Files Missing After Dropbox Upload and Download

How a issues in Dropbox permanently deleted my 8000 photos

TL;DR: If you are using Dropbox equally a sole fill-in of your files, think again. Without making a mistake, you might lose your files.

I started using Dropbox dorsum in 2009 and accept always loved the service. Over time, I kept moving more than and more files to my Dropbox binder and eventually had to upgrade to the Pro plan to proceed up with the space requirements. In detail, I moved at that place all of my photos in order to be able to view/share them on-line and also to take them backed upwards. In April of this year, a difficult drive in my laptop was running low on space so I decided to use the Dropbox's Selective Sync feature to unsync some large directories from the laptop. Because there was never any trouble with the service and also because it's already the year 2014, I idea it might be about time that i tin can trust a cloud-based storage service and utilise them as a sole backup of their files. Boy, I was wrong.

On 29th Apr 2014, I opened the Selective Sync dialog, unchecked directories called 2003, 2004, …, 2014 from the Photos binder (and few other directories) and clicked the 'Update' button. After that, the Dropbox client froze and didn't show any sign of life for a couple of minutes, and then I decided to kill it and restart it over again. These directories are big and they might be too big of a bite for Dropbox, I thought, and unsynced them one by one instead. Everything worked well, the directories disappeared from the local hard drive, merely they were even so available on Dropbox's website. All good.

About two months later when I was preparing for a defence of my PhD thesis, I was looking for an sometime presentation only couldn't find it. The directory was at that place just it was empty. I would have never deleted these files, something must have gone wrong. I contacted Dropbox support which so broke the news to me: there was a delete result of 8343 files from 2014-04-29 at 14:57:xxx GMT (UTC). Looking at the log record from this event, I realised most of the missing files were my photos! All the directories were still in place but many of them were empty, equally if Dropbox randomly deleted some files and left some others intact. I was devastated. All those memories and the attempt with collecting and organizing the photos…. gone.

From all this information it seems that Dropbox client beginning deletes files locally before it informs the server nigh the new selective sync settings. Consequently, if the client crashes or is killed before the server is contacted, the files remain deleted without any trace. After the client restarts again, it just sees in that location are some files missing and syncs this new state with the server. Unfortunately for me, Dropbox just keeps a copy of deleted files for 30 days (unless you pay $40/year for some Packrat feature) and I institute out nigh this event later on two months.

For me it's well-nigh likely over, there is nothing I can do now, maybe endeavor to get some photos dorsum from my friends who went to aforementioned trips. Anyway, I decided to share this story publicly for three reasons:

1. A bit of publicity might convince Dropbox to put some extra effort and perchance find a way to restore my files.
2. To let other Dropbox users know well-nigh this issue so that this doesn't happen to them. Basically later on doing any major changes in Dropbox settings, 1 should cheque the Events page on Dropbox website to make sure no files got deleted.
3. Dropbox team can use information from this story to fix the problem. Here are few suggestions what tin can be washed:
   a) Brand the application of the selective sync settings transactional, either is succeeds completely or fails gracefully.
   b) Enable the Packrat feature by default for every paying customer, without whatever actress cost. Looking at the storage plan pricing for Google Bulldoze, there surely is a space for you to do that. Or, at to the lowest degree, go on the delete history as long as the deleted files fit into user's quota, it'due south a infinite users already paid for.
   c) Use auto learning to detect a foreign activity on user accounts and notify users past email if it happens. For case, nigh of my action over the years consists of adding big number of new files and changing/deleting a modest number files from time to fourth dimension. A sudden deletion of 8343 files is surely a foreign activity in this context.

Many thanks for reading and upward-voting this story on Hacker News.

PS: At to the lowest degree I defended my PhD thesis even without that lost presentation, but the photos are gone withal.
PPS: For the sake of completeness, I'm attaching a complete record of my communication with the Dropbox back up, see below.

EDIT (on 2014-07-30): Many thanks for all the feedback. Yesterday night I got an email from Dropbox saying that they worked with their engineering team and were able to restore 1463 files. Likewise I received some credit for my future utilise of the service. Better than nix.

Follow me on Twitter at @jancurn

Jan Curn, Jun thirty 09:28 AM:
Hi,

I was looking for an folder with a presentation from the last year, just to discover the binder is empty and not even the pick "show delete files" shows anything. I'm sure my files were in that location and I'd have never deleted them. I was wondering, is at that place a way to maybe await into some older backups (allow's say from August 2013) and recover those onetime files?

The folder is called: [REDACTED]

Your aid would exist greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,
Jan Curn

Marla, Jun 30 09:49 AM:
How-do-you-do Jan,

Thanks for contacting Dropbox Back up!

Dropbox can but restore files for thirty days after they are deleted from your business relationship. Unfortunately, if those files were deleted more than 30 days agone, I will not be able to recover them. I'yard actually sorry.

Please notation that Dropbox Pro users tin can add our Packrat feature, which gives them the ability to restore deleted files or previous versions of files beyond the 30 day window. For more data on Packrat, visit the post-obit link:

https://www.dropbox.com/assistance/113

Go on in mind that Packrat is not retroactive. If your files were deleted or inverse over 30 days ago, upgrading to Packrat volition non make them bachelor again.

