Hi, I have a shared folder in my mac dropbox that is locked by the person who shared it with me. Some time ago I asked him to remove me from the shared list which he did however I am unable to delete the folder from my dropbox app on my mac. The folder is not in my dropbox online or on my iPhone or iPad, only on my MacBook. The file won't sync; consequently, the dropbox app won't upgrade or update. It is always trying to sync this locked folder. I've tried following the instructions on deleting a shared folder by holding the option key down while deleting from the finder but the option to delete is greyed out. Any help is greatly appreciated. If I can't get this resolved I'm ready to dump dropbox and move to another provider.

I was finally able to get the file removed but it took tech support from Dropbox. After analyzing the problem they sent me a script to enter into the terminal app. That solved the issue. Your only solution as I see it is to contact Dropbox tech support.

Thanks for clarifying that for us toemaytoe Would it be OK if we reached out via email to have a further look internally at this point?

Hi lanefarin! Thanks for posting here, too. Can you share a few more details on your issue? Were you also invited to a shared folder, which has been removed from your Dropbox account by the owner, but still remains on your desktop app somehow and can’t be deleted? What’s happening exactly in your case?

Thanks for the info. Could you try fixing the permissions of the files in your Dropbox folder by following these steps: 1. Stop the Dropbox desktop application (if needed) Click on the Dropbox icon. Choose Quit/Stop/Exit 2. Open your Terminal app (Located at /Applications/Utilities/Terminal) 3. Copy and paste the following lines into the Terminal, one at a time, and press RETURN after each one. PLEASE make sure you copy and paste these commands (don't type them by hand), as getting them wrong could cause some harm. You'll be prompted for your computer user's password (not your Dropbox password) after entering the first command. Keep in mind that the password field in the terminal will remain blank as you type your password. After you type it, just press ENTER. You'll know that these instructions complete normally once the initial line of text (called prompt) comes up again: sudo chflags -R nouchg ~/Dropbox ~/.dropbox sudo chown "$USER" "$HOME" sudo chown -R "$USER" ~/Dropbox ~/.dropbox sudo chmod -RN ~/.dropbox ~/Dropbox chmod -R u+rw ~/Dropbox ~/.dropbox Please note that once the prompt displays, the instruction completed the requested task, and is ready for the next command. If the command returns an error, or does not respond after an hour, you may want to try restarting your computer and try these steps again. If you have any questions before you do this, or if you see an error after running one of these commands, please let me know. 4. Restart Dropbox from Applications Keep me updated with any progress.

It worked! Thanks so much for the help.

I can't delete a locked shared folder on my Mac device, which I've been removed by the owner

40 Replies

Replies have been turned off for this discussion

Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
3 years ago
Hey toemaytoe, sorry to hear you're having issues with this.

May I ask if you can see this folder listed in your sharing tab?

If it's not listed there, please send us a screenshot of the folder's properties as shown on your computer and the app's version and status as shown in your menu bar at the moment.

Thanks!
toemaytoe
Helpful | Level 5
3 years ago
Thanks for offering to help me out Walter, it's very much appreciated. The folder in question does not appear in the sharing tab or on any of my devices such as my iPhone or iPad. It only shows up on my MacBook, and even then only on the computer itself, not online. It seems to be stuck on my hard drive and won't allow itself to delete. I wasn't sure which images you wanted to look at regarding the folder status etc., so I took several screenshots that had dropbox info. Please let me know if this is sufficient or if there is something else you need in order to help me resolve this issue and I'll get right on it.
Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
3 years ago
Thanks for the screenshots and all the additional information toemaytoe - much appreciated!

Can you try the steps in this article to see if this folder can be ignored, so that you can continue with the app's update?
toemaytoe
Helpful | Level 5
3 years ago
I followed the directions in the article but it didn't work. I kept getting an error message saying there was no such file. I wonder if I should delete dropbox from my computer and then re-install it. Would the reinstalled version load the files from the cloud or would I be risking losing everything.
I don't know what else to do. I would love to find a less drastic solution though.
Megan
Dropbox Community Moderator
3 years ago
Hi toemaytoe, instead of removing the app entirely from your hard drive, have you tried quitting, then signing back in?

If not, give it a go, and let me know of any updates.
toemaytoe
Helpful | Level 5
3 years ago
Yes I have tried quitting and signing back in many times.
Hannah
Dropbox Community Moderator
3 years ago
Thanks for trying, toemaytoe.

Can you cmd+click the folder and send us a screenshot of the properties, please?

Also, have you tried to delete the folder, while the Dropbox app is not running? You close the app, by following these steps.
toemaytoe
Helpful | Level 5
3 years ago
Hi Hannah this is a copy of the screenshot you requested. I have already tried closing dropbox and then deleting the file but was unsuccessful.
Hannah
Dropbox Community Moderator
3 years ago
Thanks for that, toemaytoe.

While on the properties window, if you click on the lock icon at the bottom right of the window, are you able to change the permissions of the folder?

Note that you'll be prompted to sign in, but the credentials you'll need to enter, are the ones for your computer profile, not your Dropbox account.
toemaytoe
Helpful | Level 5
3 years ago
No, the lock is greyed out.