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Solved
Couldn't Start Dropbox - macOS Monterey
After installing the new macOS Monterey I am getting the below error
Couldn't start Dropbox
This is usually because of a permissions error. Storing your home folder on a network share can also cause an error. For more information, click the help button below.
I tried to remove dropbox using instructions on the website and re-install using advance install and still see the error.
bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
bn.VERSION: 133.4.4089
bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 51
bn.is_frozen: True
machine_id: 523bf589-eb29-56d6-9beb-1631aa56ce2b
pid: 1077
ppid: 1
uid: 501
user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='amirnathoo', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Amirali Nathoo', pw_dir='/Users/amirnathoo', pw_shell='/bin/zsh')
effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='amirnathoo', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Amirali Nathoo', pw_dir='/Users/amirnathoo', 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/amirnathoo'
appdata: '/Users/amirnathoo/.dropbox/instance1'
real_path='/Users/amirnathoo/.dropbox/instance1'
mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
dropbox_path: '/Users/amirnathoo/Dropbox'
real_path='/Users/amirnathoo/Dropbox'
mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20
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/xq/rpxg71x17dj4ylbw_svqhdjc0000gn/T'
real_path='/private/var/folders/xq/rpxg71x17dj4ylbw_svqhdjc0000gn/T'
mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 808, in wrapper
File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6497, in finish_dropbox_boot
File "dropbox/client/message_queue.pyc", line 307, in _wrapped
File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6030, in _init_components_for_account
File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 5954, in create_sync_engine
File "dropbox/sync_engine_boundary/factory.pyc", line 226, in make_sync_engine
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/sync_engine.pyc", line 280, in __init__
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/modern_client.pyc", line 222, in __init__
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/base.pyc", line 152, in __init__
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.pyc", line 217, in __init__
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.pyc", line 587, in _init_new_engine_locked
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/thin_client/client.pyc", line 185, in __init__
File "desktop/extensions/nucleus/nucleus_python.pyx", line 76, in nucleus_python.NucleusSyncEngine.__cinit__
nucleus_python.SyncEngineError: "Initializing engine |>> Initializing filesystem |>> Attempting to register icons |>> fchflags syscall: _set_hidden |>> Permission denied"
please assist
Hi everyone, with the macOS Monterey update (macOS 12.0 and above), some stricter permissions have been enforced by Apple which have probably led to the issue you are experiencing.
The following steps should help to resolve this behavior:
- Click on the Apple icon in the top left hand corner of your screen
- Select "System Preferences..."
- Then "Security & Privacy"
- Select the Privacy tab
- Select "Full Disk Access"
- Under Dropbox, ensure that all the folders are checked. (To make changes, you will need to click on the lock icon, and enter your macOS password)
- Repeat these steps under 'Files and Folders' and 'Accessibility'
- Once you've completed this, please attempt to restart the Dropbox desktop app
If need be, a reboot of the Mac itself would also help.
91 Replies
Replies have been turned off for this discussion
- Hannah
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey amiralin, thanks for joining us on the Dropbox Community!
Can you try performing an advanced reinstall of the Dropbox app, to see if that helps?
Let me know how it goes. Hi Hannah,
Thank for your response. I already tried the advance re-install and still get the same error.
Thanks,
Amir
- HannahOf course, Amir, thanks for the update here!
Can you take a look at this thread and try the steps that andreabonato provided, to see if they help you too? HI Hannah... I am having the same problems and I have tried all the suggestions. Is the problem have to do with the upgrade to Monterey ?
- HannahHey TomW3, thanks for the nudge here!
I'm afraid, we can't really say for sure why this might be happening.
However, if you already tried the steps in the hyperlinked thread and the advanced reinstall of the application and nothing worked, can I reach out to you via email?
I'd like us to look into this further. Thank you - It appears that a few people are having this problem. Just to clarify - I tried the 'advanced reinstall' to the best of my ability. It was clearly a 'advanced person' advanced reinstall. Reminded me of owning a computer in the 1990's - and what we had to do to make them work - day in and day out. lol.
Do I have to give you my email here in these reply boxes?
Hi,
The below steps are what resolved it for me. It seems after installing the new macOs Dropbox needs permissions to access the files. The below steps resolved it for me for now.
go to Launchpad – Utility – Activity Monitor – Force Exit all Dropbox Instances
go to Settings – Security & Privacy ( Give Dropbox permissions in the following areas)
- Accessibility – unlock and select Dropbox app
- Full Disk Access unlock and select Dropbox app
Hope the above resolves the issue for you.
IT WORKED!
THAT WAS IT!
Not sure what 'that' was but that worked.
I have crossed paths with a Genius - without having to go to the Genus Bar. lol
Thank you so much.
- Glad that worked for you!
- HannahOh, Tom, I thought you had already tried those steps (from the hyperlinked article in my previous response in this thread) and they didn't help.
So happy they worked for you, though, and big a thanks to amiralin!
If you need anything else, make sure to give us a shout!
