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I only seem to have read-only rights to my files on the Win11 Dropbox app

This has been mentioned before, but none of the "solutions" provided are working for me. I'm running Windows 11, and have installed the Dropbox Desktop app, both from the app store and the offline installer (uninstalled and restarted between), but I still can't open any of my Dropbox files as anything but "Read-only". I've tried going to properties and unchecking "read-only", but it just comes back when I open properties again. I tried changing properties as an administrator, also with no change.

Dropbox desktop is useless if you can't read AND WRITE to the files. How do I fix this?

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Nancy

Thanks for posting this here, @MrsBearshark.

As a first step, can you send me a screenshot of what you see when opening a file on your Dropbox app to edit it?

Also, what’s your Dropbox app’s syncing status and app version?

Let me know, and we’ll go from there.

MrsBearshark

I installed Dropbox today, so it’s the latest version. The error I get is “this file is read only, would you like to open as read only?”

MrsBearshark

I’m not sure how to check the syncing status since there’s no way to actually open the Dropbox app and look at anything once you’ve set up a folder.

Nancy

If you look at your computer’s system tray, can you see a small Dropbox icon (close to your clock settings)? If you click on it, it should mention the current syncing status at the bottom.

Other than that, if you open your local Dropbox folder, do you see any syncing icons next to your files? If yes, I’d like to know what type of icon it is that you see next to one of the read-only files.

Feel free to upload a screenshot here, as well. You can click on the small camera icon above your message box, to attach it to this thread.

MrsBearshark

Here's a screenshot for you. There is no dropbox icon on my system tray. Some files show a green checkmark next to them in the Dropbox folder, others show the cloud icon. Regardless of how many times I de-select it, the "Read-Only" option in the properties remains.

MrsBearshark

Here is the error that I get when opening an AutoCAD file from the Dropbox folder on my computer.

MrsBearshark

When I check the properties for that file, it says the location is "Archive Root Directory"

Whereas if I check the properties for other files in my Dropbox folder that allow me to edit them, the location shows up as the Dropbox folder on my computer.

File that opens read-only:

File that opens editable:

Nancy

Thanks for the screenshots! If you click on the small arrow instead that appears in your system tray, can you see the Dropbox icon then?

Also, the files that you’re unable to edit, are they shared with any other Dropbox users, by any chance, or are they personal files?

MrsBearshark

No, there is no Dropbox icon if I expand the arrow on my system tray. As far as I can tell, there is no way to access anything that provides any kind of settings for dropbox other than right clicking on the Dropbox folder, which has very limited options.

The files are shared with me, they are not my original files.

Megan

Hey @MrsBearshark, would you be able to uninstall, and then re-install the app and give me a heads up once that's done?

MrsBearshark

I already did that several times. As mentioned in my original post. I uninstalled and reinstalled, including reinstalling from the offline installer as suggested in another thread. No change any of the times I reinstalled.

Hannah

Hey @MrsBearshark, hi from me as well.

Megan suggested uninstalling and reinstalling the app, as this should help bring back the Dropbox icon the system tray that you're currently missing.

If the Dropbox icon is missing, that's an indication that the app isn't working correctly.

So, can you check if the Dropbox icon comes back after you uninstall Dropbox, restart your computer and then reinstall it?

If it does come back, please hover over it with your mouse and let us know what you see.

MrsBearshark

The icon does not come back to matter how many times I uninstall and reinstall.

Hannah

Hmm, thanks, @MrsBearshark.

In that case, please try a more advanced reinstall of the app and let me know how it goes.

DBoxTips

Hello MrsBearshark,

Based on the screenshots, the reason why that DWG file appears read-only is because you are trying to open it from the ZIP archive file that contains it. Due to Windows having built-in support for browsing the contents of ZIP archives in Windows Explorer, it makes it appear as if that were a folder.

That also explains why the location of files that you see as read-only is “(Archive Root Directory)”. Because you are not opening the DWG file from an actual folder (directory), but from the ZIP file that Windows presents the contents of as read-only virtual folders.

The reason why those files are shown as read-only is because Windows has support for reading and browsing ZIP files in Windows Explorer, but not for editing them. Editing them would require extracting the contents of the ZIP file into an actual folder.

Hope this helps.

Andrew (DBoxTips)

MrsBearshark

I am not opening from a ZIP file. There are files in these folders that are ZIPed, but the ones I'm trying to open and having issues with are not. They are the full, extracted files.

DBoxTips

I agree I could be completely wrong since I don't have the full context that you have by accessing your computer. I am just trying to help based on the information you provided:

@MrsBearshark wrote:
When I check the properties for that file, it says the location is "Archive Root Directory"

Your screenshot suggests that file 2024-03-27 Topaz Rev03.dwg has been opened from "2024-03-27 Topaz Rev03 - Standard.zip". In order to open it when you double-click it, Windows Explorer temporarily extracted the .dwg file to a Windows user temporary folder (highlighted by the red rectangle in the screenshot above). In case the file were fully extracted in the Dropbox folder, the location in the screenshot above would have been a path inside the Dropbox folder, as opposed to one in the user temporary folder.

From your screenshot it appears that Windows 11 is being used. Please keep in mind that in Windows 11 the visual distinction between a regular file folder and a compressed (zipped) folder is very subtle, so it can lead to this kind of confusion.

One way to make sure that you are dealing with a regular file folder and not a compressed (zipped) folder is to look at the folder icon in Windows Explorer.

It should look like this:

instead of this:

If you could send a screenshot of one of the folders where files that experience the read-only behavior are located, as seen in Windows Explorer (so that the folder icon would be visible), it could help with figuring this out.

Thanks,

Andrew (DBoxTips)

MrsBearshark

I get your point and understand the difference between ZIPed and unZIPed files, but the folder I'm in and the file I'm opening do not have the ZIPed graphic, nor are they in a ZIP folder unless my computer if viewing Dropbox as a ZIPed folder.

MrsBearshark

I asked the owner of the original files I was having trouble with to re-upload, and it seems to be working now. However, the settings for my Dropbox folder still show up as "read only" and I still don't have a Dropbox icon or any way to access settings for the Dropbox app, only for the folder.

Hannah

Happy Monday, @MrsBearshark!

Did you get a chance to try the advanced reinstall steps I linked in my previous reply?