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Am suddenly unable to preview my stored (and newly uploaded) VIDEO files

When I try to view one of my video files (by clicking on the initial, still frame), the proper audio plays, but the screen goes blank (white), and no video plays. Happens with long-existing, and previously viewed, files as well as files just uploaded from (and functioning properly with Quick Time on) my computer. Also happens regardless of trying to view from within Dropbox or by clicking a copied link after having logged out of Dropbox.

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Mark

Dropbox website just previews them. If they don't display correctly download the whole file locally and watch it that way

JDB-1

Mark (and All): Thank you for the suggestion, however:

The videos already are on my computer (I uploaded them to Dropbox from there) and they all function properly there
I need the videos to function properly on the Dropbox website so that I can share them with large groups of people simply by sending a link (the video files are too large to send through email)
I have never before had a problem viewing video files on the Dropbox website, or having others view those same files by sending links to them. This is a problem that I'm encountering for the first time after having used Dropbox for several years

If you or anyone else has any other thoughts on the matter, I'd appreciate hearing them.

JDB-1

Mark (and All): This is still JDB-1. I just wanted to add that when I do download the video files, which I can't view on the Dropbox website, they play properly on my computer.

Hannah

Sorry to see that you're having this issue, @JDB-1.

If you try from a different browser or a private browsing/incognito window, what do you see?

JDB-1

Thank you, Hannah.

I have been using Safari (non-private windows) for years with Dropbox videos and have never had this problem. That said, when I go to the Dropbox website in a private Safari window, the video plays properly. The same is true when I use Chrome. However, whether in a private Safaria window or Chrome, when I create and copy a link to the video in an email (which is what I've always done, and want to do, to send videos to people), and click the link (with my default browser set to Safari), I only get the audio again. When I copy and paste the link into the URL window of Chrome, the video plays properly. But, copying and pasting it into a private Safari URL window, it does not. It only plays the audio again.

Hannah

Thanks for the additional info, @JDB-1.

Sounds like a Safari issue, then. Can you try clearing Safari's cache, to see if that helps?

JDB-1

Hannah,

I cleared Safari's cache (I think) by clicking on "Empty Caches" under the "Develop" pull-down menu. I'm not sure it worked, because Safari gave no indication that the caches had been cleared. Also, I deleted all search history and quit Safari, restarted my computer, and restarted Safari.

I have 3 different types of video files (that I know of) stored on Dropbox: ".mov," ".mv4," and ".avi." For some reason, after restarting, I first clicked on the .avi video file (within a non-private search window), and it played properly (both audio and video). But, when I tried it again, I only got the audio. And, it was audio-only for all the other video files I tried too. When I logged into Dropbox inside a private Safari window, I got audio-only for everything I tried. And, for some reason, I'm unable to log onto Dropbox now from Chrome. So, things seem to have gone downhill!

I appreciate your suggestions, but is there any way I can get live help (from you or another qualified Dropbox tech-support person) over the phone for this issue? Not only is this seemingly heading in the wrong direction, but it's doing so over a period of days, which is really having an impact on my ability to make use of Dropbox.

Thanks

Hannah

Thanks for the update, @JDB-1.

Your support options actually depend on the Dropbox plan you're on.

If you're on a paid subscription, you can use our live support options through this page.

Our support team should be able to assist you with your issue more directly.

Once you reach out to them, make sure to also send us your ticket number here as well.