We are aware of the issue with the badge emails resending to everyone, we apologise for the inconvenience - learn more here.
Forum Discussion
Trying to restore, but get "Too many files. Please use the desktop application."
I have an event of 50,000 files being deleted.
I am trying to restore them, but get the error message "Too many files. Please use the desktop application." from the web app.
Anyone know how to fix this?
Have you done anything that was suggested here? see
Its a really bad error as you cant actually restore via the desktop client. Its something I have taken up with Dropbox previously.
You can, however, log a ticket and request a rollback via www.dropbox.com/support . Replies may take a few days, but, you can track at http://dropbox.zendesk.com
Came home from vacation, was getting messages about files being deleted. They sure were: for reasons I am still not sure of, Dropbox delete 650,000 files
- Chris_J
Super User
Do what it suggested to do. Install the Desktop client and link to that account and try again
I have the same problem.
I see all these comments are back in May. Is there no solution?
- Chris_J
Have you done anything that was suggested here? see
More than 50,000 files deleted through no action of my own and in trying to restore them I get the error message "too many files, use desktop app" or an error message similar to this but no instructions on how to use desktop app for this and no reply from attempted communication with supposed online support.
I have lost faith in this product...hope to get my files back and find a more competent, responsive vendor.
The same story - over 50,000 accidentally deleted - and no way to restore.
- Mark
Super User II
Its a really bad error as you cant actually restore via the desktop client. Its something I have taken up with Dropbox previously.
You can, however, log a ticket and request a rollback via www.dropbox.com/support . Replies may take a few days, but, you can track at http://dropbox.zendesk.com
Received an email this morning notifying me that 50k and 21k files were deleted from my paid Dropbox account yesterday morning. Was eventually able to recover the 21k files, but the 50k files too large for their website to handle, directing me to the pc desktop app for file recovery. There is no file recovery provision in the desktop app.... No phone number in order to speak with a human to correct this issue. The online help pages blame the user. Signing up for a ticket, wouldn't accept my restore link, eventually got that to work, now only need wait 24-48 hours for a response.Thanks for nothing Dropbox.
Alexis G.1John:
If you delete by accident a huge amount of files, the procedure is to request a rollback to Support.
Please follow instructions at https://www.dropbox.com/help/9132
Support will be able to recover your files.
If you have a Free account, you have 30 days for recovery.
If you have a Pro account, you have 30 days for recovery, longer if you have Pro with Extended Version History or a Business Account.
This is a reminder Dropbox is not a backup application. Dropbox it's a sync app. Can be used as backup in some scenarios: if your laptop is stolen or lost, you install Dropbox and will recover your files by installing the Dropbox client and sync!!. It's a good practice to backup Dropbox and all your important data to another medium (HDD, DVD, Bluray, USB, etc) from time to time. (I backup my Dropbox content to an external HDD every month). I even have a 2nd copy in another location.
Human error or even new malware virus are very nasty with files, located in your home PC, office PC, office network or the cloud.
I mean, what's going on here? And why the insane, brain-dead recommendation to 'use my desktop app?" is anyone actually in charge over there? Have they seen how bad that app is?
- Alexis G.1
Came home from vacation, was getting messages about files being deleted. They sure were: for reasons I am still not sure of, Dropbox delete 650,000 files
Dropbox don't delete files. Only an user or virus/malware can delete 650,000 files.
and I can't restore them because 50k batches.
If you are talking about the web interface limit, this is normal.
Of all the FUS I have seen in my life, this takes the cake. Offering people protection THAT DOESN'T WORK.
Why you say that? I deleted 12 files by mistake yesterday. I recover the files in 2 minutes.
Yes, I saw the link about going and begging for them to restore my files.
If you have a malware or delete a huge amount of files due to error, you need to request an event rollback. This is an standard procedure. This is how I recover 10,000 files years ago after a problem with Dropbox in an external drive.
