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swhiteh3's avatar
swhiteh3
Explorer | Level 3
6 years ago

Files in Dropbox showing up as "Copy of xxxx.xxx" in my recent items lists

I use the "recent items" lists quite often.  For instance, I right-click on the MS Excel icon down in the system tray, and it brings up the most recent items I've opened in Excel.  I can open the fil...
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Jane's avatar
Jane
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
6 years ago
Hey there swhiteh3, as you’ve mentioned that you’re opening your spreadsheets form the Recents lists within excel, then there could be a few factors coming into play for the copies you’re seeing. 
 
Now, we’d need to determine whether these copies are syncing to your Dropbox account, so as to plan our next steps. If you know of a specific filename that you’ve synced both the original & the copy, could you look it up on the Search field 🔍 on your Dropbox account online? 
 
You should get two (or more than two) filenames there, so I’d suggest checking back at the Version History (tip: it’s on the on the 💬 of the file in question) to see if these were created by you/by a different device linked to your account &c.
 
If you check the previous versions of the file and see that it was accessed from an application on another computer, you can delete it off of that computer to stop it from reappearing in your Dropbox. From there, if both copies are located within the same directory, then you can get rid of the duplicates however there’s some decision-making involved, as you’d need to proofread before deleting any un-wanted content.
 
Hopefully my hints point you towards the right direction & please do let me know how my advice works for you or if you have misunderstood your request in any way!
  • swhiteh3's avatar
    swhiteh3
    Explorer | Level 3
    6 years ago

    So I picked a rather easy and recent file, for simplicity lets call it "Checklist.xls".  This file was moved to DB by me this morning (on another computer), and then on my primary computer, I opened it and edited it.

    When I go to Dropbox.com, and search for it, I only see one copy.  There is no file called "Copy of Checklist.xls", or anything like that.

    Looking at the version list shows two versions - both called "Checklist.xls" - the original I copied over, and the new version I edited.

    Now that I've closed the file, let's say I wanted to reopen it - I right click on my EXCEL logo in the system tray shows the following two items right at the top:

    CHECKLIST

    COPY OF CHECKLIST

    Where is this "Copy of..." version coming from?

    • Jane's avatar
      Jane
      Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
      6 years ago
      I appreciate that you took the time to clarify matters for me swhiteh3; I’d happily continue our conversation from where we’ve left off! If you don’t mind, I’ll also use your “Checklist.xls” example file to retain continuity. 
       
      Now, as you’ve mentioned that you’ve edited your “Checklist.xls” file twice & it’s synced to your Dropbox account online as expected, I wouldn’t suspect Dropbox as a potential culprit for the discrepancy. Could you please try quitting the Dropbox application by clicking the Dropbox icon in your system tray ➡️ & then on the :gear: icon in the Notifications panel & select "Quit Dropbox"? 
       
      From there, it seems that we'd have to shift our focus away from Dropbox. What’s happening if you work on this file outside the Dropbox folder? Are you getting the same results? If so, then it’s highly likely that the copies are created within Excel, so you should investigate whether there’s a missing update there &c. 
       
      I hope that this leads you towards the right direction & I’m always here in case you have any follow-up questions. Thanks & enjoy the rest of your day! 
      • swhiteh3's avatar
        swhiteh3
        Explorer | Level 3
        6 years ago

        The reason I think Dropbox is involved in this issue is that all my Excel files that are located locally on this computer - NONE of them exhibit this behavior.  I just created a new Excel file, TEST.xls, on my desktop, opened, edited, and closed it several times, and I do not get a "COPY OF" version in my RECENT ITEMS list.

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