Please stop renaming our files automatically

[Seriously]

It's 2024 - almost August.  I have been a Dropbox User for a long time.  I upgraded a few years ago and was happy to be able to just transfer over my files each week to keep my laptop somewhat clean. However, as the cost of life has almost quadrupled in the last few years, I decided I'd downgrade to the 2TB plan since I'd barely reached 1TB.  So... I'm sending my files as usual, when all of the sudden I noticed...

What???

What are these alpha-numeric dot underscore soup entries showing up in place of my file names?  I had used the drag and drop method like I'd done for years.  I had needed a break, so I walked away from my laptop, thinking, "I'll just let Dropbox do it's thing, and when I come back, it will be done!"  Then I'll just check my files to ensure they're all there. 

But I couldn't.

The transfer was done alright, but not to my liking.  I thought maybe this was just some shortcut "feature", and when I'd open my file, my full name would be there.  But no.  It wasn't.  Some of my files were password protected by which my own file naming system had given me a clue as to what the PW was, so I couldn't even open them. 

I was both grateful and very glad that I had not deleted them from my system yet. I had to go back and delete everything I'd just done in Dropbox and start over.  Major. waste. of. time.

It seems this had happened previously.  I checked my emails.  Sure enough, I'd experienced this a few years go and had emails with support to try and eliminate the Dropbox renaming issue.  So I emailed them again, but now I'm "only a 2TB paid subscriber*, so I was referred to the "Community". 

Let me tell you what the "Community" thinks. The Community does not want you renaming our files for any reason. You are not "helping" us by taking over our files, systems, and years of work and creating your own system with our files.  That's not how it's supposed to work. It's only a waste of our time, energy, and efforts when Dropbox is supposed to be a tool we use (and pay for), not the other way around.

So I checked in the Community as redirected, and all I found - besides a few people giving us external links to download their software (?!) to help us undo what Dropbox should not be doing in the first place - was repeated pleas of people begging Dropbox to stop renaming their files, too.

I "liked" all the entries asking you to stop.  I read various posts over several years' time, and you are still doing it.

So here's an idea for 2024: How about just stop renaming our files?   This is very frustrating and grossly unhelpful.   I had wanted to back up my whole system and bump back up to Pro Level, but why would I do that if I can't even read or open my files once Dropbox has taken them and filed them according to their *own* system rather than my being able to utilize Dropbox as a quick and easy Cloud-based backup support? 

Seeing this is an ongoing problem which has not been resolved by Dropbox, I purchased two smaller flashdrives to back up what's currently on my laptop now.  That way I can rotate them instead of dropping them here until I decide what I want to do with them. 

There will be no sense in my paying Dropbox around $300/year to back up my files if I cannot read or access them.

The only work-around I have found was to babysit each file as I drag and drop it into Dropbox.  Then... if it renames it, I log out to stop the process.  I log back in, delete those files, and ensure I don't delete anything from my own system until I can check the file in Dropbox for any of the following: page numbers and that all the pages of a document transferred, audio - does it play, video - can it be viewed with the a/v intact from beginning to end (spot-checking about 5 or 6 spots through my videos), did spreadsheet files transfer *every* sheet or just the first one (?), and then... to rename the file back to the name it had when I uploaded it. 

I don't really think anyone has the time or desire to do all that, although I do some spot-checking for quality control on an ongoing basis.  But I don't want to sit and re-hash through every video, every audio, every file, every time I upload it.  Please stop just renaming our files. 

Make my Dropbox Dreams come true!   

Thank you!

[Jay]

Hi @Seriously, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

In general, Dropbox doesn't rename your files automatically, unless you're using the Camera Upload feature, or the automation feature.

Could you clarify exactly how your files are being renamed by describing what you're doing, step-by-step?

This will help me to assist further.

[Seriously]

@Jay  Thank you for your reply.   I would have responded sooner, but your email went to my spam folder.  Hopefully, this will provide you the information you need to help me resolve this very inefficient issue in my Dropbox uploading processes.

First, to my knowledge, I am not using Camera Upload nor anything Dropbox automated.  When given an obvious automation option (e.g., a pop-up window), I click out of it.  I'm using a simple drag and drop as I generally do of my files from a minimized window on my system to Dropbox.  I don't share files or links from Dropbox, so it also cannot be a third party user.

My process:

1.  Open my Documents or Downloads folder on my system.

2.  Find the folders or individual files I wish to transfer.

3.  Using my mouse, I left click to highlight these files.

4.  Minimize my window.

5.  Drag and drop the files into Dropbox, either:

a.  a Dropbox Folder or Sub-folder I have created, or

b.  by simply transferring the folder into Dropbox All Files.

As they upload, I can see Dropbox actively renaming them.  I have included a few screenshots below as an example. 

First, I had to reload this file several times before it would upload without "yelling" at me and adding the underscore squiggle number (AUDIO_~1). 

When I use caps, it's for my own reasons either a) as my own abbreviation, or b) to alert myself "RETURN HERE" or "CHECK THIS" or something similar.  So you can imagine, when Dropbox began spontaneously capitalizing files (in addition to renaming them), I instantly had my work more than doubled, especially when I initially attempted to upload several folders simultaneously.  I went to sleep hoping to find them completed for a quick check when I woke. Instead I found many visual "alerts" that I had not noted but had to still open to see if they were my own alert or a Dropbox issue.  If they were a Dropbox issue, I had to rename the whole series or in the case of several folders, simply delete those uploaded files and start from scratch.

