Shared Folder - I'm not owner / files all gone and not in deleted?

[EddieSteddie]

Hi, 

I was (and still am) a member of a shared folder and have editing rights but I am not the owner.

I just saw that all the files in the folder have been deleted at some stage (could have been anytime in the last year) but I didn't get any kind of notification and can't see any events in my activity alerts and also can't find them in deleted items in order to restore them? I am on a basic plan so know I can only restore within 30 days

As I am not the owner of the folder could the owner have permanently deleted them without me knowing and seeing they had done that? Is there any way for me to find them or find out what happened to them?

Eddie

[Mark]

Hi @EddieSteddie 

If they dont show in deleted have you looked at www.dropbox.com/events ?

It is possible that the folder owner can permanently delete them, yes, and if they did that they wouldnt show in the Deleted lists.

[EddieSteddie]

Thanks so much for replying! I have opened events and there is no activity for that folder showing - the events only go back to 13/11/23 which is exactly 6 months to today. Is that the maximum I can check? Also would any deletions by the owner definitely have had to be visible in the events section or could they have hidden them?

[Mark]

Hi @EddieSteddie 

So, if they were deleted over 6 months they probably also wont show - because that is the maximum you can recover via Dropbox (note only if you were paid member at time of deletion). 

It isnt possible to hide an event from people UNLESS they are permanently deleted at which its instant. 

[EddieSteddie]

Sorry just to clarify to see if I have this correct! The owner of the shared folder can permanently delete files from it so that they can’t be recovered AND if they chose to they could also then permanently delete the evidence of that deletion from the events/activities area at the same time? so that there would literally be no history recorded that the deletion happened to anyone else in that shared that folder immediately after they have deleted it all?

[Mark · Accepted solution]

Yes - the owner of the shared folder has complete ownership rights of it.

Permanent deletion would remove the files so that they arent recoverable, but, also that means they dont appear on Events etc. note this is one process - they dont actively go and 'hide' it from the events log.

[EddieSteddie]

Thank you you’ve been really helpful