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Forum Discussion
Unable to delete files... which cannot be unlocked
I am attempting to delete some rather large files from my wife's computer so she can update to the latest version, Big Sur, for her Macbook Air. She previously downloaded the files from her minister...
Hi IDLVR, thanks for joining the Community!
It looks like the filepath is showing a shared folder to which you have read-only access. This means that you can't add, edit, or delete any files in this folder, which is why you can't delete it from your account or machine.
The Dropbox folder should be located in Finder on the left hand column. If you can't see the shortcut there, you can click the Dropbox icon in the menu bar, then the folder icon to locate the folder itself.
If need be, you can use selective sync to prevent that entire folder from syncing to your machine. You'll still be able to access it from the Dropbox site without any issues.
If you need any more details, feel free to message back!
Jay
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHi IDLVR, thanks for joining the Community!
It looks like the filepath is showing a shared folder to which you have read-only access. This means that you can't add, edit, or delete any files in this folder, which is why you can't delete it from your account or machine.
The Dropbox folder should be located in Finder on the left hand column. If you can't see the shortcut there, you can click the Dropbox icon in the menu bar, then the folder icon to locate the folder itself.
If need be, you can use selective sync to prevent that entire folder from syncing to your machine. You'll still be able to access it from the Dropbox site without any issues.
If you need any more details, feel free to message back!
Jay,
Many thanks for the response. The "Selective Sync" did exactly what I wanted. I got points from my wife for resolving this, so much appreciated.
Rick
- Jay
Glad to have helped out today! If you need any further assistance, please let me know.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Hi Jay,
Is it possible to unlock a file so that I can delete it from my computer?
Thank you,
Marilyn
- Walter
Hey marilynaspen, sorry to jump in, but could you clarify if you're the owner of the file or if this is a shared file?
If you're getting a specific error when trying to delete it, can you send us a screenshot so that we can have a visual too?
Thanks so much!
