"I've been using Dropbox for quite some time without any issues. Lately, I've noticed that Dropbox is deleting my files automatically. Why would Dropbox delete files on its own? How can I recover deleted files from Dropbox?"

Dropbox is a popular online file synchronization tool that utilizes cloud computing technology to store and share files over the internet. It automatically syncs files stored locally to cloud-based servers for backup purposes.

Dropbox offers both free and paid services, including Dropbox Pro and Dropbox for Business. It has clients for different operating systems as well as a web client. However, whether you're a user of the free, professional, or business version, you may encounter the issue mentioned at the beginning of this article where Dropbox deletes files automatically, and you need to find ways to recover deleted files from Dropbox.

Why did Dropbox delete my files?

It's possible that Dropbox deleted the files on its own. This could happen due to timezone issues, which might cause Dropbox to incorrectly determine the latest state, or if there's something wrong with the file itself. If your files met the criteria for their Data Deletion Policy, they might have been removed. Additionally, Dropbox might clean up files you've permanently deleted over time.

How long does Dropbox keep deleted files?

Thirty days or 180 days.

Dropbox keeps your deleted files and old file versions for a while so you can restore them if needed. However, once this period passes, the deleted files are permanently removed and can't be recovered.

The recovery period for different files on Dropbox varies.

    • For Dropbox Basic, Plus, and Family accounts: 30 days.
    • For Dropbox Professional and Business accounts: 180 days.

Other reasons for missing Dropbox files

    • A file in your Dropbox might have been accidentally deleted.
    • Sharing for a file or folder was stopped.
    • A file wasn't synced properly.
    • Network issues are preventing you from viewing and accessing the files.
    • There was a temporary issue with the Dropbox servers.

To restore deleted or missing files from Dropbox, try one of the following solutions.

Method 1: Restore Deleted Dropbox Files from Trash

Deleted files or folders are first moved to the Recycle Bin, where they remain during the file recovery period. So, you can try restoring your lost files from the Recycle Bin first.

Note: You can only restore files that you have editing permissions for. If you only have view permissions for a file in Dropbox, you won't be able to restore it.

Step 1: Go to the Dropbox website (dropbox.com).

Log in to Dropbox

Step 2. Click on “Files” and select “Deleted Files” from the sidebar on the left.

Step 3: This will display all recently deleted files on the screen.

Step 4: Find the file or folder you wish to recover. You can select multiple files or folders at once. Click “Recover” to retrieve them.

Restore deleted files from Dropbox

Method 2: Recover Lost Files from Dropbox Using the "Show Deleted Files" Option

You can use the "Show deleted files" feature in Dropbox to restore missing files or folders.

Step 1: Log in to your Dropbox account online.

Step 2: On the left pane of the main screen, click on “Files.” Then, on the right pane, click on “Show deleted files.”

Step 3. Locate and check the deleted file you want to restore. Click on the three dots icon and then click "Restore."

Method 3: Restore Deleted Files from Dropbox Using Version History

Another way to recover lost files from Dropbox is by restoring previous versions. Simply find your version history and you can restore an old version of any file. Dropbox keeps version history for all types of files.

Note: Your default version history depends on the version of Dropbox you're using. The length of time you can view and restore previous versions varies:

    • Dropbox Basic, Plus, and Family users have 30 days.
    • Dropbox Professional and Business users have 180 days.

However, you can use the Extended Version History add-on to keep versions for longer.

Steps to view the version history of deleted files in Dropbox:

Step 1. Sign in to dropbox.com.

Step 2: Find the file or folder whose previous version you want to restore.

View Dropbox version history

Method 4: Recover Permanently Deleted Files from Dropbox

Many users want to recover files deleted more than 30 days or even 180 days ago. Is that possible? Can you recover permanently deleted files or folders from Dropbox? Unfortunately, you can no longer find them via Dropbox, as Dropbox states that permanently deleted files and folders are not recoverable.

The only way to recover permanently deleted files is by attempting to retrieve them from another device where they might still be present and accessible. If you have an external hard drive backup, you can also recover them from the backup.

Guides for Cloud Drive Data Recovery (NAS)

Public cloud storage services like Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive are available for anyone to use. Now, private cloud storage in the form of Network Attached Storage (NAS) is also gaining popularity. NAS is widely used for office consolidation, campus networking, and medical data storage, among other things. A NAS server enables efficient, effective, and secure management of data on a network. Additionally, it is cost-effective and easy to manage.

To ensure the safe usage of NAS network storage servers, it's essential to set up professional NAS data recovery software to help you restore lost files at any time. The tool, NAS Data Recovery Software, offers exclusive NAS recovery services with a simple connection process.

All you need to do is connect to your NAS server in our software and then you can recover deleted, formatted or corrupted files from the NAS drive on your Windows PC.

Step 1: Select the NAS server and start the recovery.

Download and install the "Data Recovery Wizard" tool on your Windows 11/10 64-bit computer. After launching the software, select "NAS Recovery." All NAS servers will be listed automatically; choose the target NAS device and click "Scan."

Select the NAS server and start the recovery Select the NAS server and start the recovery

Step 2: Enable SSH on the NAS server.

Go to “Control Panel” > “Terminal and SNMP”, check “Enable SSH Service”. Then view and take note of the port for remote access. Launch tools Data Recovery Wizard and click “Next”.

Enable the SSH service on the NAS server.

Step 3: Connect to the NAS server from a remote location.

This software will automatically detect your IP address and port number. You just need to input your username and password. If the IP address or port number is incorrect, you can manually correct it and then click "Connect Now".

Connect to the NAS server remotely

Step 4. Recover Lost/Deleted NAS Data

Then, the data recovery tool will connect to your NAS and start scanning the NAS device. After the scan, you'll see all the deleted, lost, or existing files on your NAS server.

You can use the “Filter” option or click on “Search for files or folders” to locate missing files from your hard drive. Select the NAS files that got lost from the server and click on “Recover” to save them to another location.

Click “Recover” to restore the deleted NAS files.

Recover Lost/Deleted NAS Data

Conclusion

Dropbox deletes files beyond the recovery period. You might lose files or folders in Dropbox due to various reasons. Regardless of the cause, you can use the data recovery methods in this article to restore deleted or lost files from Dropbox.

If you need a NAS file recovery tool, try using the data recovery software that offers the easiest and safest way to recover deleted or corrupted files from NAS RAID disks. No need to remove the hard drives and rebuild the RAID – just connect to the NAS server on a Windows PC for file recovery.

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