content. It seems quite random as to which files are affected. The date created seems to make no difference. Hundreds of files are affected. It makes no difference whether I access them from Mac Finder or dropbox.com.

I made this folder online-only awhile back to save space on my Mac Mini hard drive. Late December, I believe. Then a couple months later I moved the parent folder containing the “bad” folder to an external drive, also to save hard drive space. All of my files and folders remain intact except for the folder I made online-only.

Dropbox support said to make the “bad” folder available offline once again, but that hasn’t changed anything.

I stress again: Not only do they show a file size of zero bytes, but also: previews are not available, and when I open these files, I see only a blank page. No content.

Another note: When I use Spotlight to search for content in the zero-bytes files, Spotlight locates the relevant files instantly. But I can’t view the content.

According to Mac Finder, the folder contains ~4.8GB. In dropbox.com, it shows ~90kb.

I have a 30-day plan. I tried rewinding back 30 days, but that didn’t change anything. This folder contains 7 years of archived work. Have I lost it completely?

I’m running Mac Sonoma 14.6 on an M1 Mac Mini. Dropbox v252.4.3485. I have 2TB of Dropbox space, but only using only ~2% of that.

RobertEHowells · Answer

That's correct — can't restore original folder either way. I believe I'm out of luck. Strange, though, that some files survived intact. Let this be a lesson for anyone moving files to another drive: Be careful that your online-only files never leave Dropbox. I guess mine did.

Nancy · Answer

Thanks for the extra info, Robert! I appreciate it.

I believe that the issue is related to the folder being online-only at the time of the move, indeed. When making a folder online-only on the desktop app, this replaces it with a placeholder of the original files, which can be only accessed on the Dropbox website (to save up space from your hard drive).

If the folder was moved to the external drive, without being re-downloaded to your desktop app first, then what was actually moved was its placeholder. Also, since Dropbox was no longer able to detect the folder on the desktop app, it also deleted it from our servers.

Now, when you moved the folder back, Dropbox uploaded the placeholder as a new folder, which is most likely the reason why you can’t view its contents.

If you go to your Deleted files page, and/or your Events page, you can’t restore the original folder this way, correct?

RobertEHowells · Answer

Jay, the situation is exactly the same on Finder and on the Dropbox site. Hundreds of files showing zero bytes and no content.