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Ios11.0.1 “Cannot save file” error saving from Office apps to Dropbox

Issues since latest ios11.0.1 update on IPad.

Error in excel, word, PowerPoint when “Save as” and selecting a Dropbox file.

Error message is “Cannot Save File. That file name wont work because it includes invalid characters or it’s too long. Please try a different name. “

Have tried saving the file with the file name A but still have same issue.

Same error is generated when exporting as a PDF to Dropbox.

Had been working fine until recent update of both iOS, Dropbox and office apps.

No issues creating pdf or saving as different name to other cloud drives and to ipad.

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Sanchez

Hey @Tundragal, welcome to our community!

Can you please make sure that you’ve updated the Microsoft apps on your iPad Pro, and try again?

If you continue to experience the issue, then we should put you in touch with our support team for further investigation. If that’s the case, you can submit a support ticket here, or I can initiate one for you, using the email address associated with your forum profile.

Let me know!

Cheers

All comments

Maple

Hi Malmacdowall,

Can you include a screenshot to the flow that caused this?

Malmacdowall

1. Word for IPAD, select export2. Select PDF3. Choose drop box location4. Error message5. Same message with file name “a”

Malmacdowall

Also, same issue and process when selecting “Save as” ....

Same in excel and PowerPoint.

@Malmacdowall wrote:
1. Word for IPAD, select export2. Select PDF3. Choose drop box location4. Error message5. Same message with file name “a”

Maple

Thanks for the screenshots! I'm able to reproduce this. The flow you're using is specific to Microsoft Word. It's not the Files app and it's not any Dropbox extensions. The error message being shown is from Word, so I would file a bug with Microsoft. It definitely looks like a bug.

While playing with it, I got the same error as you most of the time, but sometimes it did manage to save. Also sometimes when I get the error, the file still got saved to Dropbox, but the contents are missing (file size 0 bytes).

I tried linking a new Dropbox account and was able to save the pdf multiple times without it showing that error. You could try signing out then in of the same Dropbox account from Word. You can unlink the account by going to the home screen in Microsoft Word, and tapping your name in the top left corner, then swiping left on the Dropbox account in the modal that pops up. Then you can add it again with Add a Service in the same modal.

If you have iOS 11 and iPad you should also be able to save into the Files app via the "... More" location. However when I tried that Microsoft Word prompted me to get an Office 365 subscription so I think it is a paid feature.

If you're ok with saving just the docx (and not exporting it to pdf), you can select Send a Copy instead of Export, then select Send with Another App. In the modal that pops up, select Save to Dropbox in the bottom row and that should trigger our Action Extension, allowing you to save the docx into Dropbox (you will need to have the Dropbox app installed and be signed in). You can also optionally select Copy to Dropbox in the top row to actually open the Dropbox app to perform the save.

Peter F.13

I am having the same problem when saving from Word of iOS. The problem first appeared after the ios11.0.1 update. It appears to be specific to dropbox, because I can save the same file to OneDrive using the same filename.

Malmacdowall

Thanks for the feedback. Here’s how i went:

@“Maple wrote:
Thanks for the screenshots! I'm able to reproduce this. The flow you're using is specific to Microsoft Word. It's not the Files app and it's not any Dropbox extensions. The error message being shown is from Word, so I would file a bug with Microsoft. It definitely looks like a bug.”

This is the same response i got from Microsoft’s support engineers. ..... “It works saving to other cloud storage and location? Then its a DROPBOX issue..... better contact them”. What does one do now???

@“Maple wrote:

While playing with it, I got the same error as you most of the time, but sometimes it did manage to save. Also sometimes when I get the error, the file still got saved to Dropbox, but the contents are missing (file size 0 bytes).

I tried linking a new Dropbox account and was able to save the pdf multiple times without it showing that error. You could try signing out then in of the same Dropbox account from Word. You can unlink the account by going to the home screen in Microsoft Word, and tapping your name in the top left corner, then swiping left on the Dropbox account in the modal that pops up. Then you can add it again with Add a Service in the same modal.”

Followed this process but no joy. I receive the same error. Also worth noting i also have had the 0 bytes files created.

@Maple wrote:

If you're ok with saving just the docx (and not exporting it to pdf), you can select Send a Copy instead of Export, then select Send with Another App. In the modal that pops up, select Save to Dropbox in the bottom row and that should trigger our Action Extension, allowing you to save the docx into Dropbox (you will need to have the Dropbox app installed and be signed in). You can also optionally select Copy to Dropbox in the top row to actually open the Dropbox app to perform the save.

Thanks for the workaround. This helps for saving a copy of the file, but doesn’t help me with keeping the latest version on “recent” in the app. Now will have to check drop box then open each time to ensure i have the most recent...

So... Still stuck.... It was working really well... Now it’s NOT and you blame Microsoft and they blame Dropbox....

Any other suggestions?

Maple

Hi Malmacdowall,

I will help you get to the bottom of this.

