Dropbox "out of space" message while at the same time showing only 50% of my space has been used.

[Maringo]

I'm trying to access a file that someone is sharing with me in Dropbox, and I can't get past the screen that forces me to upgrade. I have the basic plan that limits me to 2G. According to Dropbox, I'm using 1.02G (which is interesting because two hours ago when I logged in, I was using .97G and haven't touched anything).  Does anyone know why this would be happening? I don't have any linked accounts, and everything that is stored in my Dropbox is visible on my account page so I'm not sure why Dropbox would think I'm using too much base while simultaneously acknowledging that I'm not using all my space.  I kind of don't want to upgrade just a few a single file--assuming I will be able to view that file after I upgrade. I guess I have no way of knowing until I upgrade. 

[Maringo]

*too much space, not base.  Editor won't open.

[Jay]

Hi @Maringo, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

How large is the file you're trying to add to your Dropbox account? 

Is this an individual file, or a shared folder?

This will help me to assist further!

[Maringo]

Hi Jay!  It's a video file, no I did not know the size or if I'll type. With the context I have, it should theoretically not be too large, but I don't know that. Could a not-yet-actioned share invitation be responsible for the issue I'm experiencing? 

Best,

Maringo

[Jay · Accepted solution]

If they're sharing a file to you, then it doesn't matter how much quota you have, since the file should be visible on this page.

If you're being told about quota, then it's possible it's in a shared folder, which does impact your quota usage. 

[Maringo]

1. AHH, thank you.  I get it.  I just received a reply from him and he says that it's in a shared folder. So that explains that. I will do the upgrade, and thank you very much for such a prompt response, amazing!

[Jay]

No worries, however, you don't need to upgrade your account. 

Instead, you can ask them to create a shared link to the file itself, and you can download it to your computer to view.