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Dropbox changed my sharing link with the same file name!! Can I add a file to an old dropbox link?

BNC_2022

Hi There, I'm hoping someone can help with this issue.

I uploaded a dropbox link to an awards entry portal. It's a link to a video. Just before the deadline, I updated the file in my Dropbox. The same name. I just dropped it into the folder on my desktop and presumed the shared link would not change.

I've just checked my entry (which cannot be edited) and the link I submitted says 'file has been deleted'. When I create a shared link from the updated file, it's a different link!!!

I always thought the link would not change if the file name did not change.

My question now is.

Can I somehow add the updated file to the old Dropbox link. i.e. the link that says 'file has been deleted'??

I would greatly appreciate any help on this. A lot of work went into the file.

PS I've already contacted the awards people to request that my links are updated. But they may refuse.

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DocMolly

Hello,

I think what he is trying to explain is exactly what happened to me above. When you use the dropbox desktop app on your computer to replace a file with the same name, it deletes the LINK, thereby breaking the link which you may have already shared publicly in multiple places. Big headache.

This never used to happen, but with recent Mac OS updates it happens quite frequently. Therefore, now I only replace files in Dropbox via my browser, never on the desktop app. This ensures the link remains intact and only the file changes.

Molly

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BNC_2022

HI There, I'm hoping someone can help with this issue.

I uploaded a dropbox link to an awards entry portal. It's a video link. Just before the deadline, I updated the file in my Dropbox. The same name. I just dropped it in to the folder on my desktop and presumed the shared link would not change.

I've just checked my entry (which cannot be edited) and the link I submitted says 'file has been deleted'. When I create a shared link from the updated file, it's a different link!!!

I always thought the link would not change if the file name changed.

My question now is.

Can I somehow add the updated file to the old Dropbox link. I.e. the link that says 'file has been deleted'??

I would greatly appreciate any help on this. A lot of work went into the file.

PS I've already contacted the awards people to request that my links are updated. But they may refuse.

Hannah

Hey @BNC_2022, thanks for reaching out to our Community.

Would you mind clarifying what happened exactly? Do you mean that you overwrote the file with a different one?

If so, you might want to restore the old version of the file from the version history, to see if that helps.

Let me know how it goes.

DocMolly

Hello,

Molly

BNC_2022

Thanks, DocMolly. That is exactly what happened.

My query now has become: Is it possible to use the old link (I still have a record of the URL) and somehow make it link to the updated file, which has the same name and is in the same place?

I hope this makes sense.

Walter

Hey @BNC_2022, sorry to jump in, but have you tried the walk-around Molly suggested in her response? Namely, did you try updating the file the link points to through a web browser instead of doing it locally on your computer?

BNC_2022

hi All,

I've solved the problem thanks to you all.

I used Dropbox rewind feature to recover the same file from yesterday. Once I did that, the old link then worked again.

I then replaced the file with the new version through the browser... and the link still worked!!!

So happy. Thank you all

Walter

I'm glad to hear it's sorted for you now and thanks for keeping us in the loop too @BNC_2022

See you around and take care!

trongo

What or how exactly is "updating the file the link points to through a web browser instead of doing it locally on your computer"?

Thanks

Megan

Hey @trongo, how are you today?

You can change a file online, such as change the name, or even edit it if you're using an integration such as Microsoft Office.

Of course, if someone is using the app, they can update or edit their files there too.

I hope this clarifies, let me know if you have any questions!

trongo

Hi Megan,
Thank you for your reply.
I do have Microsoft Office 365 with OneDrive. I keep all my DropBox files in the the folder named "DropBox." I can't seem to access or see this folder in OneDrive.
So I don't understand what "using an integration such as Microsoft Office" really means.
Can DropBox see or access my OneDrive folder or OneDrive see or access my DropBox folder? Or they are the 2 separate universes?

The need for changing files of same shared link is so valuable. I am surprise that there is no simple way of doing it for humanity in 2022.

Thanks,

Trong

Hannah

Hey @trongo, how are you today?

Assuming you have the Dropbox application installed on your computer, all you need to do, is open your Dropbox folder, locate the MS Office file you'd like to edit and directly open and edit it with the corresponding Office app.

Any changes you make to the files in your Dropbox folder, will sync to your account online and to any connected devices.

I hope that helps!

trongo

Hi Hannah,
Thanks for your reply.
I can do what you showed. My need is to keep the shared link unchanged that I already shared with my customers. If the shared link of the original file is deleted or still pointed to that original version of the file, then it is a problem for us.
The question is: how to EASILY update or replace a file and keep its share link the same but now points to the new file (not the original file).
Thank you again.
Trong

Rich

@trongo wrote:
The question is: how to EASILY update or replace a file and keep its share link the same but now points to the new file (not the original file).

The EASY answer is just overwrite the existing file without deleting it and the link will remain the same, but it's not as simple as that anymore.

Some applications, while saving a file, will first delete the original file and replace it with the new copy. When this happens, if Dropbox detects the deletion then the share link will change. Only when a file is replaced without deleting the original, will the link remain unchanged.

