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Forum Discussion

qualiyah's avatar
qualiyah
Helpful | Level 6
6 years ago

Files failing to save in Dropbox

I keep having this problem. I'll be working on a document or powerpoint and try to save it in Dropbox, and it just...won't save.   It doesn't seem to happen if it's a document that was already sa...
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Lusil's avatar
Lusil
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
6 years ago

Do you by any chance have any pending updates on your computer or the Dropbox desktop app?

 

Just for troubleshooting purposes, could you create a test file and try saving any changes to it while the desktop app isn't running? 

bropdox's avatar
bropdox
Helpful | Level 6
5 years ago

I've had the exact same problem for months, most often with Word documents. I can save those files anywhere else on my computer, but not to Dropbox folders. Originally the problem occurred when trying to save a new document or "save as." But now I can't even save a file that's already named.

 

I have reinstalled Office and Dropbox. The problem still exists. Has anyone figured out the solution?

 

My understanding is that something is interfering with the temp files that Microsoft creates in the process of renaming files. But it's unclear what.

  • Daphne's avatar
    Daphne
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    5 years ago

    Thanks for joining us here bropdox.

     

    Can you let us know if the issue persists, in saving/renaming a file in the Dropbox folder, while the desktop app isn't running?

     

    If you're not familiar, you can close the app by:

    1. Clicking the Dropbox icon in your system tray.
    2. Click the profile pic/initials icon in the top right of the window.
    3. Choose "Quit Dropbox".
    • bropdox's avatar
      bropdox
      Helpful | Level 6
      5 years ago

      Yes, it still happens when I quit the desktop app.

      I do not have this problem saving to other folders on my hard drive, including my Box folder. This only happens with files inside the Dropbox folder.

       

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

        I should add that I did a full repair of my Office installation, plus uninstalled an reinstalled Dropbox (just two days ago). And the problem doesn't happen 100% of the time. But probably 80 - 85% of the time. It used to only happen when:

        - saving an unnamed document for the first time OR

        - trying to take a named document and "Save as" as something else

         

        Which made me think that something was just interrupting the conversion of temp files.

         

        But it has occasionally also occurred when I'm just saving an already named file. The problem has definitely gotten worse over time.

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