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Forum Discussion
rossmcm
2 years agoHelpful | Level 5
Dropbox stopped executing, restarted it and I can't specify my Dropbox folder
For some unknown reason, Dropbox stopped running on my laptop. I restarted it and it behaved like it had just been freshly installed - it had me sign in, but when I checked the location of the drop...
- 2 years ago
Hey rossmcm, thanks for updating us on the issue.
Just before we send you an email about this, can you try these steps and let me know if they work for you or if you're having an issue?
1. Uninstall the Dropbox app, if it's installed.
2. Rename your original Dropbox folder to "Dropbox (old)" or similar.
3. Reinstall Dropbox and select the location that you want for the Dropbox folder.
4. When the installation is finished, Dropbox will immediately start to sync, so pause syncing or exit the Dropbox app.
5. Move only the contents of "Dropbox (old)" into the newly created Dropbox folder.6. When the move is complete, and not before, resume syncing or re-launch Dropbox.
Jay
2 years agoDropbox Staff
Hi rossmcm, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
You can have the Dropbox desktop application detect the Dropbox folder by performing an advanced reinstallation, and during the installation, choose the advanced settings, to select the location of your old Dropbox folder.
Make sure to select the parent folder (which should be C: for you), and it should detect the old folder. It will need to reindex it to check for file changes, but it wouldn't need to redownload all the files.
Keep me updated with any progress!
- rossmcm2 years agoHelpful | Level 5
Thanks Jay. I found a post from Rich that details a sequence that doesn't involve all those registry tweaks. Also I was using Ninite to re-install and I wasn't offered the advanced reinstallation, so maybe I'll start again using the Dropbox.com install.
I'm sort of in a half-way no-mans land now.
- I uninstalled Dropbox
- Renamed C:\Dropbox to Dropbox-old
- Installed it with Ninite
- Paused Sync
- Went into Settings and moved it from C:\users\Ross to C:\
That's when I read your reply, so currently, I have:
- Dropbox sync is paused
- my original files are still at C:\Dropbox-Old
- My newly moved folder at C:\Dropbox
By the time I paused sync Dropbox had created a few of the folders in the root, but no files apart from a few desktop.ini's.
Before I saw your post I was poised to move the contents of c:\Dropbox-old to c:\Dropbox and stand well clear. Are those registry mods necessary in my case? If they are, then Rich's post is a little incomplete.
So what is the suggestion at this point? Uninstall again and follow the advanced install instructions?
Many thanks for the assistance.
- Walter2 years agoDropbox Staff
Hi there rossmcm - sorry to jump in here.
At this point, I'd suggest following Jay's suggestion for an advanced reinstall as this would be the safest way to go.
If you stumble upon an issue during that process, please let us know and we'll take it from there.
- rossmcm2 years agoHelpful | Level 5
Thanks, Walter - I shall. I'm still unsure about the registry tweaks - whether they are part of this install process?
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