Reinstall the dropbox app

[nige45]

I accidentally interrupted reinstalling the Dropbox app on my Windows 10 desktop while I was trying to deal with sync issues. 

As a result, I am now in the following mess.

1) all my files are visible and up-to-date at dropbox.com

2) they seem to be replicated in a folder called Dropbox(Old) on my desktop 

3) there is an empty folder called Dropbox on my desktop.

My aim is to reinstall the app on my desktop in such a way that my files are replicated in the Dropbox folder, and Dropbox(Old) is deleted.

Is it possible to do this, please? Or are there better alternatives? I am almost completely ignorant of the underlying technical issues.

Thank you. 

[Megan]

Hey there @nige45, let's jump right into this! 

As a first step, can you clarify what you mean when you say that all of your files are visible when you visit your account online? 

Are we talking about the content inside your Dropbox folder, or did you happen to enable Backup, by any chance? 

If you visit your app's preferences, and then go under the Sync tab, do you see the actual path of your Dropbox folder? Does that seem to be a different path, or the path of your Dropbox(old) folder? 

Let me know, and we'll take it from there! 

[nige45]

Hi Megan,

Thanks for your reply.

Firstly, I meant that when I visit my account online, my files are listed under "all files", and their content is displayed by clicking on the filenames, as usual.

Secondly, I have not knowingly enabled any Backup process. And when you refer to content inside your Dropbox folder, I am not sure which folder you mean! The Dropbox folder on my PC is empty.

You then ask If you visit your app's preferences... But I don't think I have the app right now - I think I succeeded in uninstalling it. My aim is to reinstall it! 

I believe that my PC file management system currently shows that the path of my empty Dropbox folder (on my PC) is

> User > Dropbox

and that the path of the folder Dropbox(Old) is

> User > Dropbox(Old) 

I'm sorry it's so awkward to explain what has happened!

[Jay]

HI @nige45, the best option is to perform an advanced reinstallation of the Dropbox desktop application, which should allow the files to download from the site. 

You might need to delete the Dropbox (Old) folder afterwards.

[nige45]

Thanks for this, Jay. 

I have clicked on the link in your message, and looked at the instructions for advanced reinstallation;  I am not at all sure that I am competent to follow them. There are terms I do not understand, such as system tray and Windows Registry editor - hopefully I can google these.

I note that step 1 says quit the Dropbox desktop app.  But I have (at least partially) already uninstalled the desktop app! The same remark must also affect step 2. So do I just dive in at step 3?

And the note says Don’t delete the main Dropbox folder (with your files) in File Explorer on your computer. At no point in this process should you be deleting that folder. Which folder does this refer to in my situation? Is it the Dropbox file (which is empty)? or the Dropbox(Old) file (which contains my files)?

I should also mention that an icon I have not seen before appeared on my desktop a few days ago. It is a globe with a tick, and the label void() or void0. Could this be related to my sync and/or Dropbox issues?

Thanks.

[Jay]

Yes, for the time being, don't delete any Dropbox folder. 

As for the icon you're referring to, I'm not sure it belongs to Dropbox.

[nige45]

Hi Jay,

To be 100% clear:  I assume that your answer "yes" applies to my "do I just dive in at step 3?"

Thanks

[Jay]

Yes, just continue at whatever step you're not on at this time.