Pdf compression

[DebraV]

Hi

I have just begun using a shared Dropbox which has lots of pdfs that have never been compressed and are HUGE!  They are close to filling the storage space.  I have noticed an online pdf compression tool pdf2go and its a little beauty for doing what I want but I did notice that one of the locations you can select is Dropbox.

What my question is, if I was to compress one of the current files in Dropbox and then replace it with a new slimmed down version does this free up space? Or is it like when you delete a file it does nothing to gain that space.  I was thinking of archiving some of the older files using this option.

Anything i should be aware of before suggesting this to the owners of the Dropbox?

Hoping someone can help!

Thanks

[Hannah]

Hey @DebraV, thanks for your post today!

Deleting a file from your Dropbox should free up space in your account and so should replacing a file with a smaller file.

As long as the original gets removed from the account and a smaller one is added in its place, your used space will get reduced.

I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any more questions.

[DebraV]

Hi Hannah

If its a shared doc is there something you have to do to remove it to replace? I had a private account and when it was at its limit i had to recreate the account because even after deleting the files it made no difference to the storage size.

[Hannah]

Hi again, Debra!

If it's a folder that someone else shared with you and you want to remove it completely, you will need to remove your own access to the folder.

This should delete it from your account and free up the space, but will not affect other members' access.

[Rich]

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@DebraV wrote:

If its a shared doc is there something you have to do to remove it to replace?

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Nothing special, no. Just overwrite the existing file. Note that Hannah's advice refers to removing the entire shared folder from your account, and it doesn't sound like that's what you were asking.

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I had a private account and when it was at its limit i had to recreate the account because even after deleting the files it made no difference to the storage size.

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There was no need to recreate the account. There was likely another reason your account was full (a shared folder exceeding your limit, active backup feature, etc.), or Dropbox was just lagging a bit when updating your space usage. When you delete a file you free up the space that was being used by that file, and deleted files do not take up space in your account.

[allanmax3321 · Accepted solution]

Yes, replacing a file with a compressed version frees up space. When you upload a new, smaller version, Dropbox automatically recognizes it as the same file and replaces the older one. This means the old, larger file is deleted, and you gain the difference in storage space.

Things to consider before suggesting compression:

• Compression isn't magic: While PDF2go is a good tool, compression reduces file size by sacrificing some quality. Ensure the content remains legible and usable after compression. Test a few files first to find the right balance.
• Backup important files: Before compressing anything crucial, create a backup copy outside of Dropbox. This ensures you have the original version if needed.
• Inform Dropbox owners: Explain your plan to compress older PDFs and the potential space savings. Address any concerns about quality loss or potential issues with accessing compressed files.
• Check for sensitive information: If the PDFs contain sensitive information, avoid using online compression tools. Look for desktop software with strong security measures or explore password-protected online services.