Documents folder split between Dropbox folder and original location after Backup update

[gmaccrim]

I have Dropbox Plus on my desktop PC.  It was initially set up to backup/sync my Documents folder (with about 40 subfolders), which it did by moving the Users\User\Documents folder to Dropbox\PC leaving a "Documents" shortcut in the original location.  This appeared to work okay. 

A week ago I started getting pestered by Dropbox to switch to Dropbox Backup.  I clicked OK.  Big mistake.  Dropbox Backup then recreated a Users\User\Documents folder in the original standard "Documents" location, moved about half of the subfolders to it from Dropbox\PC\Documents.  Now I have half my Documents under the Dropbox folder and the other half under the Documents folder in its original location.  There is no obvious rationale as to which subfolders it moved, not alphabetical, etc.  Half my subfolders are being backed up/synced in the Dropbox folder and the "moved" half being backed up (not synced) under Users\User\Documents.  I expected that Dropbox Backup would just leave the existing backup/sync setup alone and allow me to choose what folders to just backup. 

Can someone explain to me what's going on here?

[Hannah]

Hey @gmaccrim, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Would you mind checking if the app completed the update?

To do so, hover over the Dropbox icon in your system tray and let me know what you see there.

Thanks in advance.

[gmaccrim]

Too late.  The Dropbox Backup backup (of the folders under User\User\Documents) hadn't finished after 2 days, so I stopped it.  I manually moved the remaining folders from Dropbox\PC\Documents back under Users\User\Documents and now Dropbox Backup is halfway through its current backup.

Also, Dropbox Backup initially created a backup called "PC".  I modified that backup to NOT backup Pictures.  Dropbox Backup changed the name "PC" to PC(1) for some reason.  And, with this latest backup attempt of my complete Users\User\Documents folder, it named the backup "PC(2)" which I renamed back to "PC".   Why the backup name changes? I haven't checked online yet to see if I have multiple backups.

Glenn

[Hannah]

Hey Glenn, when you have a moment, please let me know what you see here.

Thanks.

[gmaccrim]

Forgive me, but things are getting sidetracked here by me bringing up more than one issue.  The main issue is why did Dropbox Backup split the Documents folder?  Is it looking at what subfolders/files had been synced to other devices and using that to decide that "this needs sync, that needs backup?"  As I said, I expected that Backup would have left any existing syncing alone.  So, any ideas on what happened here?

[Jay]

Hi @gmaccrim, it sounds like the backup was in the process of migrating to the new location, and something might've affected the move, hence the delay you experienced. As to what that was, we wouldn't be able to tell now.

[gmaccrim]

Hi Jay,

I did not experience a "delay."  The migration, if that's what it can be called, of Documents from Dropbox Sync to Dropbox Backup did not complete after at least 2 days.  After no obvious activity to continue the migration of the subfolders left in the Dropbox Sync folder to Backup after 2 days, I moved the rest of the folders out of the Dropbox folder to the (recently recreated) standard Users\User\Documents folder.  That standard Documents folder used to be a Windows shortcut under Users\User when Dropbox "Sync" originally moved it into the Dropbox folder. 

Glenn

[Walter]

Hey @gmaccrim - sorry to jump in here, but could you send us a screenshot of the app's exact status and version as shown in your system tray?

Also, how are your backups looking on the website?

If you could also clarify your device's exact OS version, I'd appreciate it.

[gmaccrim]

Hi Walter,

Status of the backup online appears to be fine.  One backup named "PC" (see Hannah's reply above where she also asked about this).

Windows version (from Settings/System/About):

Edition Windows 10 Pro
Version 22H2
Installed on ‎2020-‎09-‎22
OS build 19045.4291
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19056.1000.0

Dropbox version (from the bottom of the "General" tab in Preferences): 

Dropbox status is "Up to date".   (Can't seem to find a cut & pastable status anywhere.)

Things seem to have settled down now that I've re-consolidated the Documents subfolders.  But, I'd still like to know what happened.

Glenn

[Megan]

Hey @gmaccrim, glad to hear (or read in our case) that things improved. 

It was indeed odd, but on our end here in the Community we don't have the tools to be able to examine, and check what happened. 

I agree with Jay, that something affected the way Backup was migrating, hence this behavior. Please keep an eye out on it, and if you notice anything weird again, we'll be here.

Thanks!