I can't link my macOS desktop app to the existing Dropbox folder after unlinking

[BoxedInn]

On Mac, Dropbox stopped syncing about two to three weeks ago. In my Dropbox Security settings I see two Devices with identical names, e.g., iMac.lan. (Formerly, I had the three devices allowed by the DropBox Basic plan: iMac, Macbook, and iPhone. Dropbox now complains that I'm trying to use a fourth device: the two identical links to my iMac, my Macbook Pro, and my iPhone. I unlinked my iPhone so that I could try to deal with the iMac.) I unlinked both copies of the link to my iMac, then killed and restarted Dropbox. Trying to start Dropbox, I now see this message: "There's already a folder or file named Dropbox."

I cannot use the existing file Dropbox in the default directory, which I believe is {me}/Library/CloudStorage. If I rename the existing Dropbox file and go through the kill/restart process again, I get a different error message: "Error with selected folder -- Can't create a Dropbox folder in the requested location".

So I'm stuck. I cannot use Dropbox on either my iMac (MacOS 14.5) or my Macbook Pro. Help, please.

So I cannot use Dropbox, and I cannot unlink/relink my DropBox file. I'm stuck. And, BTW, there's a possibly related symptom. DropBox also has stopped syncing with my MacBook Pro.

[Hannah]

Hey @BoxedInn, I hope it's okay for me to jump in here.

Do the files in your new Dropbox folder in ~/ or the "Dropbox (old)" folder have any sync icons on them?

[BoxedInn]

Thanks for jumping in.

In the folder ~/Dropbox on my iMac, I appear to be looking at an up to date sync of files as updated from my laptop. However, all files are zero bytes, and show no icons.

Hold on a sec, and I'll click on one and see what happens.... I opened a spreadsheet, and got the popup "Meet the new Dropbox badge". In Finder, the spreadsheet now has a non-zero size, but there are no icons. Hold on another sec, and I'll try this:What to do if your sync icons are missing

If your sync icons are missing, close all non-Dropbox applications then quit and relaunch the Dropbox desktop app.

I restarted the Dropbox app. In Finder, I see no icons using any of the four views Finder offers me. I used the Dropbox icon in the menu bar to "show on Dropbox.com", where I see:.xlsx files are supported but something went wrong.

I cannot check for sync icons in "Dropbox (old)" because, when I click to open the folder, I see: "The operation can’t be completed because the original item for “Dropbox (Old)” can’t be found."

[Hannah]

Thanks, @BoxedInn.

Let's just confirm which one is your syncing Dropbox folder.

To do so, click on the Dropbox icon in your menu bar, then on your initials/profile pic, then on 'preferences' and then on 'sync'.

What's the location of the Dropbox folder there?

[BoxedInn]

The Dropbox folder location is /Users/username/Dropbox. That's the fourth piece of information under "sync". And that location appears to be syncing with Dropbox again, that is, it seems to have my Dropbox files as of some date, possibly back as far as May, where my desktop apparently dropped out of syncing with Dropbox, and any further updates came only from my laptop.

The first piece of information is "Dropbox folder updates", where I am told: "You are eligible for the new Dropbox for macOS on File Provider", and am provided with an UPDATE button.

The second piece of information is "How do yo want to store new files?", and "Online-only" is selected. I think that must have been "Available offline" once upon a time, since I have lots of hard drive space on my iMac. I'll put that switch back to "Available offline" if I ever get my Dropbox folder straightened out.

[Jay]

Hi @BoxedInn, just to clarify, is the Dropbox folder in that location syncing normally now? Are you able to see the syncing icons there, and open the files normally?

[BoxedInn]

I'm not sure I can answer your questions. The folder ~/Dropbox does appear to be syncing normally, although missing any files I've touched on my iMac during the previous month or two. But I do not see any syncing icons in Finder, and don't think I ever have, even after adding every possible column heading to my Finder window. The other way to see a sync icon, your documentation tells me, is in the menu bar, but, unfortunately, your documentation doesn't tell me where in the menu bar to look. Under the Dropbox icon, under Today I see the file I have modified as a test; however, no sync icons there either.

[Jay]

Could you attach a screenshot showing the Dropbox folder in Finder on your device, in order to assist further?

[BoxedInn]

Please find attached.

 

[Jay]

Thanks for the image. Could you ensure that the Dropbox desktop application is showing up in the menu bar and isn't paused. 

Could you also click the Dropbox icon in the Favorites section so that we can check the root folder as well?

[BoxedInn]

In the menu bar, the Dropbox app shows "Your files are up to date". At the top of the status message for the app it also displays a message warning about possible trouble opening files