Couldn't start Dropbox on MacBook as I'm getting an error upon startup

[Betsy G.1]

I get this message when I try to start Dropbox on my new MacBook:

 Here is the error code file:

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
bn.VERSION: 211.4.6008
bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 77
bn.is_frozen: True
machine_id: e9fbddd8-3af2-522a-a19d-289295cebfd4
pid: 7366
ppid: 1
uid: 501
user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='betsy', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Betsy [removed]', pw_dir='/Users/betsy', pw_shell='/bin/zsh')
effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='betsy', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Betsy [removed]', pw_dir='/Users/betsy', pw_shell='/bin/zsh')
euid: 501
gid: 20
egid: 20
group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root'])
effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root'])
DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: None
cwd: '/'
real_path='/'
mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
HOME: '/Users/betsy'
appdata: '/Users/betsy/.dropbox/instance1'
real_path='/Users/betsy/.dropbox/instance1'
mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
dropbox_path: '/Users/betsy/Dropbox'
real_path='/Users/betsy/Dropbox'
mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
sys_executable: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'
real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'
mode=0o100755 uid=501 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
trace.__file__: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Resources/python-packages.zip/dropbox/client/ui/common/boot_error.pyc'
real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Resources/python-packages.zip/dropbox/client/ui/common/boot_error.pyc'
not found
parent not found
tempdir: '/var/folders/6h/96b3td_n1cx_j515t_ckt8_c0000gn/T'
real_path='/private/var/folders/6h/96b3td_n1cx_j515t_ckt8_c0000gn/T'
mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "desktop/dropbox/fs_api/lifecycle.py", line 235, in client
File "desktop/dropbox/fs_api/lifecycle.py", line 283, in _create_thin_client
File "desktop/dropbox/fs_api/fs_api_adapter.py", line 50, in __init__
File "desktop/extensions/fs_api/fs_api_python.pyx", line 63, in fs_api_python.FsApiServer.__cinit__
fs_api_python.FsApiError: "Initializing fs api |>> Initializing application filesystem |>> Attempting to initialize dbx cache directory |>> Attempting to create ApplicationFilesystem cache directory |>> mkdirat |>> mkdirat syscall |>> Permission denied"

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 951, in wrapper
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 7125, in finish_dropbox_boot
File "desktop/dropbox/client/message_queue.py", line 306, in _wrapped
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6572, in _init_components_for_account
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6493, in create_sync_engine
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine_boundary/factory.py", line 212, in make_sync_engine
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/sync_engine.py", line 243, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/modern_client.py", line 295, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/base.py", line 242, in __init__
File "../mac_arm64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/functools.py", line 967, in __get__
File "desktop/dropbox/fs_api/lifecycle.py", line 259, in client
dropbox.fs_api.lifecycle.FsApiClientCreationException: "Initializing fs api |>> Initializing application filesystem |>> Attempting to initialize dbx cache directory |>> Attempting to create ApplicationFilesystem cache directory |>> mkdirat |>> mkdirat syscall |>> Permission denied"

[Walter]

Hi there @Betsy G.1 - sorry to hear about this.

Could you please perform a clean, advanced reinstall and let us know how it goes?

Thanks so much!

[Betsy G.1]

I have dumped the Dropbox icon into Trash.  I have tried this multiple times, then reinstalled the Dropbox app but still get the error message above.  If there are additional files I need to delete please send instructions for the Macbook.  The instructions above are for Windows.

[Nancy]

@Betsy G.1, if you open the Help Center article Walter linked above, there are also instructions specific for Mac devices (they’re under the tab located next to the Windows instructions).

[Betsy G.1]

I found the Mac instrustions.  This is the result when I paste into Terminal:

betsy@MacBook-Air ~ % Last login: Sat Nov  2 13:20:41 on ttys000

betsy@MacBook-Air ~ %

betsy@MacBook-Air ~ % ^[[200~sudo chown "$USER" "$HOME"

zsh: bad pattern: ^[[200~sudo

betsy@MacBook-Air ~ % 

betsy@MacBook-Air ~ % sudo chown -R "$USER" ~/Dropbox

Password:

Sorry, try again.

