Re: Moving dropbox sync folder location

phschutz · ‎10-28-2016

When moving the location of my Drpbox sync folders from one drive to another, I get the following error message: "Couldn't move junction point: C:\Users\.....\Dropbox\.drpbox.cache\...\placeholder.avi". and the move process is stopped.

Robert J. · ‎11-13-2016

It's the same problem as I reported in 14.3.17 here:

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Installation-and-desktop-app/Problem-with-making-a-local-backup-of-D...

The placeholder.* files created by that release in a subfolder called 'qebcobkqbgpbzfynfuwbof' in the .dropbox.cache folder are unreadable by Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

It's only that subfolder that you need to delete.

View solution in original post

Mark · ‎10-29-2016

Do you have any junctions in your Dropbox folders?

- - - -

Did this post help you? If so please mark it for some Kudos below.

Did this post fix your issue/answer your question? If so please press the 'Accept as Solution' button to help others find it.

Did this post not resolve your issue? If so please give us some more information so we can try and help - please remember we cannot see over your shoulder so be as descriptive as possible!

phschutz · ‎10-29-2016

I'm sorry, I do not know what a junction is. Appreciate if you can explain what is a Junction in non-technical terms.

KevinDolphinGuy · ‎11-05-2016

I have this same error trying to move my dropbox from C to my Bigger E drive off my OS ssd's. And I don't know what a junction is either. and I'm fairly techy 😞

Any thoughts? It starts the move process then quits at that folder. I'll be maybe manually moving it and see if it'll continue the process. I'll report my findings, but it is a problem it'd seem. Stuck on the placeholder.avi file 😞

KevinDolphinGuy · ‎11-05-2016

Update: I deleted those files , all of them from that folder ( you have to have hidden files showing in explorer in windows) and then it'd allowed me to move my dropbox to another drive.

Hope that helps

frobie · ‎11-07-2016

I have the same problem, I went to delete the files like was mentioned, but even when I enable hidden files and folders I don't have that folder.

KevinDolphinGuy · ‎11-07-2016

You dont have the folder .dropbox.cache at the top of explorer? it should be kinda faded. I had to delete ALL the files out of that folder. Close it, then try the Move again. This time it worked. I tried renaming it a couple of times but it'd still hang on those files, the placeholder ones. Either way, got it moved now. Not sure what else to suggest. Maybe do a file search for the one avi file or something and then go into from that window. (right click and I believe its called go to source folder) or something from the windows search results.

Rich · ‎11-07-2016

KevinDropboxGuy wrote:

You dont have the folder .dropbox.cache at the top of explorer? it should be kinda faded. I had to delete ALL the files out of that folder.

The .dropbox.cache folder is hidden and will only be visible if the display of hidden files is enabled. When enabled, it will show as faded (on Windows, at least). If that option is not enabled then it won't be visible at all.

frobie · ‎11-07-2016

I don't have the folder in my dropbox directory, but when I attempt to move my dropbox location it creates those folders in the new location, but they are empty.

murrij · ‎11-11-2016

This a bug in Dropbox that I'm hoping they're aware of and working on. It has to do either with moving a Dropbox folder from an SSD to a regular hard drive or it's a bug in Dropbox and Windows 10 Anniversary edition.

The fix (Use at your own risk!!!😞

1. Pause syncing from the Dropbox settings.

2. Delete the whole dropbox.cache folder.

3. Do the move process as detailed here https://www.dropbox.com/en/help/89

4. Resume syncing.

Dropbox is then going to work real hard reindexing everything (you deleted it's cache and other working files after all). Once it's done then you're golden.

Hopefully this helps.

--murrin @infosec208

p.s. If someone has access to Dropbox support then please report it. This needs to be fixed.