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Forum Discussion
Files Open as Read-Only?
I am using Dropbox desktop App on my Mac (home) and PC (work). On the Mac (OSX latest version and Office 2011) everything works fine. But on my PC (Windows 7 Pro, Office 2010) files open as Read Only. If I go to Properties and uncheck "read only" for the file or folder in question, it is fine. But when I reboot, all my Dropbox files once again default to "read only". Can you help?
wrote:
I don't understand why when I open a file - it asks me at the top if I want to enable editing. Which I DO! so I click on it. But after i have closed the document and reopened it the edits I have made have gone. Does anyone know how you save edits on Dropbox withoutmoving a file/document out of dropbox every time?I have the same problem in my smart phone. After I make a change in an excel file, I have to save a copy. Then delete the original. That is the solution I found.
I am having the same problem with my Mac. I imported a bunch of files into dropbox and now excel insists on trying to open them all read only. if I move the file out of the dropbox folder, it opens fine. It is only in the dropbox folder that it screws up.
This solution is for Mac. Dropbox has a bug that doesn't clear the hidden lock file. Mac doesn't make it easy to view hidden files like on Windows. I tried several options and this worked first shot and is from a reputable source.
This will set Finder to show hidden files. 1 - Run a script to show hidden files. 2 - Manually delete the lock files which will be shown in faded color. Then you run the script to hide hidden files again.
http://www.howtogeek.com/211496/how-to-hide-files-and-view-hidden-files-on-mac-os-x/
I just did this and it worked perfectly.
I am having the same problem with my dropbox files - but not on a mac. I have unchecked the whole dropbox folder, unchecked individual folders, given administrator permissions and tried every which way to correct it, but each time I open the program I am told the files are read only.
I have tried restarting the computer - and this time was told that Windows Firewall blocked some aspects of Dropbox. I checked that it should be allowed through.
Then tried again to change the read only designation, but without success. I even tried the advanced mode and unchecked the other choices (archiving and searching) but it made no difference. Even though I give admin permissions, when I look again they are back to being read only.I saved my excel files from my MacBook Pro OS X 10.10.5 to DropBox. Now when I open either in DropBox or save to my desk top I can Read Only. Will not allow me to make changes. Help! This just started after my update to OS X 10.10.5. How do I fix this?
I had this problem all last year on my school PC running Windows 7. IT was at a loss and never solved it. The machiine was wiped and Dropbox reinstalled over the summer and now it works fine.
On a Mac, you might try running Disk Utility and doing a "Repair Permissions"
Thank you Thomas F. I tried running the Repair twice and still I have the same problem. I have an appointment at Apple later this week to go by and see if they can fix this issue. This started after I upgraded to the OS X 10.10.5
OK. For me the update caused no problem. It worked fine on my Mac at home but accessing the same files on my PC at work gave me the read only problem.
When I try to open file in DropBox I get this message: The file may be read only, or you may be trying to access a read only file location. Or the server the document is stored on may not be responding.
When I try to save file to my lap top I get the same message. I am trying to revise and update these spreadsheets and I have had no luck so far correcting this problem. These files were originally saved as workable spreadsheets. I never save as a read only file. I use a MacBook Pro.
