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Forum Discussion
I'm unable to rename a file after copying it from another sub-folder on my Mac.
Having this issue over the past several months. Saw another thread where others were having the same issue, but that thread was locked. I copy a file from one subfolder in Dropbox to another subfolder on my Sonoma 14.5 Mac, (Dropbox v199.4.6287) and then I can't rename the file. This doesn't happen every time, but has happened a couple of times in the last 4 months since Jan 2024, and may have started happening before that.
Other files in the same folder have the Dropbox Quick Actions context menu items when I right click on them. This file does not. I can open the file, change contents, and save, and that works. I can copy the file with a ctrl-c / cntrl-v in the same folder, and then the copy of the file appears to inherit the same problem, I can't rename it either. I can delete the file. A menu item "Do not sync" is not available in the right click menu for this specific file, although not in the Dropbox Quick Actions section of the right click menu.
If I quit the Dropbox app, still can't rename the file, start Dropbox back up, still can't rename the file. Force quitting the Finder, which then automatically restarts, all the finder windows ... does work! So letting others know this is a workaround for this problem rather than rebooting the whole computer, which also works. But this does appear to be a bug around something with file copying in Dropbox folders, unless it's a Mac OS level bug. I noticed after restarting the Finder that the little green circle with the check-box next to the filename is back, which wasn't showing before, so there was something going on with Dropbox integration with the finder perhaps.
I have the same file renaming issue on Sonoma 14.5 using Dropbox v205.4.5765 which started maybe in the last couple months. It has never been an issue before but it is extremely aggravating and problematic. I hope there will be a bug fix soon.
- Nancy
Dropbox Staff
Hi Nathan S.16, and thanks for posting about this on our forum!
If the issue persists even after quitting the Dropbox app, then this may have to do with your Mac device indeed, rather than the Dropbox app. Let’s check a few things first, though.
First off, what happens exactly when trying to rename the file? Is the option missing from the context menu, or nothing happens/you receive an error?
Is this happening for specific types of files or files copied from a specific subfolder?
Have you tried renaming them via the Dropbox website? Does this work then?
Let me know what you find.
When this particular event happens, the file doesn't show up in the web version of Dropbox, since it is a new file and for some reason also won't sync to the cloud. The rename option is missing in the Finder context menu for this file.
- Megan
Hey Nathan S.16, you mentioned this isn't consistent and it happens with some files, while others aren't affected, right?
Do you think it'd be possible to trigger it, and send us a couple of screenshots, in order for us to have a visual too?
I also tend to believe this is linked to the OS, and not Dropbox directly, especially if the issue remains once the app is closed.
SOLUTION: Mac OS Ventura -- I had to Restart the Finder and then the Rename option returned.
