When a device is deleted, the files associated with it and no other device are deleted as well. This is usually desired behavior, and in fact a common reason for deleting a device is to free up space in the account. It is not possible to restore a deleted device or its files, so before deleting anything you might want to review the details of exactly what files will be deleted. In general terms, that would be those files that both (1) originated with the device being deleted and also (2) are not associated with any other device. A couple of examples might make things more concrete:
- You upload files from your original laptop. You decide to replace that computer with a new one. On the latter, you copy over all the files that the former has and you have SpiderOak back them all up. Once SpiderOak on the new laptop has finished backing up, you delete the original laptop's device. No files are deleted because although everything originated with the original computer, they are all also associated with the new one.
- You upload files from your work computer. Some of those files are synced with your home computer. Other files on the work computer are not synced with any other computer nor are those files otherwise found on any other computer. When you delete your work computer's device, the synced files will not be deleted, because being synced they are also associated with the home computer. The not-synced-nor-found-anywhere-else files will be deleted.