Dropbox changed my sharing link with the same file name!! Can I add a file to an old dropbox link?

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trongo wrote:

So you know, between "(1) move it into your Dropbox folder replacing the original, or (2) using the Dropbox website to upload it over the original," only (2) works.

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It seems that (1) still works fine for me. I just replaced an image file by dragging a new copy with the same name into my Dropbox folder, overwriting the original, and the link to the file remained the same. I've also opened that file in Photoshop, edited and re-saved it, and the link remained the same as well.

I had high hopes for the new MacOS version of Dropbox, but unfortunately, the problem persists. When you REPLACE a file on your Mac under Locations > Dropbox by using the same file name as the original, it DELETES, not replaces the original file in Dropbox, and thus breaks the link. Sigh. 😉 

Back to only replacing files in Dropbx via the web browser. 

To do what you wish REPLACING THE FILE OF A DROPBOX SHARED LINK:

Do this:

Copy the new file over the old file some place NOT in Dropbox web page
Answer YES when the copy dialog asks: "Do you want to replace the existing file?"
Do not delete the old file and rename the new file to that of the old one

So simple, but it took me some time to realize this. So I want to save you time and frustration.
Cheers!
       

Hi Trongo,

Copy the new file over the old file some place NOT in Dropbox web page (Not sure what you mean by this. I copy it under Locations > Dropbox on my Mac. When I do this in Drobpox via Web broswer it works great. Just not when I replace file in Dropbox location on Mac.) 
Answer YES when the copy dialog asks: "Do you want to replace the existing file?"
Do not delete the old file and rename the new file to that of the old one

That is exactly what I do. I save the file with the exact same name, and when the dialogue comes up "Do you want to replace the existing file?", I click "yes," but despite it saying I "replaced" the file, the original link I shared for that file is broken.  This is because the original file is actually deleted in Dropbox, and replaced with a new file with the same name but different link. This is what occurred before, and was the reason I started this thread. 

Thanks for trying to help! If you have any further suggestion, I am all ears. 

Molly

Once you delete the file in Dropbox, its file id is gone. Even if you create a new file with the name of the deleted file, it will have new ID. It's the file's ID that is associated with the shared link.

• Keep this in mind, every Dropbox file has a file name and a file digital ID.
• Change the file name > new file ID
• Delete  the file  > lose file ID
• Copy over a file (away from Dropbox) > new file, same old name, same old ID > same shared link
• If you deleted a file, the only way to get it back is REWIND (if you have that feature) to the time point before you delete it.

I don't work for Dropbox, but I figured all this by myself after hours of frustration. No one gave me this succinct enlightenment. So I could be totally wrong, but it works for me so far. Use it at your own peril.  Cheers!

trongo

Hi Trongo,

Yes, I understand everything you outlined, and I was doing the following: 

• Copy over a file (away from Dropbox) > new file, same old name, same old ID > same shared link

I never deleted the file. I replaced the file under the same name. However, yesterday it was not preserving the shared link. When I asked Dropbox through a support chat they responded with the following: 

"Allow me to explain, when this is done on your Mac, since the system reads the same name, it gives you the option to replace the original file with that same name. If you select that option, you replace the newer file with the older file and in the process deleting the link, since the older file is removed and replaced with the newer one."

They said it is expected behavior that when you replace a file, it will destroy the link. Well, that is not the most convenient "expected" behavior and not how it works when using Dropbox within my browser. 

HOWEVER, today I have followed the exact same steps as yesterday and now it is working. 

• I save the file with the exact same name under Locations > Dropbox in my Mac. When asked if I want to replace it, I click "yes" and the shareble link is preserved. Yay!!!
  

Problem resolved, as long as it continues to work as above.