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Forum Discussion
Authorization error Dropbox and can not sync
I am receiving an error message saying that Dropbox can not synchronize because of an authorization error. That can be correct because the roots of my apple ID on my macbook were installed incorrect ...
- Hi Ester, assuming that this is an issue where the username you use to login to your computer changed, as well as the home directory, then the following steps should help.
Since Dropbox can’t update itself to a new folder location unless you tell it to, this is why it won’t start.
Firstly, take note or take a screenshot of any Selective Sync settings you may have applied prior to re-installing as you will need to re-apply these settings after this process.
Second, quit all open apps that could be accessing the Dropbox folder, and open Terminal.
Copy and paste the following line into the Terminal and press ENTER.
sudo mv ~/.dropbox ~/.Trash/dropbox.old
You'll be prompted for your computer's admin password (not your Dropbox password) after entering the first command. Keep in mind that the password field in the terminal will remain blank as you type your password. After you type it, just press ENTER. You'll know that these instructions complete normally once the prompt comes up again.
If the command returns an error, or does not respond after an hour, you may want to try restarting your computer and trying this step again.
Finally, restart Dropbox from the Application folder, then please sign in and apply any Selective Sync settings you may have had prior to this reset during the sign in process. Your account will take a few moments to reindex the files and sync any pending changes.
Hope this info helps!
Jay
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHi Ester, assuming that this is an issue where the username you use to login to your computer changed, as well as the home directory, then the following steps should help.
Since Dropbox can’t update itself to a new folder location unless you tell it to, this is why it won’t start.
Firstly, take note or take a screenshot of any Selective Sync settings you may have applied prior to re-installing as you will need to re-apply these settings after this process.
Second, quit all open apps that could be accessing the Dropbox folder, and open Terminal.
Copy and paste the following line into the Terminal and press ENTER.
sudo mv ~/.dropbox ~/.Trash/dropbox.old
You'll be prompted for your computer's admin password (not your Dropbox password) after entering the first command. Keep in mind that the password field in the terminal will remain blank as you type your password. After you type it, just press ENTER. You'll know that these instructions complete normally once the prompt comes up again.
If the command returns an error, or does not respond after an hour, you may want to try restarting your computer and trying this step again.
Finally, restart Dropbox from the Application folder, then please sign in and apply any Selective Sync settings you may have had prior to this reset during the sign in process. Your account will take a few moments to reindex the files and sync any pending changes.
Hope this info helps!
Since Dropbox can’t update itself to a new folder location unless you tell it to, this is why it won’t start.
Firstly, take note or take a screenshot of any Selective Sync settings you may have applied prior to re-installing as you will need to re-apply these settings after this process.
Second, quit all open apps that could be accessing the Dropbox folder, and open Terminal.
Copy and paste the following line into the Terminal and press ENTER.
sudo mv ~/.dropbox ~/.Trash/dropbox.old
You'll be prompted for your computer's admin password (not your Dropbox password) after entering the first command. Keep in mind that the password field in the terminal will remain blank as you type your password. After you type it, just press ENTER. You'll know that these instructions complete normally once the prompt comes up again.
If the command returns an error, or does not respond after an hour, you may want to try restarting your computer and trying this step again.
Finally, restart Dropbox from the Application folder, then please sign in and apply any Selective Sync settings you may have had prior to this reset during the sign in process. Your account will take a few moments to reindex the files and sync any pending changes.
Hope this info helps!
Thanks Jay. This has helped. I already tried the terminal options with the suggestions at the FAQ but this prompt line was different and now he is syncing again so it looks like everything is working again. Thanks again!
- JayGlad to hear that! Changing a username on a system is relatively painless, but other apps get affected, so it might be worth checking if any other apps on your end could have issues similar to the Dropbox app.
