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Forum Discussion
Is there a way to choose whether .zip files are previewing on the Dropbox website?
I'm a long time Dropbox user and today I went to check if some older links were still active that I had sent to a cleint. Most of the files are send out are zipped for various reasons.
It ...
The current Zip file behaviour is utterly demented. Finding yourself inside a zip file, on a web page is as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. Please Dropbox developers, change this galactically stupid functionality.
"The current Zip file behaviour is utterly demented. Finding yourself inside a zip file, on a web page is as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. Please Dropbox developers, change this galactically stupid functionality. "
HAHAHAHA I'm glad I'm not alone in this feeling. Howoever, we're going on a couple years now so I don't know what it's gonig to take to get through to Dropbox.
We need a BIG FAT CAN'T **bleep**ING MISS IT download button for zip files.
I can't figure out why Dropbox would not only allow users to uselessly see inside a zip file, but then also HIDE the download button more than I ever thought possible, adding to the confusion of the end user.
I guess where I'm super confused is why would you need to preview a zip file? The whole purpose of a zip file is to contain the data in one package to be unzipped at a later time by you or someone else. If you want people to see a folder stucture then just share a folder and then offer an option to "download as zip".
Just found this thread and I was chatting with support about this issue and I guess I'm in the minority. But right now sharing a zip file is still confusing for clients. I wish you could just turn this preview thing off and then make the download button more obvious. That's all i want to do, share ONE large zip file with clients. It should be easy but the page they see is so confusing because the new preview feature makes it look like a folder and there is no obvious download button. I guess they are trying to streamline things, but save the abbreviated buttons for the smartphone, you have plenty of real estate to make a button that says "download".
Forget it. Dropbox dosen't care about its users. I just does what it wants. The current zip file behaviour makes no sense to people who actually use it. It probably makes sense to some engineer somewhere though I've never seen a reasonable explanation. Dropbox seems to have the same mindset as Adobe. Don't fix the stuff that's there and broken, just keep adding new stuff in case people stop paying us. One day, we will.
I completely agree with Matthew J, there is already an experience where you navigate inside of something: it's called a folder. If I want to have a folder, I'd create a folder. However I want to share a ZIP archive that should be downloaded. The intent is in uploading the ZIP file to begin with. If I wanted someone to navigate and examine a folder with the option to download the folder, I'd create a folder. Give someone the option to preview a zip archive if that's what they want just as you can download a folder zipped up.
I just wanted to echo the other users who have explained why this doesn't work for many workflows. As pasamio says, if I want individual files in a folder, there's already functionality for that purpose.
An optional setting to allow file previews inside a zip would be fine, but the whole point of a zip is to have a single, clearly marked file for download. Allowing users to dig around inside a zip is just confusing and defeats the purpose of providing users with a single file.
Hi James D.1,
Thanks for the reply. If only the people who design this software and make the decsions felt the same way as everybody in this thread.
I have completely given up on hope that they'll change it back but I'd love to be wrong!
