".7z files can't be previewed" message

[wowitt]

I have always been able to preview and extract .7z files on Dropbox. They are small 15 kb or less size files. Today when I attempt to access a .7z file, I am receiving the message ".7z files can't be previewed" . I checked the Help Center and under "File types that preview as a zip file". It states "If your file has one of the following extensions, it will preview as a zip file. You’ll be able to see a list of all folders and files within the zip." The .7z file type is included. What has changed?  I am running version 346.2.6.

[wowitt]

I updated to version 348.2.4 and have same result.

[Mark]

How are you trying to preview? Website or app on mobile?

[wowitt]

If I go to dropbox.com and I select a 7z encrypted file that is password protected I get a message that it cannot preview a password protected 7z file.

If I go to dropbox.com and I select a 7z file that is not password protected I am able to preview the 7z file.

If I use Windows Explorer and I select the 7z file on the dropbox drive, either password protected or not, I can extract the 7z file.

If I use the Dropbox App on Android (tablet or phone), I cannot preview either password protected or non-pw protected 7z files. 

My only recourse now on Android is to download the 7z encrypted file and then unencrypt the file. Then delete it. Not a very clean solution.

In the very recent past I could use the Dropbox App to preview 7z encrypted and pw protected files. I did this all the time. Something has changed.

Interestingly I can store a 7z encrypted password protected file on google drive and open it with the Zip Extract App that integrates with google drive so that it is a single step process.

Any reason why this has changed for Dropbox App on Android when Help Center states that 7z can be previewed?

[Megan · Accepted solution]

Hi @wowitt, I hope you're doing well!

Generally, password protected files cannot be previewed in Dropbox, so you might need to either download them, or remove the password protection in order to preview them.

You can see more info about this here.

I hope this clarifies! 

[wowitt]

The problem is that the Dropbox App will not even decrypt a non-password protected 7z file. So password is not the issue.

In the past when I accessed these 7z pw-protected files with the Dropbox App, it provided a menu of a couple of Extract options which I could select. I would select one and it would provide a screen to enter the password which would decrypt the 7z file into a txt file. Now regardless whether it is or is not password protected the message I now get is ".7z files can't be previewed" when using the Dropbox App on Android devices. 

So something has changed with Dropbox recently.

[Mark]

Dropbox states that its not supported on mobile apps to open Zip files: https://help.dropbox.com/view-edit/viewable-file-types

So, unless you had an app that was a third party one doing the actual opening it isn't Dropbox.