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Option to automatically lock a file.
We constantly have issues with conflicted copies! Yes - even though there is the badge that shows up, and even though file locking is an option if done manually. I've done research and MANY other systems support this feature. I've been a long-time Dropbox user, but am looking aggressively at changing due to this issue. It shouldn't have to be a manual process to prevent someone else from opening the same file I am currently working on and saving a conflicted copy. Who would remember to do a manual file lock each and every time they open a document?!
Can’t get Dropbox to sync real time between Mac-book and iPad
If I make changes to the excel file on my Dropbox account and then go to my ipad and open the file through the Dropbox app, it is an older version. It even says that the file hasn’t been modified for several days. What am I missing? Thanks! C
Dropbox Badge no longer showing edit history
Hey everyone, I recently noticed that the Dropbox Badge no longer displays who last edited a document. Instead, it mainly shows who is currently viewing the file. This was a useful feature for tracking changes without opening file history, and I’m wondering if there’s a way to bring it back. Does anyone know if this functionality is gone for good, or if there’s a workaround to restore the edit info in the badge? Any insights would be appreciated! Thanks!
I want to edit and save my updated document to a new location, instead of auto-save.
I have a master document saved in Dropbox. I'm trying to open the document and make changes to it then save it as a new document in a different folder without saving the changes to the "master" document. My problem seems to be autosave as every time I make a change to the master, it auto saves, not allowing me to save to a new folder and keep the original as a master copy. How do I solve this problem? Thanks
Can I use an automation for daily file renaming?
I have daily files shared with me and i'd like to automate the following process if possible.... Copy files from the shared folder to a private folder Rename files (example below) xxx.mp3 ----> xxx - xxx.mp3 Thats it Thanks in advance for any replies :)
File deletions occasionally fail in Dropbox
Observed when processing files with a Python script of my own, but likely to be a nuisance to developers of any software, that allows you to store files in arbitrary locations. A common pattern when modifying files is to first write them to a temporary file in the same directory (ensuring that it is on the same physical drive) and then replacing the original file with the modified file. This pattern gives safety against data corruption, if the program fails while creating the new version of the file. In Python, that translates in the simplest case to: tempfile = file.with_suffix(file.suffix + ".tmp") tempfile.write_text("hello world") tempfile.replace(file) On Windows, I find that this pattern frequently fails with an error like PermissionError: [WinError 32] The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process: 'E:\\Dropbox\\tmp\\test.txt' but only for files in Dropbox. This means that any script I write must allow for retrying the .replace() step. To give a more complete, read-to use, example I provide the subsequent script, which repeatedly performs the pattern both in %TEMP% and in E:\Dropbox\tmp. On my System, Dropbox is on E:\Dropbox, so that part has to be adjusted for anyone trying the script. For me, the script rarely manages more than 8 repetitions. import os from pathlib import Path TEMPFILE_DIR = Path(os.getenv("TEMP")) DROPBOX_ROOT = Path("E:/Dropbox") # Adjust for you system, usually C:/Users/Username/Dropbox" def main(): tempdirfile = TEMPFILE_DIR / "tmp.txt" dropboxfile = Path("E:/Dropbox/tmp/test.txt") i = 0 while True: i += 1 print(i) for file in (tempdirfile, dropboxfile): # file.unlink() # would solve in most cases, but still fails every few hundred attempts # # also defeats the purpose of using the pattern in the first place tempdirfile.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True) tempfile = file.with_suffix(".txt.tmp") tempfile.write_text(TEXT) print("In {}: {} -> {}".format(file.parent, file.name, tempfile.name)) tempfile.replace(file) TEXT = """ Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris justo purus, pharetra quis ornare in, tincidunt et odio. Sed pulvinar lorem vel justo vestibulum aliquet. Nunc et nisi dui. Cras tempus lacus ac quam imperdiet mattis. Maecenas tristique dui vel orci condimentum volutpat. Quisque ut mauris metus. Fusce libero metus, luctus eget sagittis a, venenatis et ex. Aenean purus tellus, feugiat et libero vel, congue elementum tellus. Cras at interdum nulla. Ut ut nunc id nibh lacinia dapibus quis id turpis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Vestibulum eu iaculis sapien. Fusce lobortis massa at molestie posuere. """ if __name__ == "__main__": main()
Offline edit option for the Dropbox Paper desktop app for MacOS
A major drawback in Dropbox Paper is not having the ability to edit while offline. It would be so beneficial to make it work offline, and then just sync/save when we're back online. It really limits the functionality when it's online-only. Thank you for your consideration.Notification/warning when closing a locked file
My idea is about locked files and the problem that people forget to unlock it after they're done working in it. To avoid that people forget to unlock a file after they close it, it would be nice that you get a warning about the file still being locked when you close it. (in the same way an application asks you if you want to save changes before closing it) This notification would avoid the problem that a file stays locked for hours or days without reason, just because someone forgot to unlock it.
