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Forum Discussion
alex b.35
8 years agoExplorer | Level 4
deleted folder re appeared after a couple of years
Something very weird just happened with my dropbox account. Out of nowhere, a folder which was deletec about 2 years ago re appeared on my dropbox. It has the files as they were, which makes me wonde...
- 8 years ago
Thanks everyone for your patience while we worked on a way to clean up the inadvertently restored files and folders. We've built a fix that will automatically return this content to the way it should be: deleted and out of your Dropbox. This will only impact the inadvertently restored files and folders, and only if you haven’t updated them. We’ll begin rolling out the fix to affected users’ accounts later today. We’re giving you a heads up here so you’re aware of why there may be changes to your Dropbox. Here’s a bit more information about the fix.
Will this affect my other files?
The fix will only impact the inadvertently restored files and folders. If you have edited the files or folders—by moving them or updating the content inside—they will stay in your Dropbox. You can still manually delete these files and folders if you don’t want them.What if I don’t want these files or folders removed?
While the fix will automatically take effect later today, you can contact our support team (dropbox.com/support) within 30 days and we’ll restore the files and folders for you. You won’t be able to restore on your own using the events page.Do I need to do anything?
We will automatically roll out the fix, you don’t need to do a thing. If you have questions or concerns, please write our support team at http://bit.ly/cm-support so that we can investigate your specific case. Your ticket will be prioritized by the team.Thanks again for your patience, and we’re sorry for any inconvenience and confusion we’ve caused.
emilg
New member | Level 2
no, definitely not. i haven't had those files in any computer of mine since ... 6-7 years ago when the project ended.
Rich
8 years agoSuper User II
They were either on the computer or still in your account. There's no way for old files to just reappear unless they still existed on a device that was linked back to your account.
Look at the previous version information for one of the files and it will tell you the account and computer that it originated from.
- emilg8 years agoNew member | Level 2just looked and a couple of more folders appeared. same deal. from 6-7 years ago.
can't see version history. i get an error.
and no ... there's absolutely NO WAY these could have been on the computer. i've changed 5-6 computers in the past 5-6 years and those files were deleted way back then when i finished the projects. i also deleted them from dropbox at that point ... but somehow they dug their way out i guess ... :))- thesamovar8 years agoNew member | Level 2
I have the exact same issue. Some very old files just reappeared in my root dropbox directory, and going to the web interface clicking on version history gives a 400 error.
- John B.788 years agoHelpful | Level 5Same. I've had 6-year-old folders and files reappear. There are other threads on here from people with the same issue and searching twitter for recent tweets with "Dropbox old" and so first shows there are a lot more people. The Dropbox Support account there claims to be aware of the issue but some sort of official statement or explanation would be nice.
It is interesting to learn how long Dropbox keeps deleted files.
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