Discover the main reasons your Dropbox is full even after deleting files. We cover the critical steps to force a sync and permanently empty your online trash, resolving "why does deleting files on Dropbox not free up space" to finally regain your storage.
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My account is full even after deleting my files
Hello, does somebody know whether it is possible to get real help from Dropbox, because the chat is only sending automatic messages... There is no help at all?
Thank you.
- Question from dropboxforum.com
Why does deleting files on Dropbox not free up space? You have to check files that take up space on Dropbox. The files and folders stored on your Dropbox count against space, including the shared folder you’re a member of. However, the deleted files do not count against your Dropbox storage quota. Thus, Dropbox remains full even after deleting files or permanently deleting them.
Don't panic, you will find effective ways to manage your Dropbox storage and troubleshoot the error message “Your Dropbox is full”, and free up space to store more new files.
Why does deleting files on Dropbox not free up space? The answer almost always lies in one of these places: the Trash folder, the desktop application's synchronization process, or the shared folder.
After getting reasons for Dropbox being full even after deleting files. Now, you have to take action to solve this problem.
If you have got this message: Your Dropbox is full, or something else like that, your Dropbox can get into these situations:
And now, please organize your Dropbox files to free up space for Dropbox, to make it under the Dropbox quota limit. But first, backing up is the first thing.
If you have important files in Dropbox and don’t want to delete them, it’s highly recommended to back up Dropbox files in case of data loss. Fortunately, here comes the powerful cloud storage manager - MultCloud to help.
With MultCloud, you can get these advantages:
So, are you curious about how to back up files in Dropbox to another cloud (Google Drive, for example) with MultCloud? Try the following steps for reference:
Note: Please ensure you have enough space on Google Drive to take care of these files from Dropbox. Or you have to free up space for Google Drive first.
1. Apply for a MultCloud account for free, then log in to the MultCloud Dashboard.
2. Click Add Cloud, then choose Dropbox, then follow the guide to grant access to MultCloud. Add Google Drive as well.
3. Press Cloud Backup, choose files in Dropbox as the source and a location in Google Drive as the target.
4. Set up the settings and hit Backcup Now to back up Dropbox to Google Drive.
Tips:
The deleting process needs time to update your Dropbox storage space. Wait for hours or one day to check.
Now, it’s time to delete your unnecessary files from Dropbox to fix Dropbox is full error if you don’t want to upgrade to Dropbox Professional or other plans.
Sometimes, it could be that the Dropbox desktop app does not show the correct storage space; restarting can open the engine again to make it right.
Tap your Dropbox icon, click your avatar image, and choose Quit to close it. Then run Dropbox again to check if your Dropbox storage is under the storage limit.
Once your Dropbox is under the storage limit, you can pause and resume sync to show the right storage space:
1. In your desktop taskbar (or menu bar on Mac), click the Dropbox icon.
2. Click your avatar/photo in the top right and go to Settings > Preferences.
3. Under the "Sync" tab, hit "Pause syncing" for 5 minutes.
4. Then, unpause it.
This simple reset can often kick the sync process back into gear.
If all else fails, you can disconnect and reconnect your computer.
1. Go to Settings > Preferences > Accounts.
2. Click "Sign out". Don't worry—this won't delete your files. It will simply break the connection.
3. Then, open Dropbox again and log back in. It will have to re-establish the sync from scratch, which forces a full update of your storage status.
1. Open a web browser and go to www.dropbox.com. Log in to your account. It's crucial to do this on the website, as it provides you with the full administrative view of your account.
2. In the left-hand navigation pane, click on Deleted files. This is your Trash folder.
3. You'll now see a list of every file you've "deleted" recently. Above the list, you should see an option that says Empty trash or something similar.
4. Click it! Dropbox will warn you that this action is permanent. Confirm that you understand.
5. Give it a moment. Refresh your account page or your desktop app. Like magic, that stubborn storage bar should finally shrink, reflecting your newly freed-up space.
Until now, you have fixed Dropbox full even after deleting files with the above solutions. Don’t worry, it’s easy for you to solve it. It’s strongly recommended to back up your files before deleting, and manage them regularly not to exceed the storage limit.
With MultCloud, you can also archive Gmail emails to Dropbox, real-time sync Dropbox to Box, and many more. So, why not give it a try now?