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Forum Discussion
Please don't block me from generating a link for a file that hasn't finished uploading
A new "feature" has been implemented where if I drop a new file in a DB folder, and then go to click on "Copy Dropbox Link", it simply won't perform the task until the file has finished uploading.
Apparently this is to "prevent 404 errors". The "error" page that comes up when you clicked on a link before it had finished uploading was actually a "Uh Oh! File hasn't finished uploading yet". This to me isn't an "error" page and shouldn't be treated as such. It's clear and communicates exactly what it needs to and doesn't warrant a restriction in functionality for the rest of the users.
The solution you've silently implemented has caused a monstrous delay in my daily workflow.
I work in a fast paced environment, generating new content every hour and sharing it with dozens of people in my team. The fact that I can simply drop files and right-click and "copy link" and THEN carry on with the rest of my tasks while keeping an eye out for the spinning icon in the tray and THEN send the copied link to my recipients, means that I am FLOWING.
When I have to do that dozens of times per hour, if you block me from generating a link as soon as I drop it in the DB folder, you're forcing me to having to RETURN back to DB a second time in the process. You've added a whole extra step, and it's absolutely killed my flow.
Hi everyone. We recently discovered a bug that caused this to break. It is now fixed. If you continue to have trouble copying a link to a file that is uploading/syncing please let us know.
It will be especially helpful if you can also tell us:
* What version of Dropbox you're using: Dropbox Windows, Mac, or Web
* The steps you're using to copy the link (e.g. right click, then choose "Copy Dropbox Link" )
Up until recently, you could copy a Dropbox link and paste it to a party while the file is still uploading. You can no longer do this, and it is hampering my efficiency and increases the likelihood of mistakes.
I work in large files when delivering to clients. In the past you could right-click, Copy Link, and send the message with a note to check in a few minutes after the file is done uploading. If the recipient clicked the link early, they were prompted with a message saying the file was still uploading. Then you could move on to the next project immediately.
Now you are required to sit and wait for large files to finish uploading before you can move on to anything else in your day. Either you wait it out or you risk forgetting to go back and copy the link.
And because I am used to copying the links instantly, I still do it. Dropbox doesn't inform the user that the Copy Link function failed. So I risk pasting a link to the wrong file without realizing it.
I request you reinstate the "copy link while while files are still being delivered to Dropbox" feature. If not, please have the app play a sound and post an error to the screen that warns you your link did not copy.
If you're going to remove a feature that people use frequently, you must account for it by having error/toast messages that reflect this change.I love Dropbox. ❤️ Keep up the great work, but HALP!
PLEASE BRING THIS FEATURE BACK!!!!!!!!!!
I now have to sit and wait for large files to upload before I send a link...it was so nice and easy before. I have no idea why crippling/taking away features from paid users was considered a good idea.
Next time I have to sit and wait, I think I will start blogging about how dropbox is crippling its service.There is something very bizarre happening with Dropbox Support and I need to ask that whoever's being affected by this issue, please let yourselves be heard by submitting a ticket. Give me a few to explain:
The Specialists Team
Firstly: Simon and Jay, who had reached out directly to me after I had created this "idea" post, are part of the Specialists Team. They aren't part of the regular support who reply in this forum, nor the group that responds to low-level tickets.
I should clarify that they only reached out to me (and a few other users) after this post got a certain number of upvotes and views, so thank you everyone for keeping this topic active
Simon provided me with specific instructions to perform a series of Terminal commands and to re-install the latest version of DB. His last message to me was: "We are just checking if this may be an issue with the application. If the issue persists after the reinstall, we will escalate to the engineers as a bug"
I've been busy and it took me a good 2-3 weeks to do the re-install, and by the time I did Simon's ticket was closed and I couldn't reply to it.
Denial
So I created a new ticket, explaining that I was still encountering the issue (and linking to Simon's ticket). I got a response from a different DB support member and this is what she said: "It is my understanding you're unable to copy a link to a Dropbox file unless the file has uploaded to Dropbox. I can confirm that this is expected behaviour."
In utter frustration I got onto DB's support CHAT, and spoke with another "regular" Support member. Explained my frustration at this response, since clearly Simon doesn't share that same opinion. The Support member I was chatting with (she was very helpful and forthcoming btw) was adamant that DB always behaved in the way it does today, in her entire 6 years working for the company: "I don't doubt or question your experience on your side, and how you used to work, and things are always changing, but at least for the last 6 years I am here, it never worked that way, sorry to say this and disappoint you, but Dropbox app and system on the website can't create a link for something that is not yet actually existing on the website. Maybe you were trying that for a file/content that was right away synced, but it is not working for something that is still on the upload cue"
Facts
This is just baffling and makes me want to poke one of my eyeballs out with a fork. Whether DB worked differently 2 months ago is NOT up for debate. It is an absolute FACT that this functionality was different. I've been using Dropbox as a power user since its infancy and I'm fully in tune with all of its smallest behaviours and of every single upgrade they've made to things like the toolbar dropdown menu, how they gradually removed the extra layers of helpful information that it contained (mostly dumbing things down to lowest common denominator users). And it's not only me but the entire team of people I work with across the world are all in agreeance about this. So to have their own support members tell me that I've essentially been either imagining this or that I've been an isolated incident is just absurd. Yet here we are.
