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Sharing one file with a person gives them access to all my files and folders?

So I just now realized that sharing one file with a person gives them access to all my files and folders including deleted files?

I uploaded a file and set it's access to 'only me'. Lets say I want to share that one file with someone by clicking the 'copy link button' and sending it to them. All they have to do is click the little 'info' (...) buttons next to the file and it shows the whole hierarchy of folders in my dropbox.

Why is this a feature? Is there a way to lock access to folders and keep people from rummaging around at will?

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Accepted answers

Rich

@segoi3d wrote:
All they have to do is click the little 'info' (...) buttons next to the file and it shows the whole hierarchy of folders in my dropbox.

No, it doesn't. YOU see that when you're testing a link because you're signed in to Dropbox and Dropbox knows it's you, so you see your entire account. Anyone else accessing the link will see only the specific file or folder that it links to.

To test this yourself, make sure you're signed out of the Dropbox site when you open the link. Use an incognito or private browsing session to be sure.

All comments

Rich

@segoi3d wrote:
All they have to do is click the little 'info' (...) buttons next to the file and it shows the whole hierarchy of folders in my dropbox.

To test this yourself, make sure you're signed out of the Dropbox site when you open the link. Use an incognito or private browsing session to be sure.

segoi3d

Thanks. Sorry my mistake. Can you delete this post?

FourRivers

I seem to be having this issue as well. So I sent a link to a totally different email to see what that person could see, and the whole dropbox was viewable from a shared 'folder link'. From what I have found today, since I am not an Admin on the Business Account at the company I work for, this can happen? Can only the Admin share files? There's no way that the person opening the emailed link on the other end should have been able to see all files when only one folder (that also had folders within it, which was fine) link was sent. The Dropbox Help Center states: "Team folders can only be created by an admin." Does this mean that if a "member" attempts to share a link that it isn't emailable, or does it mean the link defaults to sending the entire dropbox directory of files?

Thank you for your help. I've only been using this account for 3 months.

Mark

@FourRivers even though you sent it to a different email address that is almost immaterial in regards to what @Rich said above. If the person you sent it to opens the link on a device they, or you, are logged in on then you see it as though its your account. Dropbox knows and detects you are opening it on a device that you are a user of and as such shows you that.

To show that it only shows what is sent out copy and paste the link in to an incognito window without logging in.

FourRivers

Thank you, Mark. Can you tell me then, whether or not I, as a member in my team, can share a link to a folder with files the same as the Admin can? In my case, the Admin is on leave for a few weeks, so although I do have the login for Admin, I wouldn't make any changes to the account. I'm just not clear on what it means when only the "Admin" can share files in a folder? Thank you!

Mark

That very much depends upon what settings your admin has set I'm afraid @FourRivers - some Teams are restricted from sharing and some are not