I can't see the Excel updates of my client

[Ethan Miller]

Right now, I'm working with a Client who uses Dropbox for her excel spreadsheets and I've never been a fan. She requires me to make changes in the Excel file she has in her Dropbox and I am doing just that. But whenever I make a change or she makes a change in the sheet, we both can't see each other's changes and that is VERY BIG issue as we are working with real time customers and we have to contact as soon as they're on the sheet. Now, we have lost over 20 customers because of this issue and She still doesn't want to switch to any other tool (Like Google Sheet).

If someone has a way to fix this. please help me out.

[NB141]

You need Office 365 and Onedrive/Sharepoint….. I know you said she doesn’t want to change but Dropbox isn’t the problem or the solution.

[Ethan Miller]

I suggested her the same thing. But the client is not willing to listen.

Do you know what could be causing this?

[NB141]

I think when you’re editing the file it’s copied / downloaded to the local pc as a .tmp file and when saved uploaded back to the shared folder hence you both are making you own versions overwriting each other … Normally on a shared local user/ drive the file when editing becomes a read only preventing a second person editing… guessing Dropbox work differently hopefully that makes sense 

[Ethan Miller]

That's the thing, were not editing it locally. We're both using the Web Version and we both edit the file at different times.

[Rich · Accepted solution]

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@NB141 wrote:

You need Office 365 and Onedrive/Sharepoint…..

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You can actually do that with Dropbox easily as well.

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@Ethan Miller wrote:

That's the thing, were not editing it locally. We're both using the Web Version and we both edit the file at different times.

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It sounds like you each have your own copy of the file. How was the file shared with you? Was it via a Shared Link and you saved it to your Dropbox, or did they invite you to join a shared folder?

If it's the former, then you accessed a view/download-only link and saved a separate copy of the file to your account. In this case, neither of you will ever see the other's updates because you're each editing a different file.

If they invite you to a shared folder, the folder will be added to your account and any changes either of you make in the folder will be synced. Additionally, if you both open the same Excel file from a shared folder on the Dropbox website, you'll both be able to edit the file in real time.

[NB141]

Thanks Rich👍

[Ethan Miller]

So, what I should do is, download the files that we both have in our Dropboxes, merge them together and then create a folder. Then share that folder with my client. Right?

[Jay]

Hi @Ethan Miller, yes, that would be the best method to ensure that both of your have access to the same file in order to edit it.