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Some of my files show up as zero bytes
When I save file, the file will appear in my DropBox, but when I open it the file is completely blank or only kept an older version of the document. I realized some of these "saved" items are being s...
Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
Dropbox Community ModeratorCan you maybe send us a screenshot of how and where the files is showing zero bytes elainemorrison?
Also, since you're using Gmail, have you considered using the Dropbox for Gmail add-on?
My problem is a little different: I archived files from Dropbox onto an external drive a couple of years ago. The files were then deleted from Dropbox. Now all those files on my external drive are zero bytes. They were not zero bytes on my drive two years ago.
My fear/guess is that in spite of taking forever to archive, Dropbox never really archived the media at all but just made file-names that pointed to the Dropbox media.
Or does someone have another idea? Yes, it's a disaster ...
- Megan
Hey DUDLEYKCET, sorry to hear about that!
Did you use our app, in order to copy the content from the Dropbox folder, to your external drive?
It sounds like the content might have been available online-only, which means that the only thing copied, was the files' placeholders. Could this be the case?
Keep me posted!
Hi Megan I downloaded the files from a photographer on my laptop. I was able to attach photos from Finder and from GMail until the last Mac update. The Mac update caused me to no longer be able to easily attach photos as they all show as zero bytes. Now if I want to attach a photo I have to open up Dropbox on my computer and then download the image and then use it. I was told months ago by a "Dropboxer" that Dropbox was "trying" to fix the problem and that the software update was the issue but that no one seemed to know what to do. In the meantime, I'm paying for Dropbox and am massively inconvenienced.
Up until the most recent Mac update, I could connect photographs from the Finder and through Gmail. I'm no longer able to quickly attach photographs because of the Mac upgrade since they all display as 0 bytes. Now that Dropbox is open on my computer, I must first download the image before I can use it as an attachment.
- Walter
Hey elainemorrison, sorry to jump in here, but could you clarify how exactly you're attaching the file in the first place?
Are you ensuring that the file is locally available to your computer first by making it available offline?
Also, have you considered using the Gmail add-on as an alternative way to achieve what you had in mind?
Hi Walter I used to be able to take photos and drag them from finder to emails or Shopify. Ever since I did a Mac update earlier this year it stopped working and shows as zero bytes. I've asked and asked and asked and asked and no one at Dropbox seems to know what I'm talking about or what to do.
I downloaded the photos from my photographer to Dropbox. All was fine for months and then after the update, I'm not able to access them in an easy fashion. And no one has an answer...
Walter I tried following the instructions where it says to open Finder, right-click the folder, and set it to offline. When I right click it opens the folder which shows me all the photos and nowhere does it give me the option to set it to offline. It would be helpful if you had graphics showing how to do this.
- Jay
Hi elainemorrison, when you right click a file in your Dropbox folder while the Dropbox desktop application is running, you should see different options there.
Could you attach a screenshot showing these options in order to assist you further?
- Jay
You're viewing the Dropbox site, and not the Dropbox folder on the desktop machine.
You need to right click files and folders in the Dropbox folder in Finder/Explorer.
Jay they say zero bytes.
- Megan
Hi elainemorrison, can you send me some more screenshots, of what you see when you right click on a file, or folder locally from your Dropbox folder in the device?
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