This is one simple example.  I did not use caps in the uploading of this file.  The second title is the correctly titled file.

Below are some additional screenshot files I uploaded.  First, the screenshot files weren't even included with the originally uploaded file.  I had to go back into the folder on my system to upload them, using the same "drag and drop from a minimized window" method.

Secondly, they were dropped by Dropbox as separate entries outside of the folder instead of dropping them into the folder where I myself had dragged and dropped them. 

Then Dropbox renamed them from this:

to this:

And when I open each file, it also does not show me the original name as I'm hoping it will. Instead, It comes up like this:

?!?!?!     

This is only 10 screenshots from one small file.  I cannot upload more than one file simultaneously, and I cannot upload larger files without having to check every single file to see a) if it uploaded, and b) if it was renamed or not.  

As an aside, I also cannot consistently upload audio and video files simultaneously.  Dropbox will sometimes stop with one or the other but not upload both. 

Additionally, and what was worse in the last few weeks of attempting to upload my files, some were passworded files.  I had named them with a password indicator clue.  So when I went to open those files, I could not open them.  I was glad I hadn't deleted them from my own system's Recycle Bin. I had to return them to their original locations (in my system) to get the file name, thus the PW clue before I could open them.  Then I manually renamed them in Dropbox to include the clue which I would prefer not to do.  That's the whole point of a having a PW in the first place.

I will say, this is not happening with every single folder. It's happening inconsistently but regularly.   I would say about half of my folders' contents are being renamed this way.  After the first 2 or 3 days of this, I ordered a couple of large flash drives to back up my files there instead of in Dropbox.  I did not have time to keep fiddling with it. I would prefer to continue using Dropbox.

And when I just tried to write and send this to you, I received this message, so Io hope this second response goes through.

Thank you.

[Jay]

Hi @Seriously, thanks for the information. We're not experiencing this behavior on any of our devices.

Could you clarify exactly what version of Windows you're running and what browser version you're using? Is this a company-managed device?

Do you have any other cloud providers running on your machine at the same time?

[Seriously]

Hello @Jay Thank you for your reply.  However, I don't understand what you mean by "We're not experiencing this behavior on any of our devices."  Are you attempting to replicate the issue?  You only need to go back to prior Dropbox Community Posts to find "renaming files" to find others have also experienced this issue.

1.  Could you clarify exactly what version of Windows you're running and what browser version you're using?  I'm running an always- and regularly-updated version of a well-used program.  My browser is protective, and I have firewalls in place.  

2.  Is this a company-managed device?  How, and/or why would that matter?

3.  Do you have any other cloud providers running on your machine at the same time?  Not to my knowledge.  When I run Dropbox, I close everything else except the files I am uploading which are locally saved and/or sourced.

Also, I experienced this same issue last year which also went unresolved.

[Walter]

Thanks for the additional information @Seriously 

Since you've experienced this issue in the past, did you try getting in contact with our support team directly for further assistance with account and device specific information?

Also, can you please clarify your computer's exact OS version, and the version of the Dropbox desktop app? 

Does the issue persist when you temporarily disable your firewall (and any antivirus, VPN or proxy setting)? 

[Seriously]

Since you've experienced this issue in the past, did you try getting in contact with our support team directly for further assistance with account and device specific information?
Yes, and it was not resolved.  I uploaded the information requested over several emails.  But then they wanted me to video tape the process.  However, that would have violated privacy policies for myself and my clients.  The issue was not resolved.  When I attempted to contact them using the former email I still have on file, I was redirected to come to the Community. 

Also, can you please clarify your computer's exact OS version, and the version of the Dropbox desktop app?   I am using Dropbox from the browser.  Where I have seen the APP required for several services (and used them myself for some), there have been more issues than less - for many users, not just myself.  I prefer to remain in the browser.

Does the issue persist when you temporarily disable your firewall (and any antivirus, VPN or proxy setting)?  I do not disable my firewalls or antivirus software. What's the point of having them if you end up disabling them?   As previously stated, the renaming is inconsistent.  It doesn't happen with all my files.  However, I am uploading them all the same way.  I have attached screenshots of how they appear in my previous posts. 

Right now I am having to upload every single file separately, then check each one to make sure it's accurately labeled.  If not, I delete the file. 

[Walter]

I see, thanks for the additional information @Seriously 

Since this is happening when using a web browser, have you tried clearing your browser's cache and/or using another browser or an incognito window?

[K Michael R.]

I'm having a very similar issue. Someone uploads files to a folder with a name like ProjectPage1.psd. After upload it will change to something like $23af234rf.psd and will stay that way when I try to download them. 

These are not temp files from PS. The user is not seeing the file name change until after it's uploaded through the web interface. 

Please let me know if you guys figure this out. 

[Walter]

Hey @K Michael R. - could you clarify how those files are being uploaded to Dropbox exactly?

Feel free to include any additional information or screenshots as they might help get to the bottom of this.