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Drop Box Files Opening in New Tab

I have been using Dropbox for a few years now and always when I click on a word document it will ask... "Open With" Then there is a drop-down list and I am able to choose Microsoft Word Online. It has always opened up in the same tab in my browser until around June 11th, 2019 all of a sudden it started opening in a new tab on my Chrome Browser.
I want it to go back to it opening on the same tab and am unsure how to find this setting?

Please help and let me know step by step how If I click on a word document or an excel file in my dropbox files I can get it to open in the same tab and not open in a new tab.
Thank you in advance...

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Comments

Walter

Hey there @ValerieV - how are you today?

As there isn't an option to change this since it's the default way to open this kind of files at the moment, I wanted to thank you for this feedback Valerie.

We are always looking for user input regarding our website so I'll make sure your comments are passed along to our dev team for future consideration.

In the meantime, you'll need to open those files on new, separate browser window to work on them through Microsoft Word Online.

Let me know if you have anything to add or ask, I'll be happy to follow up.

ValerieV

Wait a minute... those files always opened up in the same tab up until last week.. Please tell me what changed? Where in the settings can we change it back?

You wrote it is the default setting... how can I get back to the default setting of last week?

How did this change? Please don't give me a macro automated response from your database, there has to be a way to set it back to the way it was last week.

Thank you again in advance.

Walter

Thanks for the swift response Valerie.

Let me ask around and I'll get back to you once I have an update.

If you have any more questions in the meantime, please let me know.

ValerieV

Hello Walter,

Just checking in to see if you were able to find an answer to my question?
Where in the settings can I set my preferences to open a Word Doc or Excel Doc to open with Microsoft online and open in the same tab I am on, and not in a new tab?

Looking forward to your response.

ValerieV

Walter

Thanks for your patience Valerie!

I just heard back from the team and this is actually expected as there was a change in behavior recently. Files you access via the 'Open With' button, will now open on a new browser window so you can still have the file's preview on one tab and work on the file(s) in question on a separate tab.

In any case, I'll pass your comments on to our team as feedback to let them know where our users stand about this change.

If there's anything else I can do to help from my end, do let me know please.

ValerieV

Yes please pass this on because while it may benefit some, based on my work it creates an issue.
At least in the preferences, we should have an option to set it at whatever setting works for the way we use it.
The way the default setting is right now creates a mess as I have 3 dropbox tabs open at once and use them for different things while doing my daily work. My coworkers are having the same issue. Since last week when doing my work after each client I work on I have 6-8 tabs open when I am done. I do 50 clients a week and this has become a lot of extra work and unnecessary turning off and on of the tabs.

Totally uncool not to give us an option....everyone works differently and you completely did not take this into account nor care to offer the option to your subscribers who actually use this application.

I hope you will consider offering a settings preference as I am sure it is a simple code to put in just as it was simple for you to change the default.

Regards,

ValerieV

Walter

Thanks for providing us with your usecase Valerie - most appreciated!

As we're always looking for our users' input regarding our website and how we could improve our services, I will make sure your comments are passed along to our dev team.

Should you ever come up with a Dropbox question or issue, please feel free to let us know.

Have a lovely day!

pcottingham

You all at Dropbox need to please LISTEN and make it an option to change this setting back. I HATE using Dropbox now because it is impossible to be productive when every time I want to work with a spreadsheet it opens in a new tab. I did not change this setting so why is it changed? Is this from a Dropbox update? As paying users we should have the option to open files in the same tab. Please DO NOT give me the same canned response that you keep giving to ValerieV (post above).

Walter

I appreciate you took the time to let me know where you stand on this one @pcottingham.

At this point, allow me to re-iterate that this is indeed the expected behavior moving forward as there was a change in this quite recently.

From now on, files you access via the 'Open With' button open on a new browser window. In this way, you'll be able to have the file's preview on one tab and work on the file(s) in question on a separate tab.

I know it's not the answer you were looking for but I hope it clarifies matters.

On a side note, I found your existing ticket on our system too and passed your comments there so we can keep all the relevant information under the same place.

If there's anything else I can assist with, please let me know.

rmeder

I have to agree with this. It is incredibly frustrating to have to bounce between tabs in Quickbooks On Line and viewing a document on another tab, in this case MS Edge.

The reason that I have two large monitors on my computer is so I can look at a document on one screen and enter data on another. Now, I have to look at the document, remember the invoice number, go to QB, enter that, back to the doc, enter the amount, etc...

This sounds like the folks coding at Dropbox took advantage of features in MS Edge, Chrome, etc., and thought it would be a better user experience and missed.

EDIT: OK, there is a work around in Edge - open a document and then drag that tab to a new session. Subsequently opened docs will go to that window. Please note that this is, at best, a "B-" solution to the problem.

MikeAFCanton

I did the business trial, but did not buy and I have cancelled/disbanded the trial. Once we started the trial every time we oped a file it would open in a new chrome tab and in its native format, i.e. in Excel. Now that I have cancelled the trial we are still having this issue. I want Dropbox to work like it did before the business trial.

PS - you make it so hard for your customers to fix issues that we are looking to move to Google Drive....

Daphne

Hey there @MikeAFCanton,

Just as a side note, I've merged your post here as it pertains to the same subject.

What you described there about the files opening in a new tab isn't related to the Business trial you tried, as it's the expected behaviour after some recent changes.

However I'd just like to clarify, if the file is opening right away in the appropriate program rather than previewing through the Dropbox website, then you can change this setting from your Connected apps settings here. In the section "Default editing apps", you can change the option "Open with" to view on dropbox.com instead of directly within the app.

I hope this helps to clarify the matter - Thanks