Power users are the minority and not relevant
The only reason I can think of is that this issue is a bit obscured by the majority of DB users (and therefore their support) because it only affects a particular smaller subset of power users, who:
1) They work with large files (i.e. 10gb+ each)
AND
2) they work in fast paced environments where they must send files multiple times a day, needing to meet multiple deadlines on a daily basis where every minute is crucial.
I don't think DB Support are even aware of this type of user. They probably test things with 1gb files, and I'm guessing they've never needed to try uploading a 25gb file and send its link immediately. This can be the only explanation of their denial that dropbox ever worked differently.
Meanwhile, back in reality...
Regardless of Support's bizarre gaslighting there can only be 2 possible things that are happening:
1) Either this is a bug and they need us (YOU) to provide them with feedback (I've sent them video screengrabs of the issue using Loom)
OR
2) This is an intentional modification of the software
Whichever of the two it is, I would strongly suggest to all of you in here to submit tickets, asking for this feature to be re-instated. If they reply with "this was never a feature" or "this is expected behaviour" - please insist and/or ask to escalate this to the Specialist Team.
This is the type of comment that you will receive in response:
"When you add a file from your computer , from your mac, you copy paste it or drag/drop it into Dropbox folder, and you try to create the link, that file indeed first must sync to the website, to actually exist on the website, and only when you will see the green check icon on the file, you can actually create a link for it. If the file is not yet synced, not existing on the website, system can't see it, so it can't create a link for something that it is not there"
This is untrue and we all know it. So...
A reminder of the good ol' days
Dropbox DID have this feature, right from when they started desktop integration (years ago) all the way up until 2-3 months ago. And I'll recap in detail how this worked):
As soon as you dropped a 25gb file in your folder, dropbox IMMEDIATELY created a sort of token of the file while the real one uploads. A tiny 2kb container... a wrapper. Whatever you want to call it. But that is the file that the link would be generated for. Once the full 25gb file uploaded, it would replace the token file, and adopt its link. Ta-daa. Magic. That's great design right there (not much of that these days).
Furthermore - Click on the link during "token-mode" and it would give you an "uh oh file still uploading" page - perfect!!
I'm rolling my eyes at the support member who said they changed this to avoid such 404 page
The DB Devs knew whats up!
This is not incidental stuff. This is something that the DB dev team specifically built to work this way, during the very early days of DB and its Desktop Integration. Was it intentionally removed? Did DB's new Backup feature contain some tech side effects that forced them to reduce the functionality of the regular folder-syncing?
Get in touch with DB!!!
So please. Let yourselves be heard about this and let's get this feature reinstated so we can stop wasting hours of our time and disrupting essential workflows. Submit your ticket here: dropbox.com/support
p.s. Since my latest Chat with support a few minutes ago, I personally asked to be connected to Simon again. I'm eager to see what he says. If anything helpful I will share here.
This still isn't working for me. I'm uploading a 16GB file right now and waited over a minute and it's still not letting me paste a link.
please please bring this back. It's easier to comment in a message (file still uploading, check back) than wait till the middle of the night on an overnight upload to be able to share a link.
ok, i tried it again and it wasn't working for me. these are the steps i went through.
- downloaded a zipfile with 14 x 134mb audiofiles
- unpacked it and everything started syncing 1 by 1
- past the 15 secs, the files were 20% in the sync process- i was able to copy the link from an unsynced file but not able to paste it.
- after the file was synced i was able to paste it.
* interesting thing is that i didn't had to go and copy the link again, i just couldn't paste it yet, until the file was synced.
anyway, still not fixed yet on my end..
Same!
Happy new year to everyone except the sad sod who thought removing this crucial feature was a step in the right direction. At this point WeTransfer is a better solution to Dropbox as this was literally the ONLY feature Dropbox was worth keeping around for. OneDrive and GDrive are both superior to it in every other way already.
Fully agree! This feature wasn't hurting anything or anyone, instead it was just useful and helpful!
Though understanding the idea on principal, its bull**bleep**:
1. I have to return a second time to complete a task
2. ruins my PHYSICAL workflow: often finish a job, send link, and leave office. Now I have to wait for the upload or completely reorganize my tasks.
DB, stop this asap ! Not acceptable...
Definitely agree! A BIG miss too!
I'm used to create and shoot links of big audiofiles to my customers within different timezones when they just got rendered out. Now i need to wait till they're sync before i'm able to create a link. It really clutters my workflow. And there is already too little time in a day.
Instead of rendering out, create link, send link, unsync project, go to the next.
i need to: render out and..... wait..... cant' do anything else or i forget to create and drop the link (it already happened that i forgot to send the link, only to find a message the next morning if i went to bed early? it's about deadlines dear people of dropbox) ... thus... WAIT!?
Waiting for something that worked before is a step back. This makes no sense.100% agree. I swapped from Google Drive to get this feature.
If it's not fixed within a couple weeks I'm going back to Google Drive, it's simply not worth paying more $ for storage if valuable features get removed due to "error 404".
By the time something gets uploaded the person on the receiving end hasn't even seen the file yet, there is no reason to remove a feature that makes this platform good.
Very disappointed in dropbox. The team needs to check forms and see what their users want. Simply doesn't make sense to me, massive dent to my workflow.
