Incorrect out of space error message about available space when I try to add content to my account.

[MikeMcGVO]

I've recently started getting a "You're out of storage.  To copy this content you need more storage space." message when I try to save files from a browser (either Chrome or FF) directly to my Dropbox.  I've got the free 2gig account and all indicators (both through Windows explorer and my account on Dropbox) - show that I'm only taking up 378.7 meg of storage.  I just double-checked my backups and I have none (neither visible nor hidden/deleted).

I can still save the file 467k .pdf locally and then upload it to my Db through explorer without issue, so I can confirm that I truly do have enough room.

Any thoughts?

[Jay]

Hi @swag, could you confirm the full size of the shared link you showed by opening up the subfolders in that link to see the size of the files within each one, instead of the downloaded zip file?

[Jay]

Hi @MikeMcGVO, thanks for the info. Does this occur for other folders with greater or fewer files, and for different total file sizes?

[MikeMcGVO]

Jay,

I honestly can't give you an answer on that as the bulk of these are simple set ups with two files.  If you want to set up a handful of folders that have various file counts and sizes, I'm more than happy to play guinea pig for you.  If not, I'll just keep a running tally of what works and what doesn't as things come through (though it may take a few weeks to get a useable data set).

-Mike

[Hannah]

Thanks for the additional info, Mike.

Can we send you an email, so we can take a closer look into this?

[MikeMcGVO]

Hannah,

Of course!  Do you need me to provide you with my email, or do you already have it?

-Mike

[Hannah]

No worries, we got it, Mike!

I just sent you an email, and we'll continue there. Cheers!

[swag]

Hi Jay -

I did just that two posts ago when I first shared this attachment.

This was obtained by doing a command-i on a Macbook, which shows the full combined byte size of all subfolders and files in a folder. It's pretty much next to zero compression rate, or about 4Mb.

I can send you the individual files if it helps. I promise you I am not making any of this up and the 4Mb compressed file isn't hiding something that expands to 890Mb (!). I've worked in tech for three decades, not that it matters, but just so you know I'm not a complete noob about these kinds of details.

But since I have managed Internet software engineering teams for over two decades, I can tell you what my diagnosis already is. Someone on your software engineering team likely is enforcing a rule that Basic accounts can ever have only up to 2Gb of storage. Thus a mere 4Mb or even 2 bytes wouldn't make a difference: my account would appear 2x over the allotted storage.

Problem is that you probably have old unit tests that prior developers embedded the business logic that accounts for Basic accounts that could be expanded beyond 2Gb because of sharing sign-ups to Dropbox with others and other business incentives. But these rules or unit tests have been bypassed, ignored, or deleted. Thus your software is no longer aware of old business rules.

I'd say there's an 80%+ chance likelihood that's what's broken on your end.

[Jay]

I am referring to this image you posted of the shared folder, not the zip file you downloaded:

Could you open the folders in that link and check the size of the files within and attach a screenshot showing these sizes?

[swag]

I wish you trusted me here by now, but I'll turn my head and cough again here...

[zlig]

This is exactly the same issue I am experiencing. Being asked to join a folder, which ironically is empty, but DropBox asking me to upgrade even though I have almost 10GB available of the 21.88GB I have through referrals. Like you it seems to only recognise the 2GB given with the DropBox Basic Account.