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mrswilliam's avatar
mrswilliam
Explorer | Level 4
7 years ago

Old versions of Documents replacing new versions

I have two laptops, Windows 8.1 (my main device) and Windows 10 which I rarely use.  8.1 had to go into a repair shop so i set about setting up dropbox on W10 with dropbox. It had some old files on i...
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  • Jane's avatar
    Jane
    7 years ago
    Hey mrswilliam & Wilu, I appreciate it that you both circled back to me here letting me know of your current state of affairs. Initially I’m glad to hear that you’ve both been able to work around the previous syncing issues & I’m here to send you some pro-active tips for future reference!
     
    Now mrswilliam, I’m right on the same page with you after the last bit you added in your last post that your deleted files re-appeared & I can confirm that you took the most appropriate course of action, therefore you may reference the same set of steps in case you experience that again in the future. 
     
    Spoiler
    Often when you delete files or folders, they don’t immediately disappear from every synced computer. If you have a synced computer running an application that is using the file, that will cause the file to reappear in your Dropbox account. Or, if you’re seeing a shared file or folder reappear after deletion, it may be that a person you shared it with is accessing it.
     
    If you check the previous versions of the file and see that it was accessed from an application on another computer, you can delete it off of that computer to stop it from reappearing in your Dropbox.
    Following, when it comes to your remarks Wilu, you may have an additional look on my post here that explains how Conflicted Copies are created & ways to avoid them, as well as some tips regarding versioning. 
     
    Once again, thanks a lot to both for your ongoing cooperation & contribution on this conversation, it’s been a pleasure discussing this behavior with you, as each interaction helped me shape a slightly more coherent picture of what you were experiencing. 
     
    Our Community wall is always open to further inquiries or feedback & it’ll be a pleasure to hear back from you in the future. Happy syncing & take care until we talk again! 
Wilu's avatar
Wilu
Explorer | Level 4

Hi, I have a similar problem:

when both my Computers are online, I have no problem to synchronize: I change a file on one CP, a few seconds later I get the new version A on the second CP and vice versa. If one CP is offline (Dropbox off) I get a mess: I can change my document to version B, save on Dropbox and later, when I open Dropbox on the second CP it will sync my document to old version A on both CP, losing the new version B totally.

How can I prevent this?

Jane's avatar
Jane
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
7 years ago
Hey Wilu, let me clarify a bit for you below! 
 
If one CP is offline (Dropbox off) I get a mess: I can change my document to version B, save on Dropbox and later, when I open Dropbox on the second CP it will sync my document to old version A on both CP, losing the new version B totally.
 
Based on your description, it seems that both devices are intermittently disconnected, therefore the issue you’re facing with files reverting to an earlier version may have to do with an incorrect installation. I’d suggest starting off from there, in order to understand what could have possibly gone wrong. 
 
Here are the initial recommended checks to tackle this discrepancy: 
 
  • Can you confirm that you’re running the latest Stable version of the application on your computers (57.4.89) :arrows_counterclockwise:/ :white_check_mark:, you’ve made all OS updates & you’re not using Symlinks nor referenced files? (Based on your description, it’s my understanding that you’ve only installed Dropbox on these two devices, which you can easily check on your Security tab online.)  
  • From there, you may running a brief test by syncing a newer version of a file after toggling your WiFi to Off> Update locally & Sync, which will indicate what happened. (Note: It would be best if you could repeat on each device.) 
  • Last but not least, in case you suspect that something similar may occur, you could use the Web Uploader to update your files, which will replace the older version with the new one. 
Let me know of how you get on with these pointers or in case you have any update & I’ll do my best to check back with you more closely! 
  • Wilu's avatar
    Wilu
    Explorer | Level 4
    7 years ago

    Hi Jane,

    - where / how can I read the version Number of my Dropbox?

    - I am not using Symlinks

    - I have checked Security: ok

    - if I run both CP with open Dropbox, syncing works fine from both sides: I get File version(1) on both CP

    - if CP B is off and I update a file on CP A to file version(2), save and then start CP B, I get file version(1) synced on both CP. I have now found a copy of the file version(2) with a conflict-comment

    - I think, the idea of using a web-uploader to update the files is not the idea of Dropbox

    - is it correct, that we have 3 copies of the files: 1 each on CP A, CP B and in the "Dropbox-Cloud"?

    • mrswilliam's avatar
      mrswilliam
      Explorer | Level 4
      7 years ago

      I'm going to have the same issues as Wilu.  Both my W8.1 and W10 laptops are not going to be on and synching at the same time.  8.1 is my main PC used in the office.

      W10 is the one I use occasionally when on the move... this could be offline for several days.

      So if for example, I have a "Test.v01" file saved on W10 when I last used/synched this device.  Since then I have revised and saved  "Test.v02" on W8.1.  Then Two weeks later i use/synch W10 - will this now upload Test.v01 to dropbox?  Will it replace the new version Test.v02 on W8.1 while synching? 

      If yes, than I will lose the work I've done on Test.v02. 

      I could end up losing a lot of work I do on W8.1 in the interim 2 weeks before using restarting W10

       

      • Jane's avatar
        Jane
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
        7 years ago
        Thank you both for your swift & detailed replies here Wilu & mrswilliam & please accept my apologies for the slight delay in replying. 
         
        When it comes to your setup Wilu, it appears that everything is working as expected, though let me explain below: 
         
        where / how can I read the version Number of my Dropbox?
         
        If you’re using a pc, it should be on your bottom right-hand corner. Once you hover your mouse over the Dropbox icon, you’ll see the syncing status (eg. Up-To-Date, Indexing &c) & the version you’re running (Note: It’s 58.4.92 as of today). 
         
        - is it correct, that we have 3 copies of the files: 1 each on CP A, CP B and in the "Dropbox-Cloud"?
         
        Yes, that’s absolutely right, the website should be mirroring the changes made on each device. 
         
        - if CP B is off and I update a file on CP A to file version(2), save and then start CP B, I get file version(1) synced on both CP. I have now found a copy of the file version(2) with a conflict-comment
         
        Now, in order to trace back the behavior you’re mentioning on my end (& because you’ve mentioned that you’re also getting conflicting copies), let me investigate in a bit more depth having all our tools available & further advise how you could tackle this behavior. For that  I’ve made sure to reach out to you directly via email on my end, so as to check on one specific example. 
         
        Whenever you find some time, please check your inbox for my email & I’ll make sure to promptly get back in touch with you asap. 
         
        Secondly, when it come to your current setup mrswilliam (& based on your description), if you power your machine at regular intervals, then you shouldn’t be having an issue. It was my initial understanding that the issue appeared since you hadn’t switched on your Win10 device for a long time. In any event, to further investigate what could’ve gone wrong & further advise accordingly, I’ve made sure to reach out to you on my end, in order to determine the cause of this discrepancy. 
         
        Once you get back in touch with me, I’ll promptly follow-up with you in more detail. Thanks again for all your cooperation & prompt messages! 

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