Files failing to save in Dropbox

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.

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.

If you're still getting the error when the app is not running, then it would point that the issue isn't being caused by the app itself, bropdox.

Could you send me a screenshot of the error that you're getting, when trying to save a file within Dropbox?

If you're trying to save the file within a relatively long folder path, can you try saving the file in the top level of the Dropbox folder to see if that makes any difference?

The problem happens even in the top level Dropbox folder.

There actually isn't an error message. And what happens is hard to capture in a screen shot.

Let's say I have a document named "Test" and I want to "save as" as "Test. v2".

If I go through the motions of doing this in Word, the document will look like it saved for a split second. That is, at the top of the Word window, it will say " Test - Saved to this PC" then change for a split second to "Test. v2" then immediately revert back to "Test" -- but it will no longer say saved to this PC. If I try to close the window by clicking the X in the upper right corner, Word will ask me if I want to save. If I try to "Save as" again, I will often get stuck in an endless loop of this same behavior. Eventually it either saves or I have to save it to a somewhere outside of Dropbox. 

Once the above sequence happens, a temp file show ups in the Dropbox folder where I was trying to save. It's in the format ~WRD####.tmp   It never goes away unless I manually delete it. 

If, after a failed "save as", I try to "save" the file using the old name, I will get an error: "Word cannot complete this save due to a file permission error." If I hit okay, I get the "Save as" dialogue -- then I can rename the file and it saves. 

You don't have to sign out, just make sure that it's not running. 

You can find the relevant steps in Daphne's post a little bit above.

Lusil the only anti-virus program I have is what comes with Windows. I disabled all of that and the problem persists.  

Lusil and Daphne , I should add -- I used to be able to save Word files if I paused syncing. That no longer works. Could this somehow be related to the Dropbox cache files? I don't know how those work... but it strikes me as odd that this problem has only gotten worse over time... as though temp files are building up somewhere.

Do you have any other cloud/storage/backup third party app running on your computer by any chance?

Lusil  I also have Box. But I ran Box and Dropbox on my previous laptop with no problems. And I don't have this save issue with Box.

I also have Code42 through my employer, but it is *not* set to back up Dropbox or Application Data files.

Thank you. I will try what you suggested in a few hours when I will have the time!

Just for troubleshooting purposes, could you temporarily close them and see if there's any change in behavior, bropdox? 

No worries, lesliepratch, take your time, and let us know of any updates.

Thanks again!

Lusil I exited Box and disabled Code42. No difference. 

One thing I have noticed is that this problem is not consistent across different methods of saving. Before explaining this, let me say, I do have the option checked to "Show dropbox as a save location in Microsoft Office."

I can save in Word through one of three ways:

1. Use the "Save as" icon which I added to appear above the ribbon in word. This opens a file explorer window. It fails most of the time.

2.  File --> Save As. Because Dropbox is set to be the default place to save (in my Word Options), it immediately suggests a Dropbox file path. This fails much of the time, but not quite as much as #1.

3. File --> Save As --> Browse. This, too, opens up the file explorer window. This seems to fail far less often than the others, but it will still eventually fail. 

Again, there's no problem across these three methods when saving someplace outside of Dropbox.

Could you try fixing hardlinks or permissions by following these steps?

If that doesn't do the trick and if you haven't already, could you try clearing the cache as well?

Lusil  YES! Thank you. Fixing the hardlinks didn't seem to do anything, but fixing the permissions did! My problems started when I added Dropbox to a new work laptop. The user profile was setup quite differently than my previous laptop, so that must have been at the root of this. 

Lusil actually, it stopped working again. I tried clearing the cache. That did nothing. There's been a Windows update between when it was working and now, so I will try fixing the permissions again. Can I do that without fixing the hardlinks first, or should I do both?

Something I have noticed, the *only* way I can save for sure within Word is to File --> Save as --> Dropbox --> Browse in Dropbox.

It's a lot of clicking.

If I try any other method of saving that doesn't involve "browse in Dropbox" there's a risk of failure.

The issue has gone away, not sure why. Thank you for your help.

Lusil I had a large Windows update a couple of days ago, but just checked and installed a minor one. There are no pending updates and I've restarted my computer.

I've also fixed the permissions and hardlinks again, and for good measure, cleared the cache again. 

The problem still persists, but not as consistently. Do you have any other suggestions? Also, why does "Browse in Dropbox" consistently work, but other ways (e.g., clicking the shortcut icons in the ribbon) or any other route through file --> save as not work consistently?

Walter  and Lusil  - I already tried reinstalling a few weeks ago. It made no difference.

Walter given the time needed to re-index and re-sync, I won't be able to do this for a few days. 

Something I've noticed -- the save and save as features do not fail as often as they used to (since fixing hardlinks and permissions). Often they fail the first time, but then if I hit "save as" again, it works. Definitely seems like something is creating a conflict.

Just joining because I have been having this same issue when saving for a long time, only using Excel and Save as.

When I click Save As then the square button "Browse in Dropbox" typing the name of the file I want to save and clicking save, noting happens.

When I click the normal "Browse", after save as, and then select the very same Dropbox folder, it works.