Since when do you have to PAY to view a shared folder?

[cmj83]

A client shared has shared rather large files from their dropbox account and I'm unable to view them without paying for a dropbox account, what in the world is this dark pattern money gouging effort by dropbox?!.

My business does not use Dropbox (and hasn't intentionally since it started going downhill in 2014.) 

[Walter · Accepted solution]

Hi there @cmj83 - sorry to hear you're having issues with this.

Shared folders take up space on all of the accounts that are members of the share. 

If you'd like to view the folder without impacting your own account's quota, you can ask the owner to share a link with view only rights with you instead.

I hope this helps!

[fmk1]

Hi Walter, 

If the sharer creates the link with view only rights, will I be able to download said files onto a hard drive? Or will I forever need to rely on the sharer keeping the files on their dropbox account, and utilizing the specific sent link?

Thanks,

Faye

[Jay]

HI @fmk1, if the owner of the file has allowed them to be downloaded, then you can download them onto your computer. 

If they've disabled downloads, then you'll only be able to access those files via their shared link, which does rely on them keeping the files on their account.

[jackrataty]

I requested a free data set from Equibase.  They sent me a link to a shared folder containing historical files for racehorses.  This data should not change.  I kept gettin alerts that my account is too small and need upgraded to contain the data.  I'm sharing a file.  Why am I paying for the storage?

[Rich]

---

@jackrataty wrote:

They sent me a link to a shared folder containing historical files for racehorses. ... I kept gettin alerts that my account is too small and need upgraded to contain the data.

---

If you're a member of a shared folder, you're not accessing that folder in someone else's account. The folder exists within your own account taking up space. If the folder is larger than the space available in your account, then you would need to upgrade to be able to hold the entire folder.

• https://help.dropbox.com/storage-space/shared-folder-count-against-storage

[jackrataty]

I dont need all of the data in the shared folder.  Can you remove files of the shared folder I dont need?

[Rich]

---

@jackrataty wrote:

I dont need all of the data in the shared folder.  Can you remove files of the shared folder I dont need?

---

If you remove content from a shared folder, it's removed for all members of the folder.

Are you sure it's a shared folder with other members? Could they have shared the folder via a shared link and you chose to save it to your Dropbox? If it's the latter, you have your own copy and you can delete what you don't need.

How, exactly, was the data shared with you?

[jackrataty]

I was set a link.  I see in the top the files shared folder and other users using this folder.  There is no option to delete files.    I kept getting alerts that I needed to upgrade for more memory.  I went ahead, even though I couldn't see the size of memory I am using for my files.  Now that I have paid I get alerts again to upgrade.  This is started to seem scammy

[Hannah]

Hmm, if you've upgraded and are still getting no space alerts, can you sign out of the account and sign back in, to see if that helps?