Hi team, Recently I joined a shared folder on dropbox, I use a mac and the original user has windows. Once I move folders and documents (as I do the filing), somehow the windows user can no longer open the pdfs, but they are able to navigate through the dropbox, just not open any documents. Is there a setting I need to change on my mac? How can I fix this issue?

Welcome aboard the Community, @Colene! When saying this happens upon moving files/folders, can you clarify what you mean? For example, are you moving/uploading new files/folders within the shared folder and the other user is unable to open them? Are they getting any errors on their end? Are they unable to open them on the Dropbox website or the desktop app? You’re able to access everything properly, correct? Let me know more info and we can take a look.

Thanks Nancy, So I work on dropbox offline, and the other person as well. I work on mac and they on Windows. What I think is happening, is that when I make changes - ie, they pop 3 pdf's into folder A, and I go and sub-file them into specific folders ie Folder 1, Folder 2 and Folder 3, so I'm just moving them around within the dropbox, not making changes to the actual pdf or editing. Once I've moved it from folder A to folder B/1/2/3 etc, the other user can no longer open it without an error message popping up or just letting me know that it doesn't open at all on their end. So someone advised that I only work on dropbox from my end online, so that the changes are instant and I don't have to download/upload sync from my offline version and then the other user just needs to sync their offline version. Does that make sense? Otherwise I'm not sure what I could be doing wrong when I'm using the dropbox offline.

Colene wrote: Once I've moved it from folder A to folder B/1/2/3 etc, the other user can no longer open it without an error message popping up ... What is the exact error that they're getting? Are you changing the file name at all? Does the file still have the .pdf file extension? So someone advised that I only work on dropbox from my end online ... Does that make sense? No, that doesn't make sense. It shouldn't matter where you're working on the files, as long as syncing is working normally for you.

Hi @Colene, is it possible that they're trying to open the PDF files from within their PDF program, as in, opening their recent files? If so, this could mean that the program is trying to find the PDF in the old location, and can't find it, bringing up the error. Are they able to navigate to that folder you moved it to and open the PDF from there directly?

"is it possible that they're trying to open the PDF files from within their PDF program, as in, opening their recent files?"- Not sure about that as we work remotely so I'm not able to view the path they're taking currently If so, this could mean that the program is trying to find the PDF in the old location, and can't find it, bringing up the error. Are they able to navigate to that folder you moved it to and open the PDF from there directly?- So they can navigate to the folders, including the ones I've created and moved the pdf's to. So I'm not sure why they're not able to open the pdf's once I've moved it from folder A to folder B.

The user I'm sharing a folder with can't open PDFs on their end.

Nancy
Dropbox Staff
4 months ago
Welcome aboard the Community, @Colene!

When saying this happens upon moving files/folders, can you clarify what you mean? For example, are you moving/uploading new files/folders within the shared folder and the other user is unable to open them?

Are they getting any errors on their end?

Are they unable to open them on the Dropbox website or the desktop app? You’re able to access everything properly, correct?

Let me know more info and we can take a look.
- Colene
  Explorer | Level 3
  4 months ago
  Thanks Nancy,
  So I work on dropbox offline, and the other person as well. I work on mac and they on Windows. What I think is happening, is that when I make changes - ie, they pop 3 pdf's into folder A, and I go and sub-file them into specific folders ie Folder 1, Folder 2 and Folder 3, so I'm just moving them around within the dropbox, not making changes to the actual pdf or editing. Once I've moved it from folder A to folder B/1/2/3 etc, the other user can no longer open it without an error message popping up or just letting me know that it doesn't open at all on their end.
  
  So someone advised that I only work on dropbox from my end online, so that the changes are instant and I don't have to download/upload sync from my offline version and then the other user just needs to sync their offline version. Does that make sense?
  
  Otherwise I'm not sure what I could be doing wrong when I'm using the dropbox offline.
  - Rich
    Super User II
    4 months ago
    Colene wrote:
    
    Once I've moved it from folder A to folder B/1/2/3 etc, the other user can no longer open it without an error message popping up ...
    
    What is the exact error that they're getting? Are you changing the file name at all? Does the file still have the .pdf file extension?
    
    So someone advised that I only work on dropbox from my end online ... Does that make sense?
    
    No, that doesn't make sense. It shouldn't matter where you're working on the files, as long as syncing is working normally for you.
Walter
Dropbox Staff
4 months ago
No, these settings wouldn't be affecting your files and how you preview them Colene

Have you ensured that your colleagues are trying to open those files after making them available offline on their computers?