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error415's avatar
error415
New member | Level 2
3 years ago

I worked on and synced a file and it synced as 0 bytes

I was working on a R script. The moment I saved the file and quit RStudio, the script file which is synced in a dropbox folder is turned to a 0 byte file. When I tried to open the file from dropbox web, it showed me "Error (415)". When I tried to recover it from the "version history" option, I found that strangely there are no previously saved versions though I saved it many times during my code writing and trail running. I also searched in my computer's recycle bin and dropbox's deleted file section. There is nothing. How can I recover it? It is an important file.

  • Are you on a Mac by any chance?

     

    Mac's create 0 byte files which are then populated with data as they are 'saved'. It sounds like Dropbox has saved the 0byte file that was created at the start of the save but then its not sync'd correctly due to the error given - which my guess is because Dropbox then locked that file while it sync'd. Thats almost certainly why its not saved updates as well during day unless you are over quota and so syncing isnt working. 

     

    Unfortunately if its not saved locally (to the folder) or available as a recovered file when you open the software its not saved and so not recoverable. It wont be in recycle bin etc. unless you actually moved it there. 

     

    www.dropbox.com/events will show you what has sync'd to the system. 

  • Mark's avatar
    Mark
    Icon for Super User II rankSuper User II

    Are you on a Mac by any chance?

     

    Mac's create 0 byte files which are then populated with data as they are 'saved'. It sounds like Dropbox has saved the 0byte file that was created at the start of the save but then its not sync'd correctly due to the error given - which my guess is because Dropbox then locked that file while it sync'd. Thats almost certainly why its not saved updates as well during day unless you are over quota and so syncing isnt working. 

     

    Unfortunately if its not saved locally (to the folder) or available as a recovered file when you open the software its not saved and so not recoverable. It wont be in recycle bin etc. unless you actually moved it there. 

     

    www.dropbox.com/events will show you what has sync'd to the system. 

    • JanaV's avatar
      JanaV
      Explorer | Level 3

      I have this same issue - except it's all of a sudden. Every new doc I create looks fine in Dropbox, but then is 0 bytes so I can't send it to anyone or see it in say Word. I'm on a Mac. It doesn't matter whether I create it in Word and save to Dropbox or create in Dropbox as a Word doc. I'm freaking out that everything I've written in the last... who knows... is now not available outside of Dropbox unless I cut and paste? It shows "up to date" for syncing but says disc created online are not available in desktop apps. What is the point of Dropbox if I can't access my files outside of it? I'm confused. I guess I need to always write in Word and then save to Dropbox? My problem is Word constantly crashes, but that's another story... or I just need to get rid of Dropbox and go 100% with Google docs. Thanks for any advice!

      • Jay's avatar
        Jay
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

        Hi JanaV, could you clarify this in more detail? How soon after you upload it to Dropbox does the file become zero bytes?

         

        Is it zero bytes on the site first, or on the machine first, which then syncs to the site?

    • gafap's avatar
      gafap
      New member | Level 2

      Hi, 

      I have the same issue with Rstudio files. If I leava Rstudio opened, I can sse the script. However, if I close it, and try to open it in another PC with my dropbox, the file opens as empty...and it says 0kb. 

       

      I don't see a solution on the thread, although its marked as solved? what should we do?

       

      thanks, 

       

      • Megan's avatar
        Megan
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

        Hi gafap, thanks for posting here today! 

         

        Have you checked some of the troubleshooting steps that we offered throughout this thread? 

         

        Could you please clarify how you save the file in Dropbox when you are finished editing, and the version of the app that you're using? 

         

        Keep me posted!

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