Child Item

I get an error "this operation isn't permitted" when moving folders

I am trying to move folders from my original personal dropbox account to the new team dropbox folder I created. I am a Pro user.

The first few folders copied without incident. However, a couple more that I want to move won't,. I simply get an error, "This operation isn't permitted."

What is not permitted about this, and why did the original folder moves go without incident. I don't believe I am over my TB limit.

PROLOGUE: On a whim, I was able to move the folders by copying them to my desktop, then copying them from there into Dropbox. So, I got my mission accomplished. But I am still curious about why "permission" was not granted.

Find more posts tagged with

Setting Up the Apps

Desktop

Error Messages

Spam

Insightful

AcceptAnswer

Accepted answers

dolphin66

I created a dropbox account for 1 purpose only and therefore I am very much a newbie. I am not familiar with much of dropbox, account types, terminology, so sorry if this ends up being off topic.

I experienced this error and discovered the solution for my situation.

I save a bunch of files, with dates in the names of the files. I later created folders named after the years, "2015", "2016", "2017". Within each year folder, I created month folders, "1", "2", ... , "12". Displaying my files from the "root", I see "2015", "2016", "2017", and all the individual files. I selected the first file for Jan 2015 (checkboxed the first file for Jan 2015) and SHIFT clicked the last file for Jan 2015. I see this last file and the ones above (that are visible on the screen) get checked. I assume I've selected all my Jan 2015 files. I then move them, using the MOVE menu item, and get the "this operation isn't permitted" message. It's because the UI dropbox as implemented is braindead, in my opinion. It looks like a fairly standard file UI, but isn't. SHIFT clicking the last Jan 2015 file selected EVERYTHING above it, not just between my clicked and SHIFT clicked items. So, I had selected all my Jan 2015 files AND the folders 2015, 2016, and 2017. The error message makes sense, I'm not allowed to put the folder 2015 into a folder which is a subfolder of 2015. The terse error message that tells you very little and the BAD UI (IMHO) combine to give this error that you cannot understand. When I manually clicked all the Feb 2015 files (there were just a couple), the move worked just fine.

So, to use this UI, unlike any other UI of which I'm familiar, you have to do something like:

- SHIFT click the last file for Jan 2015

- Unclick the folders 2015, 2016, 2017

- Then move the files to their destination.

All comments

Mark

They weren't 'special' folders like Camera Uploads or Public were they?

Tim S.51

No, these were ordinary file folders I created containing business documents.

Mark

Shared folders?

Otherwise I'm clutching at straws I'm afraid

Tim S.51

The folders themselves aren't shared, but I don't that's the issue, since I have successfully moved some folders that are shared.

Eric P.3

Specifically, what method or technique were you using to move the files or folders? What is generating the error message? (e.g., Is this a Windows error message? Is it emitted from the Dropbox web interface at https://www.dropbox.com/home ?) Is there an error code?

Tim S.51

It was a dropbox error message in red at the top of the screen.

Tracy D.

I am having the same problem. It's just a plain ol' folder that I'm trying to move into my new team folder (I upgraded to the business account). It's not a shared folder. Were you able to resolve the issue?

James R.25

I ran into this same problem. It may help to clarify that this is happening on the web client (for me anyway).

I suspect the size of the folder may be the key to reproducing this. It may also have something to do with the number of changes you've recently made - I only seem to get the error when I've been reorganizing large numbers of folders/files?

I managed to get around it by using the desktop client.

I have the same issue. I am using the Dropbox web interface since i cannot store the large number of large files on my computer so I access the folder and files only through the web interface. I am using Chrome on a MacBook running Sierra. Everything is the latest version.

I try to move a folder and drop it into another folder by selecting the folder by clicking to the right of the folder name which highlights the name. I then select "Move" at the top of the file list. A window appears and asks me to select where I want to move it to. I do so and then select the folder I want to drop the other folder into and click the "Move" button.

The red box comes out and say "This operation isn't permitted"

Strange.

Kevin

Rich

KD wrote:
... since i cannot store the large number of large files...

It's very likely the large size of the folder that is the cause. Go into the folder and try moving some (but not all) of the files instead. It will likley work fine.

dolphin66

I created a dropbox account for 1 purpose only and therefore I am very much a newbie. I am not familiar with much of dropbox, account types, terminology, so sorry if this ends up being off topic.

I experienced this error and discovered the solution for my situation.

So, to use this UI, unlike any other UI of which I'm familiar, you have to do something like:

- SHIFT click the last file for Jan 2015

- Unclick the folders 2015, 2016, 2017

- Then move the files to their destination.

TL87

Thank you! This worked for me.

Dgmtexas

Suddenly I'm getting this error message, I'm simply trying to delete an item within the folder, and I get "This operation isn't permitted", I'm the owner of this account. How can this be happening?

This just started

Rich

@Dgmtexas wrote:
... I get "This operation isn't permitted", I'm the owner of this account

You're the owner of the account, but are you the owner of the folder, and if not, do you have edit permissions to the folder? Unless you have been given edit access to a shared folder, you won't be able to delete the files within.