Delight permit me know if yous accept any farther questions.

Regards,
Marla

January Curn, Jul 01 02:06 AM:
Dearest Marla,

thank y'all for your feedback. I'm enlightened that deleted files are but kept for
30 days, unless y'all pay for that Packrat characteristic. Yet, this is a very
disquisitional situation for me so I wanted to ask specifically, is at that place really
no hidden backup that might contain my files?

I don't remember touching that folder for well-nigh one yr, the just thing I
did was that I updated the "Selective sync" settings then that the files from
the folder were non downloaded locally and I remember Dropbox crashed in
that process. Maybe that deleted the files. This was in Apr 2014, and so
perhaps a backup from that month would exist sufficient.

Bluntly, this issue doesn't requite me much conviction in Dropbox anymore,
considering now I can't be sure that my other files that are selectively not
synced won't become lost.

Kind regards,
Jan Curn

Marla, Jul 01 09:47 AM:
Hi Jan,

Cheers for your response. Unfortunately these files were deleted effectually 63 days ago and I cannot recover them.

Co-ordinate to our records it appears that these files were deleted by the device 'macbook' on 2014-04-29 at 14:57:30 GMT (UTC). The link to this deletion upshot is below:

https://www.dropbox.com/event_details/[REDACTED ]

Y'all can too come across which user and calculator deleted or changed a file past looking at the "previous version history" or the "Events" page on the web site:

https://www.dropbox.com/events

For more information, delight visit the following aid center commodity:

https://world wide web.dropbox.com/help/eleven

In that location are a number of different reasons that a delete could happen, but the Dropbox desktop client does not accept the ability to tell how or why files were deleted, only that they were deleted. Possible reasons for unexpected deletions include:

· a user dragging the files/folders out of the Dropbox folder (or a shared folder) instead of copying them;
· backup software installed on the computer which unmounts the hard disk drive;
· human mistake (i.e. an inadvertent delete keystroke).

Connectivity issues may delay the actual synchronization so that the event timestamp is listed at a time when no i was using the computer.

The files could too be missing due to the intentional deletion of files from a device that shouldn't be connected to the business relationship anymore. You may want to review your connected devices hither:

https://www.dropbox.com/account/manage

From in that location, you tin unlink any that no longer needs to be linked to the account.

The Dropbox folder is merely a normal folder and the Dropbox software only responds to changes after they happen. Neither the Dropbox desktop customer nor the Dropbox servers have the ability to delete your files on their own.

Even a Dropbox issues or glitch would be on the customer and non the server. Delight try installing the latest version of the client. It has the latest fixes in it and may resolve the issue you lot're experiencing.

https://www.dropbox.com/install

You lot can find more information on file deletions in our Aid Eye:

https://www.dropbox.com/assist/40

Please allow me know if there is anything else I tin can practise for you.

Best,
Marla

Jan Curn, Jul 01 01:19 PM:
OH MY GOD!

It is much worse than I thought, *in total 8345 files were deleted*, mainly
my photos a videos…. This is an accented disaster, I don't have any other
fill-in of these files, Dropbox was supposed to be the fill-in.
The device 'macbook' is my laptop and on 2014-04-29 I was making some gratis
space on the disk by unchecking several big directories with photos and
other files in the selective sync settings. I remember that Dropbox customer
crashed the start fourth dimension. After restarting it I decided to uncheck the big
directories one-by-one in order to go far simpler to procedure for the
client. Everything went well, the directories disappeared from my difficult disk
but they were still bachelor on Dropbox website, then I causeless everything
was fine. Simply now I realised that many files
from apparently random directories are gone, while all the empty
directories are even so there.

Clearly, this must take been caused by some bug in the Dropbox client, every bit
information technology started to delete files from the disk before information technology committed the changes to
the server. I assume I had the latest version of the client, as it updates
automatically.

Is there really no style to restore these files, perhaps from some tape
backups? I'm aware this might crave some effort from your side or mayhap
some other people in your company, and I'd be actually grateful for information technology.

Regards,
Jan Curn

Marla, Jul 02 09:14 AM:
Hi January,

I desire to allow you know that I've passed your asking to members of our team who specialize in this kind of asking. They'll review it carefully and go back to yous as soon every bit possible.

In the concurrently, if in that location'south any additional information that you think would be helpful for u.s.a. to know, please experience gratuitous to reply.

Thanks.

All-time,
Marla

Jan Curn, Jul 09 03:48 AM:
How-do-you-do Marla,

I was wondering, was there whatsoever success with restoration of my files? Nobody
from Dropbox got back to me.

Regards,
Jan

Alisa — Dropbox Back up, Jul 14 11:45 AM:
How-do-you-do January,

Thanks for getting in touch with Dropbox Support. Marla let me know that you lot were inquiring near recovering deleted files. Unfortunately, as she noted, since the files were deleted more than xxx days ago, we cannot recover them. I'k exceedingly sorry to hear nearly your lost files and for any inconvenience this may crusade, just I hope this helps to articulate things up for you a bit.

Best,
Alisa — Dropbox Support

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Source: https://medium.com/@jancurn/how-bug-in-dropbox-permanently-deleted-my-8000-photos-cb7dcf13647b

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