How do I unselect the "Join the folder" option & delete 5 videos from my storage?

[EJL1]

We use Dropbox only because that's how the company that digitizes our old 3/4" videos provides the link.  The first 3 times I used dropbox to download the videos to microsoft files it was quite simple:  I just tapped download either in the upper left corner or download to the right of the video line.  Depending on the size of the file, the download was either almost instantaneous or could take up to 1/2 hour.  Now I find that the "Join Folder" tab is seemingly permanently hilighted;  also, my download requests (almost 50) were denied by microsoft explorer because of "permissions".  After about 1 hour all 50 previously denied downloads started up (don't know why or how),and I was able to figure out how to cancel a large portion of them.  Now I have 15 downloads in my files (I will delete 14 of them once I understand what I have).  I also found out that I have videos in storage on Dropbox.  I DO NOT want to use Dropbox for storage - I'm perfectly happy with microsoft files for now, and they're cheaper for my purposes and projected storage needs.    How do I de-select this "Join Folder" thing and how do I delete the 5 videos from storage?  If anyone answers me (Please!), speak to me as though I am an infant Martian since in this case, I may as well be

[EJL1]

Megan - I am becoming more and more confused.  The link I am sent is sent by Chicago Scanning and is contained in an email sent from their office.  When I tap that link I am sent to a Dropbox page (shown in the screenshot from yesterday).  I simply move my cursor to the "Video" line; I tap on the "download" prompt which appears on that line to the right.  This begins the download of the compressed file or folder containing the zipped video(s) they have digitized for us.    There is no permission involved.  These are our videos which we download to my laptop's Microsoft Explorer program because Chicago Scanning doesn't want us living rent-free in their cloud account.  For the first time a few days ago, when I attempted this very simple act (and when for the first time I noted that the join option was highlit and that I could not un-hilight it) I immediately received a reply from Microsoft Explorer that read CRDOWNLOAD.  This appeared in the download section of my files where the downloaded compressed file had alwaysappeared -  it mentioned " no permission".  In a short period of time, the downloads started- with no explanation- as they always had before.  The whole process was the same as always except for the Hilighted join option and the CRDOWNLOAD notice.  I can't for the life of me understand why Chicago Scanning would send the same type of link it always does that now contains permissions.  I hope to see and speak to the Chicago Scanning office on Friday, but I just don't see how this could be because of them...Also, it's impossible for me to send you a screenshot of the CR...since it disappears as soon as the download starts.

I feel that I'm not being very helpful and perhaps not explaining myself with clarity.  I REALLY wish I could actually talk to someone...but I don't have the right kind of membership...  

[Megan]

Hey @EJL1!

Allow me to elaborate as much as possible and feel free to ask any questions you might be having. 

When someone wants to share Dropbox content with another member, they have a handful of options when it comes to Dropbox. 

Some of them would be a shared link or shared folder. In both of these cases the owner of the content chooses whether they wish for the member to have "view-only" or "edit-only" access to their content.

With a view-only access, you can view and download the content of the shared link. With edit-only access you can view, download and edit the content sent your way. 

It'd seem based on the screenshot that you're accessing a shared link with editing permissions, hence the option to join the folder and become a member.

If you don't wish to do this, you can simply disregard it, but not disable the option from being there.

You can read more about this in the relevant Help Center article here.

As for the info you mentioned and the message coming from your Microsoft Explorer, I'm afraid that I'm not entirely certain where that came from, or what the message might relate to and this is why I needed the visual to make sure it wasn't Dropbox related. 

[EJL1]

Hey Megan - I'm getting a headache here.  If I understand your explanation, you are saying that Chicago Scanning is sending me a link to their Dropbox cloud account that gives us permission to view, download and edit our own work...and that we can ignore that fact because once we download the videos to my laptop, Chicago Scanning doesn't care what we view or download or edit since their only ownership in this case hangs on the fact that they transferred our physical videos to digitized files and are giving us access to them through these links....right?

[Megan]

They are sending you a link of their content, not their cloud account @EJL1.

Once you download the content to your device, you're essentially making a copy of the file already sent your way by them. 

[EJL1]

Megan - I guess all I can say is I don't understand it when you say that they're sending me

their content.  I do understand that you said I can ignore this "permission" thing..and since the downloads appear to be correct, I will ignore them. I need to actually speak with someone about all this. so I'm going to go to the public library tomorrow for an appointment with the "cyber-navigator" (what a title!); I hope to speak with Chicago Scanning by Friday.  I hope they can make me understand this a little better.  You have really made quite an effort to help me, and I appreciate it...I think I 've tried your patience and for that I apologize.  If I'm still confused by any of this by next week, I'll initiate another conversation.  Thanks again.