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C C.6's avatar
C C.6
New member | Level 1
10 years ago
Solved

Help with Extensionless files can’t be previewed

Yesterday, I decided to rename some of my videos on here to help me better identify them. After doing so now my files say: "Extensionless files can’t be previewed" . I tried to restore them to the previous version but still nothing. It will let me view the previous version but I cannot get a link to it to show others and when I try and download it (in hopes that I can upload it on here again) I get this error:

Error (403)

It seems you don't belong here! You should probably sign in. Check out our Help Center and forums for help, or head back to home.

 

I am indeed signed in and it is my video and my account. I would really love to fix this issue because these videos (which are from my security cameras) are actually quite important. I needed to show them to a lawyer etc. I also tried to search my computer and see if it is in the dropbox cache, but that is empty. Unfortunately when I had transferred these files to another hard drive something happened and some of the files did not transfer. So, I don't have that option to go back and get them that way.

 

Again, all I did yesterday was rename the files. I also tried restoring the previous versions with no luck.

 

Any clue as to what happened and how I can fix this?

Error Messages
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  • Rich's avatar
    Rich
    10 years ago

    Just wanted to rename my files and now unable to get access.

    When you renamed the files you likely removed the file extension (the three or four characters after the period in the file name; .docx, .jpg, .xlsx, etc.). That extension is what systems (your operating system, Dropbox, etc.) use to determine what application should be used to open or preview a file. Without the extensions, those systems have no idea what kind if file it is.

    Put the extensions back on the files and you should be able to view/open them.

    Changing the name should not have messed them up.

    Not true. It will mess them up if you change or remove the file extension.

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  • Theron W.'s avatar
    Theron W.
    New member | Level 2
    9 years ago

    I have several folders in dropbox. on the desk top ap - some have a little arrow on the blue folder icon. I can open and see files but. I can not open the folder on my phone. 

    Any ideas?

  • Theron W.'s avatar
    Theron W.
    New member | Level 2
    9 years ago

    I have several folders in dropbox. on the desk top ap - some have a little arrow on the blue folder icon. I can open and see files but I can not open the folder on my phone. 

    Any ideas?

     

    UPDATE: On the desktop we discovered alias folders have been used to locate certain folders, now alias folders seem to be the problem.

  • Sanchez's avatar
    Sanchez
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    9 years ago
    Hey Theron W., 
     
    Here’s an explanation of what our various syncing icons look like, and what they mean. If you’re seeing a small blue icon with a couple of arrows :arrows_counterclockwise:, it means that the folder/file is syncing. It may not show up on other devices until fully synced, which you’ll know when the icon shows a green circle with a checkmark in it :white_check_mark:.
     
    As far as the Update on your last post… can you please clarify?! 
     
    Thanks :wink:
     
  • malcolmholland's avatar
    malcolmholland
    New member | Level 2
    9 years ago

    Thanks. I added .docx as my first guess and I got a message to add .pdf.  I did. It opened. I had a credit card statement. Then I renamed it as I wanted and filed it.

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