Files failing to save in Dropbox

[qualiyah]

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 saved in Dropbox, and I am updating it. It only happens when I try to save a brand new document, or when I try to save a document under a new name (which basically makes it a brand new document). I'll do "save as," set it to save in a Dropbox folder, and title the document 5M.docx, and it sets to work doing that...and then it just reverts back to being an untitled document, and when I look in the folder, the document is not saved in there.

This is obviously a huge problem--I've lost work to this several times.

This never happens except when I'm trying to save in my Dropbox folder--it's definitely specific to Dropbox. It doesn't do this every time I try to save something to Dropbox, but it does it a decent percentage of the time. When it happens, I have to save the **bleep** document on my desktop instead, and then drag it into the Dropbox folder, which works fine.

I haven't been able to find anyone else talking about this problem! Does anyone know what is going on and how I can get this to stop happening?

[Lusil]

Hi there @qualiyah, thanks for reaching out to us and sorry to hear about your frustration. 

I'd be happy to help look into this with you, I'll just need a bit more info. For example:

• Does this happen to specific file types or any file? 
• Do you get the same experience if the desktop app isn't running? 
• What does the file's version history show online?

Keep me posted!

[qualiyah]

1) It's happened to me with .docx files and with .pptx files, and I think also with .pdf files. And those are about the only three kinds I use. So I don't think file format affects the problem.

2) I'm not sure whether I get this experience if the Desktop isn't running. Because I have to switch computers regularly, it's really important for me to leave the app running, so I haven't been able to check.

3) Just now, I had a document I wanted to save as "Summative assn answer key" but right after trying to save it in the relevant dropbox folder, its title reverted to "Document2", which doesn't happen when you successfully save a document under a new title. When I look in the folder, there *is* a document there titled "Summative assn answer key", but it's 0 bytes, and when I open it, it's just a blank page. (The document I was trying to save was not blank!) If I look at that file in "Version history," it shows it as having been created at the appropriate time, but as being 0 bytes.

I tried several times in a row to save the document in dropbox, with the same result each time. When I then attempt to save it on my Desktop, it saves properly with no problems.

I'm not sure what it shows in "Version history" when what I've tried to do is to save a document under a new title--that hasn't happened in a couple of days so I haven't been able to check.

[Walter]

Hi @qualiyah; sorry to jump in here.

I just wanted to mention that if you bump into this issue again, you may need to reinstall our desktop app on the affected devices. 

If that won't help improve matters, you can also re-install the 3rd party app(s) you use to edit those files. 

Let us know of any updates and have a lovely weekend in the meantime. 

[qualiyah]

Thank you for the suggestion! Unfortunately, it didn't work. I uninstalled Dropbox from my computer, and then reinstalled it, but it's still happening.

I don't think it's very plausible that the problem is with Word and Powerpoint and Adobe, so I haven't tried reinstalling those. Given that this problem arises for all file formats I regularly use, I feel certain the problem must be with Dropbox.

[Lusil]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.