An easy way to make sure this happens (if saving tends to replace your links) is to save the file elsewhere and then move it into your Dropbox folder replacing the original, or using the Dropbox website to upload it over the original.

trongo

Hi Rich,
Thank you very much for your help.

So you know, between "(1) move it into your Dropbox folder replacing the original, or (2) using the Dropbox website to upload it over the original," only (2) works.

So, that's how I will do it from now.

Great help!
Trong

Rich

@trongo wrote:
So you know, between "(1) move it into your Dropbox folder replacing the original, or (2) using the Dropbox website to upload it over the original," only (2) works.

It seems that (1) still works fine for me. I just replaced an image file by dragging a new copy with the same name into my Dropbox folder, overwriting the original, and the link to the file remained the same. I've also opened that file in Photoshop, edited and re-saved it, and the link remained the same as well.

DocMolly

I had high hopes for the new MacOS version of Dropbox, but unfortunately, the problem persists. When you REPLACE a file on your Mac under Locations > Dropbox by using the same file name as the original, it DELETES, not replaces the original file in Dropbox, and thus breaks the link. Sigh. 😉

Back to only replacing files in Dropbx via the web browser.

trongo

To do what you wish REPLACING THE FILE OF A DROPBOX SHARED LINK:

Do this:

Copy the new file over the old file some place NOT in Dropbox web page
Answer YES when the copy dialog asks: "Do you want to replace the existing file?"
Do not delete the old file and rename the new file to that of the old one

So simple, but it took me some time to realize this. So I want to save you time and frustration.
Cheers!

DocMolly

Hi Trongo,

Copy the new file over the old file some place NOT in Dropbox web page (Not sure what you mean by this. I copy it under Locations > Dropbox on my Mac. When I do this in Drobpox via Web broswer it works great. Just not when I replace file in Dropbox location on Mac.)
Answer YES when the copy dialog asks: "Do you want to replace the existing file?"
Do not delete the old file and rename the new file to that of the old one

That is exactly what I do. I save the file with the exact same name, and when the dialogue comes up "Do you want to replace the existing file?", I click "yes," but despite it saying I "replaced" the file, the original link I shared for that file is broken. This is because the original file is actually deleted in Dropbox, and replaced with a new file with the same name but different link. This is what occurred before, and was the reason I started this thread.

Thanks for trying to help! If you have any further suggestion, I am all ears.

Molly

trongo

Once you delete the file in Dropbox, its file id is gone. Even if you create a new file with the name of the deleted file, it will have new ID. It's the file's ID that is associated with the shared link.

Keep this in mind, every Dropbox file has a file name and a file digital ID.
Change the file name > new file ID
Delete the file > lose file ID
Copy over a file (away from Dropbox) > new file, same old name, same old ID > same shared link
If you deleted a file, the only way to get it back is REWIND (if you have that feature) to the time point before you delete it.

I don't work for Dropbox, but I figured all this by myself after hours of frustration. No one gave me this succinct enlightenment. So I could be totally wrong, but it works for me so far. Use it at your own peril. Cheers!

trongo

DocMolly

Hi Trongo,

Yes, I understand everything you outlined, and I was doing the following:

Copy over a file (away from Dropbox) > new file, same old name, same old ID > same shared link

I never deleted the file. I replaced the file under the same name. However, yesterday it was not preserving the shared link. When I asked Dropbox through a support chat they responded with the following:

"Allow me to explain, when this is done on your Mac, since the system reads the same name, it gives you the option to replace the original file with that same name. If you select that option, you replace the newer file with the older file and in the process deleting the link, since the older file is removed and replaced with the newer one."

They said it is expected behavior that when you replace a file, it will destroy the link. Well, that is not the most convenient "expected" behavior and not how it works when using Dropbox within my browser.

HOWEVER, today I have followed the exact same steps as yesterday and now it is working.

I save the file with the exact same name under Locations > Dropbox in my Mac. When asked if I want to replace it, I click "yes" and the shareble link is preserved. Yay!!!

Problem resolved, as long as it continues to work as above.

Michael G.11

Uploading a file to Dropbox via a browser works for me too--the link to the original file is applied to the replacement file. If the file has the same name as the one you want to replace, Dropbox overwrites it without warning, which is what I wanted to happen anyway.

If instead you upload the replacement file with a different filename, and then rename it in the web browser, Dropbox will not overwrite it, but will append a (1) to the filename. Not what you want! So first navigate to the folder location of the file you want to replace, and under the search field at the top of the page select upload (or click the 3 vertical dots) and choose the file from your computer that is named exactly the same as the file you want to replace. Then the link from the old file will now work to download the new file (at least that works for me as of 2024-04-16)

To avoid the hassle of uploading the replacement file in the web browser, link a folder that the file is inside of, instead of linking the file itself. Then it won't matter what files you put inside of the folder - the folder will contain whatever files are present at the time someone uses the folder link.

Last hint: I always change the end of the Dropbox link to <=1> instead of <=0> (not including those <> brackets). Then the linked item will download immediately instead of someone having to visit a Dropbox web page.