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I cannot see PDF documents in a folder accessed via Shared link unless I recreate the link

I have a table in Excel where Users enter data and then also enter a Dropbox link (accessible by anyone) to Shared Folders to which we Users all have access. The Shared Folders each contain several image files and at least one PDF. This Excel file is used to create a GIS data layer whose attribute table also includes the Dropbox link.

When followed from the GIS (online or local) OR from Excel later on, all I can see are the images, unless I re-copy and re-paste the link. THEN I can see the PDFs. Not always the first time, either.

What's up? Why is this happening and how can I fix it?

One more thing...so far, I am the only one who has added the links...so it's not a sharing issue amongst the group.

Thanks in advance!

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Jay

Hi there, when you’re opening the shared link, what browser is opening up for you to view the images? Is it opening within Excel?

Could you try switching browsers to see if this helps? Otherwise, use incognito/private browsing mode without any extensions running, clearing your cache and even resetting your browser entirely.

Let me know how it goes!

dshaffer723

Hi, Jay.

Chrome is my default browser. Ad Blocker Plus and Pocket are my only Add-Ins. HTML5 is disabled. None of that should matter, I think.

Same issue in Firefox, with no extensions. I don't have Safari, but it doesn't matter as most of our ultimate client users are on PCs.

The links work properly in Chrome once I reset them within the final application. And they persist. I created and fixed a set a month ago that still work. However, when I overwrite them with new and additional data (but identical links to the Dropbox folders), once again, I cannot see the PDF files until I re-copy and re-paste the links into the table one-by-one. I may eventualy have hundreds or over a thousand links to separate folders with updates added every week, so repeating this process again and again isn't realistic.

Any additional help is appreciated!

dshaffer723

Also note...those links that DO work (where I can see the PDF upon following the link) change from what is entered in the link field (and what initially appears in the browser address bar) to a different link path. Those that do not work don't change. See below for the initial and resulting link addresses for one that DOES allow me to see the PDFs.

Initial:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8hyjz7fb2323423324t/AACUsdfsdhddP_9kda?dl=0

Resulting:
https://www.dropbox.com/home/testfiles/20tn/Win

I am sure this is significant. It may have to do with where/on what machine the PDF was created (minve vs someone elses...I didn't create several of the PDFs).

Hope this helps!

Daniel

dshaffer723

And finally...following both links above allows YOU to see the PDFs. Me too, from here. Not from Excel or ArcGIS Online...where it matters.

Jay

Thanks for the links and images. I’ve edited the links to random ones, and removed the images for your own privacy, since editing out the private details would make little sense to anyone else.

Regarding your query, from the screenshot, the shared link doesn’t seem to point to the same location that you have on the folder you have in Explorer. The name of the folder in the first image doesn’t match that of the title in the shared link.

To clarify this (and changing names), 201710103 - Test Creek1 is the folder name, but the shared link title shows up as Test Creek-1, and thus why the PDF in Explorer isn’t on the site since these are different folders.

Additionally, I’m not seeing any sync icons on your files in Explorer, so it’s possible this might not be in your Dropbox folder. Perhaps the app isn’t running as well.

Secondly, when you open a link like dropbox.com/sh/0931240ndgaion?dl=0 and in your browser it resolves to dropbox.com/home/testfiles, then this is because you’re logged into your Dropbox account.

The Dropbox site knows that you’re logged into the same account that created the shared link, so instead of opening the link, and using up your daily bandwidth to view and download your files, it takes you to the internal folder as it appears on your Dropbox account.

For me, the second link didn’t work, unless I miraculously had the exact same folder and file path on my own Dropbox account, since it is referring to the file on your own account.

Try accessing the shared link from an incognito window, or while not logged in. From the sounds of it, people can’t access the shared link, which could be due to permission settings on the link itself.

Let me know how it goes!

dshaffer723

Jay, I still have not figured out why the links are different. They ARE to the same folder, on my machine and DB web, (which have the same files, as they should) and DB is running, as it MUST be for me to create a Dropbox Link. With regard to syncing icons, they sometimes don't show up. I recall seeing that this is sometimes and issue and think I applied the fix, but it's been a while and I cannot remember.

I did turn off DB and use Incognito mode. That did seem to take me to the folders and show me the PDF...at least with the shorter, "correct" links. But I guess my real question is why the longer ones are being generated in the first place. I get the Home reference idea...that DB will try to save bandwidth...that's clever and makes sense. So at least I understand what is happening. Why is still an open question.

Thanks for the privacy concerns. Those folders are available for several thousand people to view, or whomever is interested really, so it's not a big deal if people see the images. Our understanding is that potential viewers cannot travel "up" the file/folder tree from a folder accessed by a shared link and can only see what we show them in that shared folder and "below". If we are incorrect in that, please let me know!

Hope you're enjoying yoru weekend.

Jay

Could you clarify if the shorter links you’re referring to are the shared links themselves? Namely, https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8hyjz7fb2323423324t/AACUsdfsdhddP_9kda?dl=0, as in the example above.

Only those links can be accessed by people not logged into your Dropbox account. The other links, https://www.dropbox.com/home/testfiles/20tn/Win, can only be accessed by you.

Since you mentioned you created the shared link from your Windows machine, could you try creating the shared link from the Dropbox site instead?

Regarding your last query, it isn’t possible to go above the ‘parent’ folder of the shared link.

Keep me posted!