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Forum Discussion
Deleted folders keep reappearing
I'm hoping someone can help with this problem. I have been using Dropbox for a few years across a number of devices (2 desktop Macs, a laptop, an iPhone and an iPad). This last week, when I try to delete a folder it reappears a moment later. If I move it into another folder, the same thing happens. I have checked and all my other devices are switched off or not trying to sync while I am doing this. Any advice on how to stop it?
Thanks!
The web interface should only recreate the folder if a device connected instructs it to.
So one of your devices must not be selectively synced, or has some greater issue.
(1) Check each device to see if the folder is present on the device, and remove it. If it comes back its not that device that ordered it created. If it wont delete then thats the device that cant delete it so orders it recreated. Fix that device.
(2) Failing that, take all devices off line, delete the folder via the web, then bring devices online one by one, and watch for the folder being created, when it is, it was the device you just brought online.
@John U : its the machine that could not delete them, since all that can wont have the files anymore. The one that cant still does, so must do something with them, and it chooses to upload them again. (in reality it is just doing its job, it deletes the file, it finds a file it, uploads a file, the DB app doesnt know it didnt delete it, it might have deleted it and some other program immediately generated a new file of the same name at the same place.
If you need to know which user/device did this, you use the web interface and check the previous versions of the file for the one that recreated it.Don't know if this is a permanent fix but I had the same problem of a deleted folder reappearing. I renamed the folder and then deleted it. So far it hasn't reappeared.
Are anyone tried this tool?
https://help.dropbox.com/syncing-uploads/files-not-syncing
Its a tool that checking for bad files.
I have the same issue with a "Client" folder, which if I delete in any combination it just comes back. I have renamed and it just makes 2 files. Moving and copying also result in 2 files being made, the new ones being able to be deleted fine.
Is this an issue that is likely to have a permanent fix as we have quite a few machines connected with selective sync on all of them so I can't remove them as it's many gb of files.
Many thanks.
Ray, Check the version history of the file for what machine keeps restoring the file after yuou erase it, fix that machine so it erases the file when you do.
Hi thanks for the response. It isn't a file I'm trying to delete. it's a folder. The folder is empty and shows as empty on all the machines, and I am Admin, but it deletes and reappears.
As it is a folder it doesn't show which machine is making it reappear.
That is problematic, it appears that the files will delete but the folder wont, on the faulting device.
You could try leaving a file in there and then deleteing the folder, it might be regenerated.
I also have the problem:
It's a folder. Deleting it on Mac, Windows or the browser does not make a difference, it always reappears. Creating a file in it and deleting the folder doesn't help, the folder is created empty.
Even when the parent folder is excluded from all my machines (selective syncing), and then deleting it from the DropBox website, does not help. It reappears in the web interface.
Make your changes to folders by signing into your account online. You will be able to permanently delete anything when you do it this way. Case closed.
mike v. : that is a totally inaccurate statement, if one of the devices is not able to erase the folder locally (many reasons exist) then the result of a folder delete at any other location (device or web) will be followed by the faulting device restoring the folder as it didn't delete. As it is still present, the device will send a create order to the cloud that is disseminated to all devices.
