If you’re seeing an error when trying to share, read on to learn how to resolve it.
Not using Dropbox yet? See how Dropbox helps you effortlessly share files and folders.
If you’re seeing an error when trying to share, read on to learn how to resolve it.
Not using Dropbox yet? See how Dropbox helps you effortlessly share files and folders.
Sections in this article:
What happened:
You tried to share or unshare a folder that contains a very large number of files.
How to fix it:
If you’re trying to share a folder, follow these steps:
This error only affects the creation of a shared folder and won't affect future invitations to the folder.
If you’re trying to unshare a folder, follow these steps:
What happened:
You sent a lot of invitations in a short period of time. To prevent abuse, there is a limit on how many shared folder invitations you can send in one day.
How to fix it:
If you hit the limit, wait 24 hours before trying to send another invitation.
What happened:
Occasionally, you may see a "Folder updates in progress" message on dropbox.com. This message can appear if you try to:
This error message means that a "lock" is in place—the folder is locked, and blocking you from performing some action. A folder becomes locked when you or another folder member perform several actions at the same time. This includes:
How to fix it:
If you encounter an "…updates in progress" error, the easiest fix is to simply wait and try again later. This resolves most syncing locks. If you've waited but still encounter the error, read on.
In most cases the duration of the lock is very short. However, the time it takes for the lock to go away depends on several factors, including:
The folder is locked because of changes made by another member
If this is the case, contact the other member(s) of the folder and ask that they stop making changes in the folder. You can then try again. If you still encounter the error message, you may need to ask the other member(s) to pause syncing.
Learn more about pausing and restarting file sync.
The folder is locked because of changes I made on another device
If this is the case, you can wait for your other device to complete syncing. Or, you can pause syncing on that device.
Learn more about pausing and restarting file sync.
Why does Dropbox lock folders?
Locking folders prevents one member's changes from overriding the changes made by another member.
What happened:
You shared a file from the Dropbox desktop app that hasn’t finished syncing to your computer.
How to fix it:
Wait until the file finishes syncing. We’ll notify you when this file is finished syncing and is successfully shared. If the file isn’t shared successfully, we’ll also let you know.
What happened:
You tried to share with someone who couldn’t be shared with. We’ll let you know how many users you successfully shared with and how many couldn’t be invited. This can be because:
How to fix it:
If you’re on a Dropbox Business team, contact your admin and ask if they can change your team settings.
If the user you’re trying to share with is on a Dropbox Business team, ask them to contact their admin to change these settings.
What happened:
This can happen if:
How to fix it:
Contact the owner of the file or folder to make you an editor. If you’re already an editor, ask them to change the setting that allows editors to invite people.
What happened:
The file you tried to share isn’t in your Dropbox account anymore. This can happen if the file was deleted or removed from Dropbox, by you or by another member of the folder.
How to fix it: