Child Item

How do I upload a file to someone else's Dropbox account?

I need to upload a file to the Dropbox of another user. I did not have an account, but in the process of trying to do this, I opened one. The other user sent me a link to his Dropbox, but I don't think it was an actual "request" for files-- it says I have the right to edit his folder. I have tried to upload my file from a flash drive to his folder about 15 times. Each time, the screen says the file is "uploading" and there is a bar showing the progress--but then the entire thing disappears and the folder is still empty.

Questions:

(1) is this because he did not send me a file request, but just a link that gives me access to edit files in his Dropbox?

(2) is this because my own account does not have enough space for the large file?

(3) something else? This is very frustrating and I am about to give up and just make a copy of the file onto another flash drive and put it in the mail.

Find more posts tagged with

Sync

Upload

Developer

Closed - Partially Delivered

Accepted answers

Rich

@joannasm wrote:
I need to upload a file to the Dropbox of another user. I did not have an account, but in the process of trying to do this, I opened one. The other user sent me a link to his Dropbox, but I don't think it was an actual "request" for files-- it says I have the right to edit his folder. I have tried to upload my file from a flash drive to his folder about 15 times. Each time, the screen says the file is "uploading" and there is a bar showing the progress--but then the entire thing disappears and the folder is still empty.

Questions:

(1) is this because he did not send me a file request, but just a link that gives me access to edit files in his Dropbox?

(2) is this because my own account does not have enough space for the large file?

(3) something else? This is very frustrating and I am about to give up and just make a copy of the file onto another flash drive and put it in the mail.

1) No. You can join and add files to a shared folder, though you need an account to do it (which you said you have).

2) That depends. How large is the file? You are limited to the amount of space in your account, event when uploading to someone else's shared folder.

3) We need more details...

Basically, if they shared a folder with you, you can upload files into it up to the limit of your own space. To send them a file that's larger than your space, just have them send you a File Request instead. You don't need an account to send a file through a request. If they're a Basic user, there's a 2GB limit files sent through a request.

All comments

Rich

@joannasm wrote:
I need to upload a file to the Dropbox of another user. I did not have an account, but in the process of trying to do this, I opened one. The other user sent me a link to his Dropbox, but I don't think it was an actual "request" for files-- it says I have the right to edit his folder. I have tried to upload my file from a flash drive to his folder about 15 times. Each time, the screen says the file is "uploading" and there is a bar showing the progress--but then the entire thing disappears and the folder is still empty.

Questions:

(1) is this because he did not send me a file request, but just a link that gives me access to edit files in his Dropbox?

(2) is this because my own account does not have enough space for the large file?

(3) something else? This is very frustrating and I am about to give up and just make a copy of the file onto another flash drive and put it in the mail.

1) No. You can join and add files to a shared folder, though you need an account to do it (which you said you have).

2) That depends. How large is the file? You are limited to the amount of space in your account, event when uploading to someone else's shared folder.

3) We need more details...

RichardF

Hi. I'm a new Dropbox user. I need, on a regular basis, to deliver a file into someone else's dropbox account. Not large in size, around MB.

This is not about creating an intermediate Dropbox folder, to which we would both have access.

Nor, is it about giving them access to my Dropbox account.

It needs to be push mode, ie, I will need to put the file into a folder, within their account, myself.

Their account is passworded, but I have the password

I have a Dropbox account myself, currently the basic (free) type.

Can anybody clarify how to do this, ie, copy (aka upload) a file from my account straight into theirs ?

Or, would it be just as easy to upload from my PC, straight into their account ?

Thanks, Richard

Walter

Hey @RichardF - thanks for joining the discussion here.

If you choose to go with Rich's suggestion and have our collaborator open up a file request from their end, then yes, you'll be able to upload files to their account directly from your computer.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

joeguzzardo

Dropbox Support and the Community apparently do not have an answer to:

"How does a paying Dropbox user UPLOAD a simple file to my own Dropbox root or any folder I own and have access?"

NO ONE CAN or WILL ANSWER.

So, good luck..

"How does a paying Dropbox user UPLOAD a simple file to a Dropbox folder for which a colleague shared via a link?"

YES, I have been downloading, viewing, modifying all of his files and folders for years from a colleague's Dropbox who shared the link.

HOWEVER, there is NO BUTTON, or EXECUTABLE command or anything on the Web interface here for me to UPLOAD or SHARE anything other than a stupid ass link.

I am a paying user and he is a paying user, but nobody seems to ever answer this silly question:

"HOW do I upload a file to a shared Dropbox folder?"

AND NO, I'm not going to sit down and attempt to read 1,793 pages of some "Dropbox User's Manual" or "Getting Started"...

The first few pages were all about how if I upgraded my subscription, that I could fly to the moon for $100,000 upgrade.

No thanks..

My suggestion is that frustrated users like me simply close their account with Dropbox and use one of the 100 other MORE RELIABLE, LESS KLUNKY, LESS SPAM Marketing barrages. For me, I chose a business class product, which is what I'll use (Citrix Sharefile) and a link to my colleague to come and download the two little Microsoft Office files I have for him/them.

What a pain in the ass...

Slow to react / respond.

Good luck, Richard. I hope you ultimately get an answer that's simpler than someone who wants to instruct you how to write code to customize and modify Dropbox and spend the next 20 years of your life simply uploading/sharing a file with a Dropbox user.

gsegallis

So my church pays for 9 TB. They have lots of folders and lot of people that take pictures for them. But I can only upload 2 GB (cumulative over years) to THEIR 9 TB Dropbox because I only have 2 GB of storage? That is the worst business model I have seen as a semi-pro photographer.

Sounds like a workaround may be for them to only share a single folder with me (rather than each event I shoot), and they will then have to move the files out of this temporary "transfer" folder, that way I never have more than 2GB of "shared" files on their 9 TB Dropbox?

Or even easier, switch them to a more professional storage option that allows any number of contributors to upload content up to the limit of the storage the church pays for (which would seem like a common sense approach)

Hannah

Hey @gsegallis, thanks for taking the time to post your feedback.

To give some additional info on this, sharing a folder with someone doesn't mean that you're sharing your account's space with them; shared folders take up space in each member's account.

In your case, your church can send you a file request, which will not affect your own Dropbox quota at all.

I hope this helps.