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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.
This problem should be solved.
It has happened to me a couple of times in two years and the result is that the whole team lost a day's work because of the resynchronization time.
I try to explain why the Dropbox team should take this problem seriously:
1. Due to the limited size of internal HDDs, it is not possible to save "offline" all Dropbox folders.
2. Having the ability to keep files "online only" is just wonderful, but it is critical in terms of security: If the Internet goes down or Dropbox's servers get hacked or need maintenance, all files suddenly become inaccessible. It is a good practice for any digital archive to have at least one copy in the cloud and one locally. To this end, saving to external drives is essential.
3. If I try to delete a large number of files, dropbox asks me to confirm before doing so. Why does this not happen in this specific scenario?
4. I am a photographer and send my team files to edit overnight when I am abroad for a photo shoot. Having a computer that is always connected and has the entire Dropbox folder offline allows them to have the files ready to use when they arrive at the studio in the morning.
5. The policy of setting Dropbox folders "online only" by default (this is done when the app is first set up) is great because it allows for a lot of free disk space. At the same time, the fact that an accidental disconnection of a drive can cause all files to be deleted effectively rules out the option of saving all our files "offline" (see point 1).
6. I suggest simply adding a logical operation to your software: IF the size of the files to be deleted is = the size of the sum of all Dropbox folders AND IF the Dropbox folder is on an external volume THEN show a confirmation prompt before performing the operation.
- Yes - I just don’t get why this is not possible to fix - or at least put more safety in place. The impact of this issue is beyond major on a business team.
The one protection I have implemented for a business I work with is to use Synologu Cloud sync with the “do not delete files duing sync” set on a local nas in the office - better than nothing but not ideal……
