Dropbox files no longer inherit folder permissions

[rjwb]

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 longer does. It overrides the folder permissions and sets all file permissions to something completely different - Full Control for admins and Read/Read & Execute for users.

Is there any way to get back to the old days - when Dropbox respected the inheritance of ACL permissions to all files in each folder?

[Fiona]

Hello everyone.

I'd like to wish you all a happy new year and follow up here. 

 Thanks for posting the communication you received about this @rjwb. Unfortunately, for all users that have the same set up as this, the response posted above from our specialists team, would also apply for your set up. 

If you are seeing a different behavior or you have a different set up, I do encourage you all to get in touch with us with further details and we will advise the best way possible. 

Thank you! 

[rjwb]

I still don't really understand why Dropbox needs to override the file permissions that an admin user has set on a folder, whether on Windows Server or a supported version of Windows... But I guess Dropbox aren't interested in explaining their change to its customers.

Therefore I am in the process of transitioning our company off Dropbox and on to another product.

[psltracker]

Is there any way to get back to the old days - when I used Dropbox to save my web files 

[Fiona]

Hey @rjwb. Sorry for any frustration this has caused, however, as our team explained this set up is not supported. Not much I can add to this unfortunately. 

@psltracker You can still save your web files. Would you like to elaborate on your request so I can assist more with this. 

If your request is not related to this topic. Please create a new topic and we will be happy to help. 

Thanks. 

[dmasters]

I don't have the same setup, I have windows 10 pro, not a server operating system which is the only thing I've seen in this thread as unsupported.

The problem is, when a file is synced from dropbox to our windows 10 machine, the file does not inherit the permissions from the folder it is in (on the windows 10 machine).

There are many other users here that have responded they are on windows 10, not windows server, and experiencing the same unexpected behavior... and we are all looking for a solution to this problem that dropbox recently introduced. 

[rjwb]

@dmasters I agree - the whole Windows Server issue is a red herring and a convenient excuse for Dropbox to close my support ticket down without answering the question!

Anyway, I'm soon to be an ex-customer...

[Fiona]

Hi @dmasters, 

Thanks for clarifying that. 

The new version of the Dropbox desktop application ensures consistent folder icons and Dropbox file/folder permissions for items in the Dropbox folder.

Files or folders in the Dropbox folder with custom permissions (such as custom POSIX permissions or BSD flags), will not maintain them. This works, as discribed, to ensure the file syncs to other devices without any issues.

We understand this is not convenient for you and thank you for reporting your feedback. 

I unfortunately have no workaround for the permissions to be maintained. 

[XLI]

Hi,

I have been doing some playing around with this.

- When dropbox downloads a file it downloads it initially to a directory in the hidden system folder \Dropbox\.dropbox.cache

- once it is downloaded it performs a MOVE to the actual destination folder.

- When you a MOVE (not copy) a file within the same volume on an NTFS Filesystem, it will retain its permissions rather than inherit the permissions of the destination folder.

So if you set MODIFY permissions for "Users" (Or domain users if on a domain) on the folder \Dropbox\.dropbox.cache then when the file is moved to the true destination folder it will retain the MODIFY rights, and other users on that same machine (Or Domain) will be able to modify/delete the file.

But (I hear you say) what about my permissions stopping people accessing folders that they should not be able to access? Well... these still work. The permissions you have set on the folder will still remain, so you can exclude some users from some folders. The files within that folder however will be modifiable by all, but that does not really matter as other users can't get to them any way.

Clear as mud?

Andy

[rjwb]

Very diligent detective work! I understood it on the 3rd reading 🙂

I played with the permissions on the dropbox.cache folder and you can definitely work around some of the problems that way, though it's messy!

Thanks for the info - but I am leaving Dropbox for a another product once I've migrated everything across and retrieved my remote users' laptops etc...

[XLI]

> you can definitely work around some of the problems that way, though it's messy!

I never said it was a great solution.... 🙂 🙂 at least it is one though....