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Question

files got lost after Box Drive was updated

  • July 20, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 56 views
Q

I executed Box Drive updated recently when I saw the popup for the update, didn’t noticed any abnormal at that time,  when I was looking for really important company tax return files today, I noticed that all files were gone from that folder. I didn’t delete them and they are nowhere to found even with the file recover software, since these software can’t recover the files from Box sync folder on the local computer.

Can Box support please look into the issue to see why the file got lost? I am pretty sure that I didn’t delete them.

Thanks!

    DonHammons
    D

    1 reply

    Rona Box
    • Rona Box
    • Community Manager
    • July 21, 2025

    Hi ​@qiwang,  Welcome to Box Community! 

    Sorry to hear about this incident, let me discuss how your Box upgrade could lead to content deletion and what you can do to prevent it in the future. 

     

    Here’s a quick reminder before upgrading your Box Drive

    1. Before upgrading, ensure you back up any unsynced files by copying them to a safe location outside of the Box Drive application data folders:

      • On macOS, check for unsynced files in ~/Library/Application Support/Box/Box/unsyncedFiles.
      • On Windows, check C:\Users[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\Box\Box\unsyncedFiles.

    2. During migration from older versions or switching modes (e.g., FUSE to File Provider Extension), Box Drive archives unsynced files into folders like "Box-Box (Date)" on macOS. You should review these archive folders after upgrade to recover any unsynced content.

    3. If you uninstall or reset Box Drive as part of the upgrade process, unsynced files may be deleted unless backed up beforehand.

    4. After upgrading, manually upload or restore your unsynced files from the backup or archive locations to ensure no data loss.

    This approach helps prevent data loss of unsynced files during Box Drive upgrades.

     

    Note that since your unsynced files has not been uploaded in the Box Web-App. And so, we can’t guarantee a content recovery. 

     

    Thanks for posting, and don’t hesitate to reply if you have clarifications!

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