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Forum Discussion
Deleted files due to external drive getting disconnected
1. It looks like the external drive where I keep the local copies of my Dropbox files got disconnected. 2. This caused a number of files to get deleted from the Dropbox server and from all local cop...
Hi dragomirradev, unfortunately when working with your Dropbox folder on an external drive that's always a possibility.
We can’t guarantee perfect functionality of the Dropbox app if you’re running it on an external drive. For the Dropbox application to work properly, I’d recommend that you install it on the hard drive of your Operating System.
This is because Dropbox can’t always work correctly if the Dropbox folder becomes inaccessible, and this can happen if it's located on an external drive.
I'll forward your feedback to the appropriate areas so we can continue to improve.
Megan
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHi dragomirradev, thanks for posting here!
First of all, amazing troubleshooting process, in order for you to restore the files after the deletion.
Now, in regards to the app deleting the restored content: is the app running when you plug in the external drive? Does it make any difference, if you pause the app, plug the external hard drive, and then resume syncing?
Let me know more!
Thanks.
What I said is a very easy fix.
When Dropbox recognizes that several TB of data have been disconnected, it can send a warning to the user. This way the user can realize the issue and reconnect the drive before the files get deleted from the server. This should be a very easy fix. Are you sure that such an option doesn't already exist?
What I said is a very easy fix.
When Dropbox recognizes that several TB of data have been disconnected, it can send a warning to the user. This way the user can realize the issue and reconnect the drive before the files get deleted from the server. This should be a very easy fix. Are you sure that such an option doesn't already exist?
- Rich
Super User II
dragomirradev wrote:
Are you sure that such an option doesn't already exist?No such option exists. This is why it's been recommended that the local Dropbox folder NOT be stored on an external drive. As you've seen, under the right conditions, file deletions can occur. If the external drive becomes disconnected at any point while Dropbox is running, or if Dropbox is started while the drive is disconnected, Dropbox can see this as a mass file deletion.
- Yes, that's what I am talking about.
As you know, internal hard drives are not large enough, so that's why people use external drives.
What I am asking of you is to make an easy change to your software so that users get a warning if the entire drive gets disconnected. It takes probably two lines of code to implement it. All the message should say is 'are you sure that you want to delete 3.7 TB of files from your account, yes/no'.
Such an option may already exist. Can you please check if it does and, if not, please implement it.
Thanks.
I have already lost many dozens of hours dealing with such issues with Dropbox.Totally with you @dragomirradev
It's crazy, we run a design studio with very large files that need to be worked on locally and use external drives as laptop HDs aren't big enough. we have recently had a few instances of exactly this. Never used to.
To the point today where our whole studio has 11 hours of re-syncing because one user disconnected their external drive and it instantly deleted all the files. All the effort dropbox put into security and this is a huge weak link.
Sorry to say that today is the last straw and will be looking at alternative solutions as support just said..."yep, that's what dropbox does, be careful"
It's ridiculous to think we'd want our dropbox folder on the same drive as our OS. Too many performance and storage size issues.
- billgdbx
Dropbox Engineer
Updating this thread: we recently released some fixes for issues found in the external drive disconnection case (version v200 of Desktop client and above). We'd be interested in hearing whether issues are still persisting for anyone who had been affected previously.
