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Symbolic Links in BOX drive

  • May 22, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 52 views
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We have a "most requested" BOX folder with sub folders and files that we would like to create symbolic links in that point to BOX files in other shared folders on BOX so that all staff, which currently have access to "most requested", can click on to open the files these links or bookmarks point too.  Is this supported in BOX drive?

Thank you,

JD

    2 replies

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    Hi JD,

    Welcome to the Box Community!

    Unfortunately, the items you listed are actually some of the programs that Box Drive/ Box Sync will not sync and will be ignored or blocked. "Ignored files" include the following:

      • Temporary files and folders (.tmp and files starting with the ~ character)
      • Backup copies of files (.bak)
      • System and hidden files (hidden folders are synced but hidden files are not synced: such as ._dstore, desktop.ini, thumbs.db).
        • File names that start with a dot "." are considered hidden files.

      Warning

      • Marking the Box Sync root folder as hidden deletes all synced content on Box.com.
      • Hiding any file or folder in Sync also deletes that content.
      • Shortcuts created via Windows Explorer or Finder
      • Hard links (a file that has multiple directory entries associated with it will not be synced)
      • Symbolic links
      • Shortcuts created via Windows Explorer or Finder (.lnk)
      • File names that are exactly 8 uppercase hexadecimal digits (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E, or F) with no extension – for example: 1234AD38 or ABE32BD0.
      • File names containing special characters
      • Web based documents (such as .gdoc, .gsheet, and bookmarks) will not sync to the Box Sync / Box Drive folder, with the exception of Box Notes, which will be synced to the Box Sync / Box Drive folder and will open in your browser.
      • .qbi files

    More details can be found in this article: https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044195433-File-Types-Ignored-or-Blocked-by-Box-Sync-and-Box-Drive 

    Thanks for your participation in the Community!

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    @JD Elsey:  Symbolic Links don't work.  A couple of ideas: 1) If users are coming in via the browser to their Box accounts you could create a shared link for the file you want to give them access to, then save that link as a Bookmark in the "Most Requested" folder.  2) If they are using Box Drive to access that folder #1 isn't going to work since bookmarks don't show up in their drive folder.  Instead, create the shared link but save it as a shortcut in Windows.  It shows up as a .url file in Box and is accessible both from Box web and box Drive. 

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