Making a shortcut for a file

Question

When I started using Dropbox, I was able to easily make a shortcut from a file in Dropbox and put it on my computer desktop; I would right click on the file, and select "Send to desktop".  That worked great for a while.  Then, I had problems with one of my previously created shortcuts, so I went into Dropbox to make a new one.  At that time, I discovered that the method I had been using to make shortcuts no longer worked.  I've tried everything I can think of, with no success. 
 
This problem impacts me a lot, since I use these shortcuts multiple times every day.  Has the program changed?  Is there still a way to make a shortcut of a file?  I've tried copying the file, but then I'm not able to edit the original file from the desktop.

BlueTipi · Answer

As I said in the message, I already tried copying and pasting the file to the desktop.  But making a copy of the file does not allow me to edit the file from the desktop; When I open the copy on my desktop, I can edit it any way I like, but when I save the changes, the changes are not reflected in the original file, because it is only a copy, not the actual file in the Dropbox.  A copy of a file is not the same as a shortcut.  The reason I use shortcuts for my desktop is so I can edit my files without opening Dropbox, and have the updated files be available to me when I'm away from home.   Do you know what I mean?

Rich · Answer

@BlueTipi wrote:

This problem impacts me a lot, since I use these shortcuts multiple times every day.  Has the program changed?

Nothing has changed in that regard on Dropbox. In fact, the Send To option you see when right-clicking a file on your computer isn't a feature of Dropbox. It's part of your operating system.

You can make shortcuts using various methods, none of which have anything to do with Dropbox. The simplest is to just hold CTRL and SHIFT while dragging a file to your Desktop. You can also right-click the file and select Copy, then right-click any empty space on your Desktop and select Paste Shortcut.