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Forum Discussion
My account is full of shared files - How can I delete them to free up space?
My account is entirely full with files other people shared to me. I have no personal files stored.
If I attempt to delete any files from the folder mirrored to my desktop account, it says I need p...
It says 88 members. It doesn't say anything if I click on x members. If I click on Permissions it says I don't have permissions to manage the folder.
The only way listed to add storage for free is to refer other people. There is no one for me to refer, and I need less storage, not more. Just need to delete some files shared to me to free up space.
Don't even understand why files shared to me take up space in my account - all my account should need is links, not the full file.
- Rich
Super User II
Don't even understand why files shared to me take up space in my account ...
It works this way because you're not just getting access to the files in someone else's account. You're getting a copy of the files in your own account, and as the files exist in your account, they take up space.
https://help.dropbox.com/storage-space/storage-space
... all my account should need is links, not the full file.
That's what Hannah was suggesting when she said you could ask the owner for a view-only shared link to the files instead. You would be able to view any files in the share without adding them to your own account.
Otherwise if you're a member of the share, then the files will exist in your account taking up space.
Yes, I understand the way it works. It's a dumb design to unnecessarily duplicate storage space. And it introduces the problem of keeping multiple copies synchronized.
If a view-only link is the solution, than the recipient should be able to determine he wants a view-only link, not just the sender.
An alternative solution would be to allow downloading of files from Dropbox and subsequent deletion of those files from Dropbox WITHOUT unsubscribing from the folder.
