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Forum Discussion
Editing PDF or JPG files in my macOS Dropbox folder creates a copy
Hello,
System: MacOS 12.7.4, Dropbox 198.4.7615
All files are stored locally in Users>Username>Library>CloudStorage>Dropbox
Issue: When I open a pdf or jpg file in my Dropbox folder to make...
Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHey sfemet, would you mind sending us a screenshot of the properties of a file that's showing this behavior?
Also, how are you opening and editing the files?
I am editing the files with Preview.
The behavior happens with every PDF or JPG file, there are hundreds from different sources. For example, I have a folder with my family history research files, downloaded from Ancestry.com (JPG scans) or archives (PDF). I annotate my monthly credit card statements (PDF).
I checked the Sharing & Permissions in the Get Info window, I have Read & Write permission. I've attached a couple of screenshots of the properties of 2 files, personal info is redacted.
- Jay
Hi sfemet, thanks for the info. We're not able to duplicate this behavior on our devices, so it's possible that it could be a device or app specific issue on your machine.
Could you try editing the PDF in another application to see if the same behavior occurs?
Hi Jay,
I don’t have another app for PDFs on my Macs, Preview lets me work with PDFs and JPGs and I’ve been really happy with its versatility. I am not a fan of Acrobat and I would prefer not to install software just for editing one file type.
What has been the most perplexing part of troubleshooting this issue is the fact that it only happens on the 12.7.4 system, with Preview 11.0. The 10.14 system, with Preview 10.1 is just fine. Both systems are running the latest version of Dropbox.
The only variables are the location of the DropBox folder and the versions of Preview. If it is Preview 11.0, why would the file’s location matter? I even checked permissions on the CloudStorage folder, I have Read/Write.
- Jay
Since it sounds like something done by the app you're using, there isn't much else we can suggest for troubleshooting this matter. Perhaps there is a setting within Preview that causes this?
