[Bug]: Sync Error: Local folders not removed after server-side deletion (Group Folders) on long paths & "Zombie" folder re-uploads

[limatus]

⚠️ Before submitting, please verify the following: ⚠️

• This is a bug, not a question or a configuration issue.
• This issue is not already reported on Github (I've searched it).
• Nextcloud Server and Desktop Client are up to date. See Server Maintenance and Release Schedule and Desktop Releases for supported versions.
• I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct

Bug description

We are experiencing a persistent synchronization issue across our organization, affecting approximately 50 workstations. When a folder is deleted on the server side (specifically within Group Folders), the Desktop Client fails to remove the corresponding local folder.

Crucially, this issue appears to specifically influence files and folders with very long paths.

We have observed a specific behaviour pattern:

1. Partial Deletion: When a folder containing documents is deleted on the server, the Desktop Client successfully deletes the files inside locally, but fails to delete the folder structure itself.
2. “Zombie” Re-upload: Often, the client subsequently re-uploads these now-empty folders back to the cloud.
3. Sync Loop: Other clients see the re-uploaded empty folder, download it, and the organization ends up with empty “ghost” folders that persist despite attempts to delete them.
4. Local manual deletion of the folders does work and resolves the issue.

The client eventually enters a sync loop and displays the following error message:
“Temporary error while removing a local object that was removed from the server” (Original German error: “Vorübergehender Fehler beim Entfernen eines vom Server entfernten lokalen Objekts”).

Steps to reproduce

1. Create a deep folder structure (resulting in a long path) containing files within a Group Folder on the Nextcloud server.
2. Wait for the folder and files to sync to the local Desktop Client.
3. Delete the folder on the server (via Web UI).
4. The Desktop Client attempts to sync the change.

Observation A: The local files inside the folder are deleted, but the folder itself remains on the local disk.

Observation B: The client reports a “Temporary error” and starts the sync process again (scans though everything, takes a very long time).

Observation C: In subsequent sync runs, the client may re-upload the empty folder to the server, restoring the folder structure that was just deleted.

Expected behavior

The local folder and all its contents should be deleted immediately after it is removed from the server, regardless of the path length. No re-upload of deleted content should occur.

Which files are affected by this bug

folders

Operating system

Windows

Which version of the operating system you are running.

Windows 11

Package

Official Windows MSI

Nextcloud Server version

32.0.3

Nextcloud Desktop Client version

3.17. - 4.0.6

Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?

Fresh desktop client install

Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?

Encryption is Disabled

Are you using an external user-backend?

