Some of my files show up as zero bytes

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.

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!

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 ...

Can 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? 

Hi Walter the issue is when I search them in the Finder on my Mac or I try to attach images within GMail they show as zero bytes.  I then have to go to Dropbox and search and download the images in order to use them.  I can no longer just attach them.  This is a time waster.  My understanding is that this is all due to the most recent IOs update.  Dropbox hasn't fixed the bug on your end and from what I was told there's no intention to fix it.  I'm left inconvenienced and frustrated and want to move all my photos to Google and get rid of Dropbox. 

I'm afraid I don't have a  tutorial video to provide, but these icons should be visible on the files you've stored in your Dropbox folder on your computer while the desktop app is running and syncing normally elainemorrison 

Apart from that, could you send us a screenshot of the exact error you're getting so that we can have a visual too?

Hi Walter I don't see those icons anywhere.  I find Dropbox to be terribly confusing.  Can you send me a screenshot or Loom video of how one locates these icons?

All I know is that I am unable to access my photos as it says zero bytes no matter how I try to access them.  It should not be this difficult and take this many messages for me to resolve this issue.

Hey elainemorrison,  sorry to jump in, but I just wanted to mention that you should be able to tell your Dropbox files status, be it online only or available offline by their syncing icons. 

Hope this helps a tad. 

Hi Hannah,

I'm using version 159.4.5870 of Dropbox and it says the latest version.

Can you please be more specific with instructions on where to find out if photos are available online or offline?  There's the icon up by the wifi, there's an icon underneath my search bar, and I can find photos in my Mac Finder.  It's all very confusing to me.  Where do I right-click to find this information?  Loom videos are a fantastic idea for explaining your platform if that's a possibility.

Jay that worked thanks - I don't think the permissions are right but this is good enough.