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Forum Discussion
Office Integration wants access to ‘the files and folders in my Dropbox.’ All of them?
Hello, On my IPad, when I go to open a file from my Dropbox in Word, I get the following message: ‘Microsoft Integration would like access to the files and folders of your dropbox. Allow?’ T...
Hi Gatesallupinmyfolders, this access option basically means that, if you want to open and edit any Word, Excel or PowerPoint file, they can be located anywhere on your Dropbox account, and the integration will be able to access it.
With other apps, they can only view a private folder shared for that app alone. These are usually for settings, backups and so on. However, it isn't useful if it's an app to edit files, since they would need to be located in that private folder each time.
However, the access is only when you're directly using the Office app to edit files. It doesn't mean that other users or Microsoft themselves can access your files without your knowing.
Rich
Super User II
Super User II
Gatesallupinmyfolders wrote:
It’s asking me to allow access to everything in my Dropbox. It might not actually mean this ...
It means access to everything, but that doesn't mean the app is going to access your entire account, just that it can as you're using it.
As you open or save files you would need the ability to navigate your Dropbox. In order to do that, the app needs access to your entire Dropbox. If the app was created with app-level permissions it would only have access to a single app folder and you wouldn't be able to open or save files elsewhere in your account.
Thanks for the response, appreciate it. So essentially what you’re saying is that, yes, I’m giving Microsoft full access to all of my dropbox files and folders?
- Rich
Gatesallupinmyfolders wrote:
Thanks for the response, appreciate it. So essentially what you’re saying is that, yes, I’m giving Microsoft full access to all of my dropbox files and folders?You're giving the Office app full access to your Dropbox.
- That seems rather excessive when, as you say, I could just allow it access to one folder that I was comfortable allowing access to, for example, the folder containing the project I wish to work on. It seems highly flawed that Microsoft don’t allow you to set individual restrictions on ones own account.
Thank you, I appreciate your help.- Rich
Gatesallupinmyfolders wrote:
That seems rather excessive when, as you say, I could just allow it access to one folder that I was comfortable allowing access to ...That's not how app-level access works. The Dropbox API allows for full access or app-level access. If an app uses app-level access it gets its own folder under Apps, and this is the ONLY folder that the app is allowed to access. Pretty useless for an app where you'll potentially be browsing your entire folder structure to open or save various files.
- Actually, follow up question: I already use Dropbox and Word on my MacBook. As wary as I may be of giving word, full access via my iPad, presumably (as I’ve been using Dropbox and work together for many years on my MacBook) I must have already done so on my laptop at some point? So my iPad concerns are moot as Word already has full dropbox access via another device?
- Mark
Gatesallupinmyfolders wrote:
Actually, follow up question: I already use Dropbox and Word on my MacBook. As wary as I may be of giving word, full access via my iPad, presumably (as I’ve been using Dropbox and work together for many years on my MacBook) I must have already done so on my laptop at some point? So my iPad concerns are moot as Word already has full dropbox access via another device?Yes..... kind of...
As computer versions work differently due to the fact there is no 'sandboxing' so in theory you granted access to everything you didn't actually have to because it was never asked. It is just assumed and allowed that all files on a computer can access all other ones. That is, simply put, how you navigate your folder structure to open files without finding them locked/blocked or hidden.
Essentially this is what the iPad version is asking "can we see everything in Dropbox so when you want to open it we have access to it".