• Default internal user-backend
• LDAP/ Active Directory
• SSO - SAML
• Other

Nextcloud Server logs

2026-02-02 14:20:44:890 [ info nextcloud.sync.discovery C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\discovery.cpp:79 ]:	STARTING "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/16) Archive/Archive_Module_Folder/D_Archive/Migration, Aid, Racism/PT Help-OLD/Archive/03_Project_Components_Detail/05_Process_Aid_Projects" OCC::ProcessDirectoryJob::ParentNotChanged "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/16) Archive/Archive_Module_Folder/D_Archive/Migration, Aid, Racism/PT Help-OLD/Archive/03_Project_Components_Detail/05_Process_Aid_Projects" OCC::ProcessDirectoryJob::NormalQuery
2026-02-02 14:20:44:890 [ info nextcloud.sync.discovery C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\discovery.cpp:79 ]:	STARTING "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/16) Archive/Archive_Module_Folder/D_Archive/Migration, Aid, Racism/PT Help-OLD/Archive/03_Project_Components_Detail/02_Why_Help_Millennium_Goals/Refugeechair War&Flight" OCC::ProcessDirectoryJob::ParentNotChanged "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/16) Archive/Archive_Module_Folder/D_Archive/Migration, Aid, Racism/PT Help-OLD/Archive/03_Project_Components_Detail/02_Why_Help_Millennium_Goals/Refugeechair War&Flight" OCC::ProcessDirectoryJob::NormalQuery
...
2026-02-02 14:20:45:034 [ info nextcloud.sync.discovery C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\discovery.cpp:1888 ]:	Processing "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration" | (db/local/remote) | valid: true/true/false | mtime: 1769504176/1769504176/0 | size: 0/4096/0 | etag: "69787db028429"//"" | checksum: ""//"" | perm: "GDNVCKRm"//"" | fileid: "536160326ocsozzlajw5d"//"" | inode: 232108/232108/ | type: CSyncEnums::ItemTypeDirectory/CSyncEnums::ItemTypeVirtualDirectory/CSyncEnums::ItemTypeFile | e2ee: false/false | e2eeMangledName: ""/"" | file lock: not locked// | file lock type: ""//"" | live photo: false//false | metadata missing: /false/
2026-02-02 14:20:45:034 [ info nextcloud.sync.discovery C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\discovery.cpp:1889 ]:	discovered "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration" CSyncEnums::CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_REMOVE OCC::SyncFileItem::Down CSyncEnums::ItemTypeDirectory
...
2026-02-02 14:20:45:519 [ info nextcloud.sync.propagator C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\owncloudpropagator.h:213 ]:	Starting CSyncEnums::CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_REMOVE propagation of "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration" by OCC::PropagateLocalRemove(0x2db01d2fd20)
2026-02-02 14:20:45:519 [ info nextcloud.sync.propagator.localremove C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\propagatorjobs.cpp:105 ]:	Start propagate local remove job
2026-02-02 14:20:45:519 [ info nextcloud.log.permanent C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\propagatorjobs.cpp:106 ]:	delete "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration" "Processing \"04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration\" | (db/local/remote) | valid: true/true/false | mtime: 1769504176/1769504176/0 | size: 0/4096/0 | etag: \"69787db028429\"//\"\" | checksum: \"\"//\"\" | perm: \"GDNVCKRm\"//\"\" | fileid: \"536160326ocsozzlajw5d\"//\"\" | inode: 232108/232108/ | type: CSyncEnums::ItemTypeDirectory/CSyncEnums::ItemTypeVirtualDirectory/CSyncEnums::ItemTypeFile | e2ee: false/false | e2eeMangledName: \"\"/\"\" | file lock: not locked// | file lock type: \"\"//\"\" | live photo: false//false | metadata missing: /false/"
2026-02-02 14:20:45:519 [ info nextcloud.sync.propagator.localremove C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\propagatorjobs.cpp:114 ]:	Going to delete: "C:/Users/username/NC/Nextcloud/04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration"
2026-02-02 14:20:45:519 [ info nextcloud.sync.propagator.localremove C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\propagatorjobs.cpp:57 ]:	delete "C:/Users/username/NC/Nextcloud/04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration"
2026-02-02 14:20:45:523 [ warning nextcloud.sync.filesystem C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\filesystem.cpp:316 ]:	File is already deleted "C:/Users/username/NC/Nextcloud/04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration/3_Methods_Flight&Migration&Racism/Method_Collections/Information_Office_Country_racism/1 How does it happen/2 The danger of a single story"
2026-02-02 14:20:45:523 [ warning nextcloud.sync.filesystem C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\filesystem.cpp:322 ]:	remove: Das Verzeichnis ist nicht leer.: "C:/Users/username/NC/Nextcloud/04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration/3_Methods_Flight&Migration&Racism/Method_Collections/Information_Office_Country_racism/1 How does it happen" "C:/Users/username/NC/Nextcloud/04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration/3_Methods_Flight&Migration&Racism/Method_Collections/Information_Office_Country_racism/1 How does it happen"
2026-02-02 14:20:45:523 [ warning nextcloud.sync.filesystem C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\filesystem.cpp:343 ]:	Error removing folder "C:\\Users\\username\\NC\\Nextcloud\\04_Dept\\Education\\Projects\\1) Project_World_Global\\1) PT\\MODULE\\Flight & Migration\\3_Methods_Flight&Migration&Racism\\Method_Collections\\Information_Office_Country_racism\\1 How does it happen" "remove: Das Verzeichnis ist nicht leer.: \"C:/Users/username/NC/Nextcloud/04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration/3_Methods_Flight&Migration&Racism/Method_Collections/Information_Office_Country_racism/1 How does it happen\""
2026-02-02 14:20:45:523 [ warning nextcloud.sync.propagator C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\libsync\owncloudpropagator.cpp:280 ]:	Could not complete propagation of "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration" by OCC::PropagateLocalRemove(0x2db01d2fd20) with status OCC::SyncFileItem::NormalError and error: "Vorübergehender Fehler beim Entfernen eines vom Server entfernten lokalen Objekts."
2026-02-02 14:20:45:526 [ warning nextcloud.gui.activity C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\gui\tray\usermodel.cpp:904 ]:	Item  "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration"  retrieved resulted in  "Vorübergehender Fehler beim Entfernen eines vom Server entfernten lokalen Objekts."
2026-02-02 14:20:45:526 [ info nextcloud.gui.activity C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\gui\tray\usermodel.cpp:850 ]:	Item  "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration"  retrieved resulted in error  "Vorübergehender Fehler beim Entfernen eines vom Server entfernten lokalen Objekts."
2026-02-02 14:20:45:526 [ warning nextcloud.gui.activity C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\gui\tray\activitylistmodel.cpp:601 ]:	Error successfully added to the notification list:  OCC::ActivityListModel::ErrorType::SyncError "04_Dept/Education/Projects/1) Project_World_Global/1) PT/MODULE/Flight & Migration" "Vorübergehender Fehler beim Entfernen eines vom Server entfernten lokalen Objekts." OCC::SyncResult::Undefined OCC::SyncFileItem::NormalError
2026-02-02 14:20:45:535 [ warning nextcloud.gui.folder C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\windows-36446\client-building\desktop\src\gui\folder.cpp:1284 ]:	SyncEngine finished with ERROR

Additional info

No response

[TheGranadilla]

Hi there,
You confirm having this problem on PC client version 4.0.6 ?

[limatus]

We have the problem also with 4.0.6, even the alpha versions produce the same errors

[acrey1]

I found this also in 4.0.x, but turning off the trash handling in the client eliminated the problem (the long path names were increasing in length on movement to the recycle bin, causing a Windows error):

[limatus]

Thanks for the suggestion, it's not activated by default and none of our clients has this.

I also had the same idea in the beginning, as this seems to be an issue with the recycle bin.