I was able to restore a 10k deletion event...but it restored them to my disk? So, wait just a minute. Were the files being deleted from my dropbox account or my disk or both?
If you delete files from your Dropbox folder, the app will sync this with the cloud, so the files will be deleted in Dropbox.com as well. This is the expected behavior.
and if I am restoring them via the website why are they being restored to my disk when that is the LAST thing I want? I just want them to live in Dropbox.
You restore in Dropbox.com and the new content is downloaded to your PC. Again, expected behavior.
As to the nonsense that this isn't a backup, that's how people use it, millions of 'em, so that is exactly what it is.
Nope. Dropbox it's a sync app, not a backup app. Can work as a backup in some scenarios (i.e: 1) if your hdd crash, you can install a new one, install the app and recover all your files. 2) If your laptop is stolen, you setup a new laptop, install the app and recover all your files and 3) if you delete a file or some files by mistake, you can login into www.dropbox.com and recover your files very quickly). But Dropbox is not a backup solution.
The sync is a nice to have
The sync is one of the main purposes of Dropbox.
the offsite storage is what I pay the 200 a year for.
There is no plans at 200 USD. One year 1TB is 99USD. And yes, it's good to have all your important files available in your PC, Smartphones and Tablets thanks to cloud files.
The sync is free. The storage/backup is what we actually pay hard earned cash for. It had *better* work.
I don't know where Dropbox fails you. I have Dropbox installed in about 100 clients and all of them are really happy with the storage and service. Again: Dropbox is not a backup solution. If you want to keep your data safe, more today with the nasty virus and ransomware malware, you need to backup your Dropbox content from time to time to hdd, usb, dvd, bluray or any medium of your choice. It's my personal advice.
Dropbox don't delete files. Only an user or virus/malware can delete 650,000 files.
and I can't restore them because 50k batches.
If you are talking about the web interface limit, this is normal.
Of all the FUS I have seen in my life, this takes the cake. Offering people protection THAT DOESN'T WORK.
Why you say that? I deleted 12 files by mistake yesterday. I recover the files in 2 minutes.
Yes, I saw the link about going and begging for them to restore my files.
If you have a malware or delete a huge amount of files due to error, you need to request an event rollback. This is an standard procedure. This is how I recover 10,000 files years ago after a problem with Dropbox in an external drive.
I was able to restore a 10k deletion event...but it restored them to my disk? So, wait just a minute. Were the files being deleted from my dropbox account or my disk or both?
If you delete files from your Dropbox folder, the app will sync this with the cloud, so the files will be deleted in Dropbox.com as well. This is the expected behavior.
and if I am restoring them via the website why are they being restored to my disk when that is the LAST thing I want? I just want them to live in Dropbox.
You restore in Dropbox.com and the new content is downloaded to your PC. Again, expected behavior.
As to the nonsense that this isn't a backup, that's how people use it, millions of 'em, so that is exactly what it is.
Nope. Dropbox it's a sync app, not a backup app. Can work as a backup in some scenarios (i.e: 1) if your hdd crash, you can install a new one, install the app and recover all your files. 2) If your laptop is stolen, you setup a new laptop, install the app and recover all your files and 3) if you delete a file or some files by mistake, you can login into www.dropbox.com and recover your files very quickly). But Dropbox is not a backup solution.
The sync is a nice to have
The sync is one of the main purposes of Dropbox.
the offsite storage is what I pay the 200 a year for.
There is no plans at 200 USD. One year 1TB is 99USD. And yes, it's good to have all your important files available in your PC, Smartphones and Tablets thanks to cloud files.
The sync is free. The storage/backup is what we actually pay hard earned cash for. It had *better* work.
I don't know where Dropbox fails you. I have Dropbox installed in about 100 clients and all of them are really happy with the storage and service. Again: Dropbox is not a backup solution. If you want to keep your data safe, more today with the nasty virus and ransomware malware, you need to backup your Dropbox content from time to time to hdd, usb, dvd, bluray or any medium of your choice. It's my personal advice.