cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Announcements
Want to learn some quick and useful tips to make your day easier? Check out how Calvin uses Replay to get feedback from other teams at Dropbox here.

Integrations

Find solutions to issues with third-party integrations from the Dropbox Community. Share advice and help members with their integration questions.

cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Re: 2 people editing a Word document at the same time in Dropbox

2 people editing a Word document at the same time in Dropbox

Joan P.6
Collaborator | Level 8
Go to solution

I work with one other person.  We were both working on our laptops on the same file in our shared Dropbox folder.  (I was adding to a working list and she was editing above.) But I kept getting an odd request for permission and the file name changed to a long sequence of numbers and letters and was saved in another folder called "old files."  So the attempt to work on the same file at the same time failed.  How can we make this work?

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

Daphne
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Hey @Joan P.6, I hope you're well today!

 

From what you mentioned, you're working on the file locally through the Microsoft Word app, right?

 

When you edit the file through the local apps on your computer, real time collaboration isn't currently possible. 

 

As you've seen, sometimes when editing a Word file, the app creates a temporary file which you've seen with the change in file name and location.

 

You can find out more info on why Word creates temp files from here.

 

To collaborate in real time, you'll need to use the Microsoft Office Online integration. The steps for this is outlined here.

 

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

Mod note: edited to update link in post [last update 2023]


Daphne
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, please give it a Like below.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Still stuck? Ask me a question!
:pushpin: Tips & Tricks Find new ways to stay in flow or share your tips on how you work smarter with Dropbox.

View solution in original post

7 Replies 7

Daphne
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Hey @Joan P.6, I hope you're well today!

 

From what you mentioned, you're working on the file locally through the Microsoft Word app, right?

 

When you edit the file through the local apps on your computer, real time collaboration isn't currently possible. 

 

As you've seen, sometimes when editing a Word file, the app creates a temporary file which you've seen with the change in file name and location.

 

You can find out more info on why Word creates temp files from here.

 

To collaborate in real time, you'll need to use the Microsoft Office Online integration. The steps for this is outlined here.

 

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

Mod note: edited to update link in post [last update 2023]


Daphne
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, please give it a Like below.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Still stuck? Ask me a question!
:pushpin: Tips & Tricks Find new ways to stay in flow or share your tips on how you work smarter with Dropbox.

Joan P.6
Collaborator | Level 8
Go to solution

Thanks.  Your explanation was helpful and should be added to easily accessible instructions on the website.  If it's there I didn't see it before.  (An instructional video might be useful too.)  One caveat-- don't be surprised if you find the MS Word online formatting was a bit different from your original document eg: some tabs were deleted.

Rich
Super User II
Go to solution

@Joan P.6 wrote:

Your explanation was helpful and should be added to easily accessible instructions on the website.


r a kenney
New member | Level 2
Go to solution

Does anyone know what version of Microsoft 365 for Business ( https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compare-all-microsoft-365-products?&ocid=PROD_OfficeOn... ) is required to enable real-time file collaboration within Dropbox as discussed above?

 

Does anyone on the Dropbox team know if this capability will eventually be extended to include files opened direct;y on one's computer? Having to open thropught the DB website is a major drawback to this important feature.

 

thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

Daphne
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Hello @r a kenney, thanks for joining us here!

 

You can find out which Microsoft licenses are required to use the online editing integrations from here, under the section "Do I need a special license...?".

 

Also, being able to edit together in realtime through the Microsoft apps would need to be something that's developed by Microsoft rather than Dropbox as it's the Microsoft apps used to edit the files.

 

I hope this helps!


Daphne
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, please give it a Like below.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Still stuck? Ask me a question!
:pushpin: Tips & Tricks Find new ways to stay in flow or share your tips on how you work smarter with Dropbox.

Joan P.6
Collaborator | Level 8
Go to solution

I had thought it's a Dropbox limitation, but maybe I am wrong.  Please confirm. (I guess that's why it works on Google, which developed both the platform and the software.)

Daphne
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

It's not a function of Dropbox that allows the real time collaboration @Joan P.6, this depends on the features that Microsoft have developed since you would be using their apps to edit the files.

 

Perhaps this article can provide some more insight into the options available for you?

 

Hope this clarifies the matter!


Daphne
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, please give it a Like below.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Still stuck? Ask me a question!
:pushpin: Tips & Tricks Find new ways to stay in flow or share your tips on how you work smarter with Dropbox.

Need more support?