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Question

Folder files not opening since Jan 22, 2026

  • April 29, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 20 views
V

What happened:

  • On January 22, 2026, most files in the folder became unavailable/disappeared.
  • A small number of files still appear in the folder listing, but users cannot open them.
  • We checked and the files do not appear to be deleted, so we believe this is not a simple “Trash/Deleted Items” issue.

Possible causes we’re considering:

  • Billing/invoice overdue: Our Box account may have had an overdue invoice around this time, and we’re concerned account status/entitlement restrictions could be affecting file access.
  • Permissions/ownership: Some previous folder owners may have left the company, and we suspect permission/ACL issues or ownership transfer requirements.

Request:

  1. How can confirm whether an overdue invoice / account restriction could prevent opening files in a folder (even if files are not deleted)?
  2. Can we change the folder owner or transfer ownership to an active admin/user?

 

      1 reply

      Rona Box
      • Rona Box
      • Community Manager
      • April 29, 2026

      Hi ​@Vivian Chan, 

      Welcome to Box Community, and we’re glad to help with your missing contents. 

       

      To answer your questions, 

      1. Yes, it’s true that your Box account will be disabled due to non-payment, it will prevent you from logging in as well as your access to the folders. The folders will disappear for the collaborators but that doesn’t mean the folders were deleted. 
      2. Meanwhile, to transfer the folder ownership the folder owner should initiate this transfer through his/her Box account. 

      To transfer the folder ownership: 

      • Locate the appropriate folder
      • Click the Collaboration Icon lpfplw9d9iuxrusry646chxq3p0owkdi.png to the right of the file name.
      • Alternatively, you can open More Options > More Actions and select Manage Collaborators.
      • Find the collaborator whose access level you would like to modify. You can search by name using the Filter Collaborators search box in the upper right.
      • Under the Permissions column, click the user's access level to Owner. 

       

      For more details, you can checkout this article. 

       

      Hope it helps! Let us know if you have additional questions. 

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