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Forum Discussion
Dropbox for Windows 11 Virtual Machine (Parallels) on Macbook M1 (Apple silicon) -- can't install
I'm trying to use Dropbox in a "Windows 11 Pro" virtual machine (under Parallels) on Macbook M1 (Apple silicon). When I attempt to install, I get an error message "Couldn't start Dropbox. Your device...
Thanks to both you and Hannah. I think I may have found a work-around while searching the developer forum. I'll pursue that for now.
Have clarified with Dropbox Support today that this issue is apparently not related to the M1 ARM processor, but rather due to permissions settings or errors that will arise with the user profile to install Dropbox via a virtual environment.
Thankfully the workaround describe in these messages (using Dropbox drive on Mac side shared to the Parallels VM) provides a good solution.
Thanks everyone!
Cheers,
Tom
This thread has been very helpful. I plan to try the mapping solution. So far, my workaround gets me by, but is far from elegant. I deleted the newest Dropbox app (that places the Dropbox folder in "Locations") and re-installed the earlier version that place the Dropbox folder under "Users". That folder is mapped to Z:\ on the Windows 11 side, and that works with my programs now. I still use USB drives for some backup functions. These should be eliminated as I fully implement the recommended solutions.
Thanks again to the several respondents!
Tom Fuller
This thread has been the most useful ever, to understand and solve this exact issue, for which I have been in contact with customer care services from Dropbox, Microsoft, Parallels and Apple, each with different answers and bouncing me to each other.
I was about to remove and re-install Windows 11, because I thought the "S" mode was a WIN OS installation problem within Parallels, when I realised the issue is with the Dropbox app (running on Win 11 environment, on Parallels, on a M1 or M2 powered Apple).
The ultimate workaround solution, as suggested in this thread, is using the full Dropbox app on Mac (with selective sync and all that), saving all files in the Dropbox folder on Mac, then "pointing at" that folder from Windows 11 by using the "files sharing" function in Parallels. If you need help with this, here is a Parallels article where it is well explained: https://kb.parallels.com/en/6912
It works beautifully and has the added value to save storage space: before I used to duplicate the Dropbox-synced folders (one set on Mac, one on Windows), in order to find them in both partitions. Now I have only stored them on the Mac side, and I can access them from Windows too -- opening and working on them with Windows programs.
I just installed Windows 11 in a paid version of Parallels I just installed on my Mac Studio with M2 Max.
And after the above I tried to install standard Dropbox app for Windows 64 bit in Windows 11 and it fails with the option to install "Dropbox Lite" for Windows S mode. I tried this but it sucks so I unstalled Dropbox Lite. Dropbox standard for Windows 11 apparently won't work in Windows 11 installed into Parallels (newest version available as of 9-1-2023).
Sooooo, this kind of sucks because I paid $130 today for Parallels but they don't tell you that Windows 11 in Parallels may not work with some Windows 11 programs.
**bleep**!
Can you guys at Parallels offer me some sort of discount off the $130 I just paid for the new version of Parallels. It doesn't work right!!!
Craig P
This is similar to my eventual workaround. I was discouraged when a the new version of Parallels (19.1) started assigning Mac folders to different drive letters (Y:\ instead of Z:\ etc.). But I found a way to override those assignments, so now a given Mac folder will always get the same letter. Things work quite well now.