Word is accessing your Dropbox using our API, not via the iOS app. This could be an API bug, however I am not seeing any API errors from your account, nor mine, that was a result of Word, nor does Word have any interesting errors.

The fact that the file is being created (though with 0 bytes) means that the name is not the issue. If our API is returning an error, the error message Word is displaying does not fully explain the issue. I don't have access to the Word app's code but they do. Can you ask them to look for why they are displaying this error message? What error or response are they receiving from us?

In the meantime I'm going to try going through other teams internally to reach out to Microsoft about this, however this may take a while.

UPDATE: I found our API team that handles the integration with Microsoft and they've identified the error. They're working on a fix and I'll update with a timeline soon. Thanks for the bug report.

This helps for saving a copy of the file, but doesn’t help me with keeping the latest version on “recent” in the app. Now will have to check drop box then open each time to ensure i have the most recent...

What do you mean by "recent"? Do you mean it won't show up in the Recents feed?

jterk

Malmacdowall,

We released the fix for this problem today - please let us know if you encounter any further problems.

-Jason

jmc25

I still get the same types of error messages and I just updated dropbox on my ipad literally a few minutes ago (3:40 pm 10/10).

Cjmmaclaw

As of Jan 16 I am still getting the same error message.

Maple

Hi jmc25,

The bug was a server side one and not related to the Dropbox iOS app.

Maple

Hi Cjmmaclaw,

Does your case look exactly like the screenshots that was provided? Microsoft Word app as well? And the error message “Cannot Save File. That file name wont work because it includes invalid characters or it’s too long. Please try a different name. “?

hale081852

I am using IOS 11.2.2 and am getting the same error.

Maple

Hi hale081852,

What is the exact error message you're getting? Can you share a screenshot?

misterDB

I have the exact same problem after upgrading to new IOS.

error message:

"can not save file"

office can not save a copy of the file just now. try again later (translated from my local language error msg)

Maple

Hi misterDB,

Can you share some screenshots of the flow that gives the error?

Juliemelbourn1

I’m still having problems amending and saving word docs in my Drop Box on my phone. If the problem has been fixed is there something I need to do now? Thank you

Opedrosa

This happens if I create a new file and try to save it to Dropbox. I have a similar problem when I try to save a Word or Excel file into Dropbox.

This happens if I open a file from an email and try to save it. It creates the file but I get the yellow message and later cant open it again.

MD17

Hi, I'm having the same problem described. Have anyone find a solution? Thank you in advance!

Sanchez

Hey @MD17, welcome to our community!

The latest word on this issue is that our team is investigating with the Microsoft folks. I suggest that you log a support ticket here, so that our team can keep track of your case, and notify you of any updates.

Cheers!

PriyaKB

I’m also having the same issue when trying to work on Microsoft Word on my iPad, saving to Dropbox. The file will work fine when I use a desktop, but then when I try to open the same file using the Word iPad app, I get a message “can’t upload - something is wrong and changes can’t be upload” and it prompts me to save a copy. I don’t want to save a new copy every time I want to save a file.

Similar to other users, when I try to export from Word as a PDF, the file saves but is 0 bytes.

I submitted a ticket but also wanted to add to this forum.

Sanchez

Hey @PriyaKB, welcome to our forum!

I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been affected by this too, but I’m glad that you posted about it here. Since you have submitted a support ticket, our team will be able to notify you directly when there’s an update on this issue.

Cheers :slight_smile:

vonLein

Adding a brief note to say that I’ve been struggling with this same issue since late February. I can rename the file in Dropbox and then “save a copy” with the original name in the same place from Word, but I can’t overwrite the original file from Word and the auto-save/upload does not work. I suspect a permissions issue related to overwriting the file somehow?

MiamiTerri

I am having same/similar problem. My error message is in a yellow ribbon/bar across the top of the document: “Can’t upload - Something’s wrong and your changes can’t be uploaded. Save File Copy”

I cannot save a file copy even if I change the file name. I get an error message “Cannot Save File”

Hoping for a solution SOON.

Hforbis

I have also been having this same problem for some time. Affects most of the work I have tried to use my iPad to replace my laptop with -- PowerPoint, Word, Excel. Very frustrating.

ShepNeil56

Well I have the latest APP 88.2 (which was only updated this morning) and exactly the same problem occurred today. I opened a Word document received via email. It saved to my Dropbox file OK and I made a couple of edits and then the “Cannot upload file” message occurred so to save my changes I had to save it under a different name.

MD17

Well, today finally it works ! Hope it will last

Me8742

I always used to download to Dropbox - bills I’d been sent accounts etc on my iPad . This no longer works. - Haven’t checked on my iMac - The file that downloads is gibberish.

BUT I can download to the new Files app on my iPad - maybe Apple has done something to make downloading to Dropbox unworkable.

photos from Safari still works okay.

GloriP

I have done that. I have a dropbox paid account, cannot use another one.

GloriP

Your solution to export etc is messy. It is a lot of work.