I can't open my Excel file, as it has two locations on my Mac

[Mary Ann B.]

Every since I installed the new Dropbox on my Macbook, the list of where my files are stored in Excel has gone wonky.  For example, when I open Excel and look at the list of files I could open, the file 'spanish vocab' is shown as being stored here:

Macintosh HD/Users/[removed]/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox/mabword/Spanish

When I try and open the file from this menu, I get the attached message.

 

However, when I use Finder to locate the file it shows it stored here:

Dropbox/mabword/Spanish

Using Finder, I can open the file.  

I'm not sure what is going on or how to fix it.  Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help.

[Jay]

Hi @Mary Ann B., thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Could you attach screenshots showing the location of the file as shown by Excel and in Finder itself?

This will help me to assist further!

[Mary Ann B.]

I have attached two screenshots - one showing how the file is listed when I open Excel and the second with how it is listed in Finder. 

Thanks for your help.

In Excel:

Finder:

[Hannah]

Hey @Mary Ann B., sorry to jump in here.

If you navigate to the file through the CloudStorage path, and right click on it, do you see a "make available offline" option?

If you do, click on it and then try to open the file through Excel again and let us know how it goes.

[Mary Ann B.]

I am able to navigate to the location of the file in Finder following this path:

Macintosh HD/Users/[removed]/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox/mabword/Spanish

When I did that, I noticed an icon next to the folder mabword, which was a cloud with a downward facing arrow.  I clicked on that icon and tried again but no joy.  😞 

When I navigated there again, the icon was gone.  So, not sure how to proceed.

Thanks for your help,

[Walter]

Hey there @Mary Ann B. - sorry to jump in here, but could you send us a screenshot of the options you get when you right click on the file? 

[Mary Ann B.]

I did as you suggested for both the folder 'mabword' and the file 'spanish vocab'.  Now, every file and folder has a small checkmark in a green circle to the right of the file/folder name in Finder.  (see attached screenshots).  However, when I try and open the file from Excel, I get the same error message (see attached.). 

I'm open to more suggestions.  Thanks for your help.

[Mary Ann B.]

Here's what the right click looked like (before I chose 'make available offline' (so I could respond to your message above):

.

[Walter]

Thanks for the screenshots @Mary Ann B. - much appreciated!

Could you try making the file available offline on your computer by selecting the relevant option and let us know if it still gives you an error when opening it from another app, like Excel? 

[Mary Ann B.]

In the step above, I right clicked on the file and selected 'make available offline'.  I believe the checkmark within the small green circle to the right of the file name 'spanish vocab' (see screenshot two replies ago) is 'icloud speak" for "available offline".  So, now when I right click on the file name, this is what the menu shows:

And when I try and open through Excel, I get the same error message.  I would like to clarify that I am trying to open the file from the following screen:

If I open the file from the main toolbar using 'File/OpenRecent/spanish vocab', it works!  See screenshot below for this manuever.

Confusing!  Why one way and not the other?

Thanks for your help.