Change my email address without having access to email account used to create the Dropbox account.

[Pb17]

I changed the linked email for my free Dropbox account and cannot access my old files. How do I recover them?

[Megan]

Hi @Pb17, welcome to our Community!

Just to clarify: did you manage to change the email linked to your Dropbox account hence you no longer have access to your account, or you no longer have access to the old email address, in order to receive the 6-digit-security code and access it? 

Is it not feasible to recreate the email address and attempt to login again?

Another thing you can perhaps try is to check whether you had previously installed the desktop app on one of your computers. If you had, then there’s a chance your local Dropbox folder is still located there, along with your files.

I hope this clarifies!

[Pb17]

That was a great idea to use an old computer. Unfortunately my 2013 MacBook is maxed out at El Capitan OS. When I tried accessing Dropbox on the old computer is says there is an updated version of Dropbox and it looks like the current version of Dropbox is not supported by my old iOS10. Any solution?

[Mark]

Access it via the website instead from that device @Pb17 ? It should still auto log on

[Pb17]

Hi, Does anyone know of a solution to this problem? 

[Jay]

HI @Pb17, are you able to logon to the Dropbox site at all?

Could you clarify the steps you took on how you changed your email?

[Pb17]

I tried logging in on the Dropbox website but it sent a code to the defunct email address.

As to the steps in changing my email, I believe I did it in the preferences section with the button to edit the email address. 

[Jay]

Without being able to access the original email address, it wouldn't be possible to change the email address on your account. 

Is the email address completely deleted? Can you contact your email provider to at least temporarily open it again?

[Pb17]

I just went back into the preferences and the new address is all that displays for that field

.  The old email address was gone in 2017.  I cannot access it. The preferences edit never requested access to the old account.  I would think it should have had some verification but it seems it didn't. 

[Hannah]

Hey @Pb17, sorry to jump in here as well.

For you to be able to change the email address of your account, you would have to be logged in to it, to begin with.

Also, changing the email address of the account, does not affect your access to your files.

They should still be in your "All files" page; do you see them there?