Password:

I have never successfully installed Dropbox on my new Macbook - so it may be looking for files that are not there.

I did download the latest app and got the same result "Couldn't start Dropbox"

[Hannah]

Hey @Betsy G.1!

Can I ask you to try uninstalling the Dropbox app one more time, restarting your computer and then reinstalling it to see if it helps?

Also, make sure to give full disk access to Dropbox, per these steps.

Let me know If you get the exact same error afterwards or copy and paste the new one, if it's different.

[Betsy G.1]

Thanks for sticking with me on this.  I followed the instructions on giving Dropbox full access but got the same message when tried to reinstall.  Here is the code (looks the same to me but you might see something different):

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
bn.VERSION: 211.4.6008
bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 77
bn.is_frozen: True
machine_id: e9fbddd8-3af2-522a-a19d-289295cebfd4
pid: 1097
ppid: 1
uid: 501
user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='betsy', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Betsy Guthrie', pw_dir='/Users/betsy', pw_shell='/bin/zsh')
effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='betsy', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Betsy Guthrie', pw_dir='/Users/betsy', pw_shell='/bin/zsh')
euid: 501
gid: 20
egid: 20
group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root'])
effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root'])
DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: None
cwd: '/'
real_path='/'
mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
HOME: '/Users/betsy'
appdata: '/Users/betsy/.dropbox/instance1'
real_path='/Users/betsy/.dropbox/instance1'
mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
dropbox_path: '/Users/betsy/Dropbox'
real_path='/Users/betsy/Dropbox'
mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
sys_executable: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'
real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'
mode=0o100755 uid=501 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
trace.__file__: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Resources/python-packages.zip/dropbox/client/ui/common/boot_error.pyc'
real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Resources/python-packages.zip/dropbox/client/ui/common/boot_error.pyc'
not found
parent not found
tempdir: '/var/folders/6h/96b3td_n1cx_j515t_ckt8_c0000gn/T'
real_path='/private/var/folders/6h/96b3td_n1cx_j515t_ckt8_c0000gn/T'
mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "desktop/dropbox/fs_api/lifecycle.py", line 235, in client
File "desktop/dropbox/fs_api/lifecycle.py", line 283, in _create_thin_client
File "desktop/dropbox/fs_api/fs_api_adapter.py", line 50, in __init__
File "desktop/extensions/fs_api/fs_api_python.pyx", line 63, in fs_api_python.FsApiServer.__cinit__
fs_api_python.FsApiError: "Initializing fs api |>> Initializing application filesystem |>> Attempting to initialize dbx cache directory |>> Attempting to create ApplicationFilesystem cache directory |>> mkdirat |>> mkdirat syscall |>> Permission denied"

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 951, in wrapper
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 7125, in finish_dropbox_boot
File "desktop/dropbox/client/message_queue.py", line 306, in _wrapped
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6572, in _init_components_for_account
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6493, in create_sync_engine
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine_boundary/factory.py", line 212, in make_sync_engine
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/sync_engine.py", line 243, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/modern_client.py", line 295, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/base.py", line 242, in __init__
File "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/functools.py", line 967, in __get__
File "desktop/dropbox/fs_api/lifecycle.py", line 259, in client
dropbox.fs_api.lifecycle.FsApiClientCreationException: "Initializing fs api |>> Initializing application filesystem |>> Attempting to initialize dbx cache directory |>> Attempting to create ApplicationFilesystem cache directory |>> mkdirat |>> mkdirat syscall |>> Permission denied"

[Hannah]

Hey Betsy, since that's the case, can we send you an email, to investigate this issue further?

[Betsyguthrie]

Absolutely!  [removed per the Dropbox Community Guidelines]

[Hannah]

Hey @Betsyguthrie, I see you're now reaching out to us from a different Community profile and Dropbox account; which one is the one that is having this issue?