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RichPer's avatar
RichPer
Explorer | Level 3
19 days ago

I'm having issues downloading a 45GB .mov video file.

Hi,

 

I'm having issues downloading a 45gb .mov video file.

Mac Mini 2023 Ventura 13.7

In the Dropbox App, when I double click on the file it says, 'The document could not be opened. Try your operation again. If that fails quit and relaunch..etc.'

I've done that a number of times but it's still not working.

The thing is, there are two other files in the folder which have downloaded successfully via the App.

When I try and download the file from the web (multiple times) it always stops halfway through saying,'The network connection was lost.'

Any ideas how to fix this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

  • jumandelectronic's avatar
    jumandelectronic
    New member | Level 2

    Hi RichPer,

    For large files like your 45GB video, try these troubleshooting steps:

    1. Use the desktop app's 'Smart Sync' feature - right-click the file and select 'Make Available Offline'
    2. If that doesn't work, try downloading through the desktop app using 'Export' instead of double-clicking
    3. For web downloads, use a download manager that supports resume capability
    4. Check if you have enough free disk space (at least 50GB to be safe)

    If issues persist, try clearing the Dropbox cache (Dropbox preferences > Account > Reset Sync) and ensure your internet connection is stable.

    Hope this helps!

    • RichPer's avatar
      RichPer
      Explorer | Level 3

      Hi,

       

      Thanks for the reply,

       

      1:- I tried selecting the Make Available online, a green tick approved next to it but it still has same message about not communicating with helper application.

       

      2- How do you navigate to the Export feature?

      3: Not sure what this is but have tried Safari/Chrome etc in all configuration multiple times without luck. They all stop at around 24gb.

      4:- I have a 2TB account and only a few hundred GB used.

      Any more advice would be great and thanks again.

      Rich

      • Megan's avatar
        Megan
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

        Hey RichPer!

         

        Would you mind clarifying the current Dropbox version that you're using along with the app's current syncing status

         

        I'm asking because I need to clarify why the app fails to open the specific file, even after you change its status to "available offline". 

  • Hannah's avatar
    Hannah
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

    Hey RichPer, thanks for reaching out to us.

     

    Is the file in question set to "online-only" (gray cloud icon) in your Dropbox folder?

     

    If so, you can right-click on it and choose "make available offline" to download it to your computer.

     

    Otherwise, you can try from our website again, this time from a different browser to see if it works.

     

    Let me know how it goes.

    • RichPer's avatar
      RichPer
      Explorer | Level 3

      Hi Hannah,

       

      Thanks for the reply.

       

      Using the website, I've tried Safari and Chrome with/without VPN, private browser etc and they all stop downloading at roughly 24gb. I've tried about 7 times in different configurations. Screen shot below.

       

      I've attached a screen shot of the three files (A) and the messages when I click and double click. (B+C). The thing is, I managed to down load the first file overnight and the second file EGA1002 in the morning with no problem. When I went to do the same for EG2A1003 this is when I got the messages. Now, if I try and download the first file again I get the same unable to connect messages but the second file EGA1002  is fine. There doesn't seem to be a pattern which makes it confusing.

       

      Any assistance would be great.

      Thanks.

      Rich