Can't open password protected file

[johnblakemore]

One of my files is password protected but when I try to access it via Dropbox.com on my PC I put in my password but it says that it is incorrect. It is not incorrect. I can access the file via my Tablet.

Thank you.

[sz999]

Hi Hannah,
Thank you, I didn’t realize that. I haven’t removed the password because I know I can open files that aren’t password-protected, but I want to keep this one protected.
I realize you don’t control the policies, but what’s the logic behind not being able to open pw protected files in a browser? If it can’t be done, why does it even ask for the pw (rather than just show a message that says pw protected files are unsupported), and why does it then tell me the pw is wrong? It seems strange to ask for the info, when no pw would be accepted — asking for one and giving an error message implies it’s possible to open a pw file and that either there’s a bug or the user is doing something wrong, which is apparently not the case. Again, I appreciate this info; do you know if there’s a way to communicate with dropbox to let them know how uninformative and confusing the way it works now is? Thank again for explaining why it won’t / can’t work

[sz999]

also, @janghell would likely find it helpful to read your post, since it explains that this is just how dropbox works, and not an actual problem (except insofar as dropbox should change this functionality, or at least make the messages more informative).

[janghell]

Strange that it is not possible to open password protected files in browser when it ask for password, and reply that the pasword is wrong....

[deb-reyn]

I am having this same problem, just started yesterday. I was able to open all password protected files yesterday morning, then by the afternoon I get the error message "the password you entered is incorrect". I know 100% it is correct. I have tried multiple browsers without success.

[deb-reyn]

I'm having the same problem as of yesterday. Trying to open word docs on my mac that I was able to open the day before but now get an error message saying the password is incorrect. I know for certain that I am entering the correct passwords. I have tried multiple browsers without any luck.

[deb-reyn]

I have never had a problem accessing password protected word docs on my mac until yesterday, April 20, 2023. I get an error message "incorrect password" for every single document, when I know for certain I am entering the correct password. I tried on both firefox and chrome. No luck on either. This is my job so I have to be able to access these files. Thanks for any help!

[Nancy]

Hey @deb-reyn! I hope you’re doing well. 

As Hannah has mentioned here, it isn’t possible to preview a file on the Dropbox website, as long as it's password-protected. 

For more info, you can also check this Help Center article.

[deb-reyn]

I am not trying to preview the file. I am trying to “open” the file. It keeps saying wrong password but it is the correct password.

[JimL from HB]

I'm the original poster of this thread.  The response from Nancy, the thread moderator, contains the link to the Help Center article that (finally!) answers the question: 

Error: This file is password-protected

What happened:

If you're seeing the error message This file is password-protected, the file you’re trying to preview requires a password to view it. Many applications (for example, Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop) allow you to set passwords for your files. Dropbox doesn’t support files that are password-protected in other applications, so you won’t be able to preview them.

How to fix it:

If you'd like to preview the file, open the file in its original application and remove the password. 

If you'd like to keep the password, download and open the file on your computer or phone to view it.

I tried this from the DropBox web link, and it works fine.  Once the file was downloaded to my computer, I was able to open it with the usual password.

Thank you, Nancy, for answering the original question!

Jim

[Carlitoxbrown]

Hello community, you know I have a problem with the preview of office files when they are protected with a password, they simply do not open, any tips to solve this problem, obviously without having to download the files to open them