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rjwb's avatar
rjwb
Helpful | Level 7
7 years ago

Dropbox files no longer inherit folder permissions

Within my Dropbox folder, I have sub-folders with different Windows ACL permissions. Up until recently, whenever Dropbox synced a file it inherited its folder permissions perfectly. Now it no longe...
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Walter's avatar
Walter
Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
6 years ago

Hi SLWelsh - welcome to the Dropbox Community!

What you notice is now expected as we implemented a fix in a new version of the Dropbox desktop application that ensures both consistent folder icons and file/folder permissions for items residing within the Dropbox folder.
 
If you have files or folders in the Dropbox folder with custom permissions (such as custom POSIX permissions or BSD flags), these may be removed to ensure the file syncs to other devices without any issues.  
 
I hope this clears things up and we're always a post away if you have any additional questions. 
SLWelsh's avatar
SLWelsh
New member | Level 2
6 years ago

So what's the fix or workaround? Or do I need to just move to a different file-sharing service?

  • Walter's avatar
    Walter
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    6 years ago

    Your best bet at this point would be to utilize one of our core features which is shared folders SLWelsh.

    So instead of giving those permissions to other Windows users that are within your network, share a folder with them by using their email addresses. 

    Let me know how it goes. 

  • SLWelsh's avatar
    SLWelsh
    New member | Level 2
    6 years ago

    Those computers do not have Internet access. This is not a solution whatsoever.

    Please explain to me why Dropbox is overriding the default permissions for the folder? This should have no bearing on sync of files to other platforms.

     

    • Walter's avatar
      Walter
      Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
      6 years ago

      I understand this is not optimal -especially when it comes to your particular setup- but, as mentioned, this is merely to ensure syncing across devices SLWelsh.

      If you have any suggestion about this, feel free to post in the 'Share an Idea' section so other similar-minded users can find and upvote it too to show their interest. 

      I know it's not much, yet, I hope it helps to a certain extent. 

      • dragoner's avatar
        dragoner
        Helpful | Level 5
        6 years ago

        Ive got quite a few similar setups, and am now noticing this file permission problem. There is no way Dropbox have made a little change and are content with the broken file permission problem as a result. This is a typical cash grab companies go through to boost their profits etc. 

        It's a dirty move to try and push users up to their higher tier plans.

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