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".7z files can't be previewed" message
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.
6 Replies
I updated to version 348.2.4 and have same result.
- Mark
Super User II
How are you trying to preview? Website or app on mobile?
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
Dropbox Community Moderator
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.
