macOS Monterey 12 - Couldnt Start Dropbox

Jay
Dropbox Staff
4 years ago
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.
- Larwir
  Helpful | Level 5
  4 years ago
  Please, Jay and @Megan, read our posts. The solution you keep proposing does not work!
- shinbeth
  Experienced | Level 13
  4 years ago
  Jay please stop repeating like a bot, we told you it's NOT working.
  
  And btw even the Dropbox installer is not opening under Monterey, please re-read above I'm tired of repeating ourselves.
  - StellarCore47
    Explorer | Level 4
    4 years ago
    Jay's protocol worked for me. FYI-- I downloaded the dropbox.dmg download that Hannah (Dropboxer) listed the proceeded with the n Security & Privacy protocol Jay listed above and after reboot, Dropbox worked fine and synched immediately.
- StellarCore47
  Explorer | Level 4
  4 years ago
  Hi Jay,
  The Security & Privacy protocol worked for me. I rebooted and bingo -- all systems GO !m Dropbox immediately started and synched.
  FYI-- Running macOS 12.1 Beta version (21C5021h)
  Full Disk Access was already checked. Files & Folders was grayed out but indicated Dropbox checked and Full Disk Access.
  Accessibility was not checked. I checked; rebooted and Voila! success.
  I will continue to explore on my other Mac and my iPad Pro 5th Gen running iPadOS 15 beta
shinbeth
Experienced | Level 13
4 years ago
DropboxInstaller.dmg doesn't even work on Monterey, it won't launch.

I've tried BatchMod, CodeSigner, DeQuarantine, and the usual sudo Terminal commands on it and still nothing, it won't launch even right clicking etc.

There's a real issue of Dropbox (not) running under Monterey environment.
- andreabonato
  Helpful | Level 6
  4 years ago
  Do you try this?
  
  "This is a step by step sequences....!
  1) by Activity Monitor (you find it in Launchpad-Others-Activity Monitor) search and select all Dropbox items (especially Dropbox Finder Extension) and stop by the :cross_mark_button: or X bottom on the top of the app;
  2) by Force Quit (in the System Menu Screenshot 2021-10-29 at 09.50.19.png) refresh or relaunch Finder;
  3) in System Preference-Security and Privacy-Full Disk Access (after clicking lock to make change in the bottom left corner), enable Dropbox.App.
  4) I think is better to restart computer after that."
  
  Bye.
  Andrea B
  - shinbeth
    Experienced | Level 13
    4 years ago
    andreabonato
    
    1. Since the installer won't start, your method doesn't solve the issue on my end
    2. Even after managing to install Dropbox through another installer, I've tried this many times, even (-) and then (+) Dropbox again, and restart of course, but this is not having any impact nor solving the issue on my end: Dropbox won't start again after each restart of the computer
Jay
Dropbox Staff
4 years ago
If the previous steps didn't resolve the issue, you can try the following.

1) Stop the Dropbox desktop application (if needed)

Click on the Dropbox icon.

Choose Quit/Stop/Exit

2) Open your Terminal app (Located at /Applications/Utilities/Terminal)

3) Copy and paste the following lines into the Terminal, one at a time, and press RETURN after each one. PLEASE make sure you copy and paste these commands (don't type them by hand), as getting them wrong could cause some harm. You'll be prompted for your computer user's password (not your Dropbox password) after entering the first command. Keep in mind that the password field in the terminal will remain blank as you type your password. After you type it, just press ENTER. You'll know that these instructions complete normally once the initial line of text (called prompt) comes up again:

sudo chflags -R nouchg ~/Dropbox ~/.dropbox

sudo chown "$USER" "$HOME"

sudo chown -R "$USER" ~/Dropbox ~/.dropbox

sudo chmod -RN ~/.dropbox ~/Dropbox

chmod -R u+rw ~/Dropbox ~/.dropbox

Please note that once the prompt displays, the instruction completed the requested task, and is ready for the next command. If the command returns an error, or does not respond after an hour, you may want to try restarting your computer and try these steps again.

If you see an error after running one of these commands, let us know.

4) Restart Dropbox from Applications

Keep us updated on any progress.

DISCLAIMER: Please be advised that these steps include using the Terminal application. You should only try this if you are comfortable using Terminal, as incorrect usage can result in unwanted consequences. If you are not familiar with Terminal or run into any issues or errors, please let us know and we’ll take your case to ticket to troubleshoot directly.
- StellarCore47
  Explorer | Level 4
  4 years ago
  Update. Strange twist. Synching does not work (after the initial start) during the continuous operation of Dropbox (macOS 12.1 beta). After I had completed the Security & Privacy protocol Jay (Dropboxer) had listed and then rebooted Dropbox opened and synched previously uploaded files. However, uploading new files from iPadOS 15 to Dropbox worked just fine but the Dropbox on macOS 12.1 beta did not synch these new files. Go figure.
- Larwir
  Helpful | Level 5
  4 years ago
  Jay I have gone through these steps, including all other solutions discussed in both threads on this topic. Dropbox still does not work, whatever I do. I run a MacBook 2017. Please reach out via mail and I can share info from Terminal, if that may be a help. Here is the error message from the Dropbox app:
  
  bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
  bn.VERSION: 134.4.4115
  bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 51
  bn.is_frozen: True
  machine_id: 06ba33ea-ae8a-5ca8-a20f-df8c0a5c3330
  pid: 831
  ppid: 1
  uid: 503
  user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='Lars', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=503, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Lars Wirtén', pw_dir='/Users/Lars', pw_shell='/bin/bash')
  effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='Lars', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=503, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Lars Wirtén', pw_dir='/Users/Lars', pw_shell='/bin/bash')
  euid: 503
  gid: 20
  egid: 20
  group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root', 'it', '_nsurlstoraged'])
  effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root', 'it', '_nsurlstoraged'])
  DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: None
  cwd: '/'
  real_path='/'
  mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
  parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
  HOME: '/Users/Lars'
  appdata: '/Users/Lars/.dropbox/instance1'
  real_path='/Users/Lars/.dropbox/instance1'
  mode=0o40700 uid=503 gid=20
  parent mode=0o40755 uid=503 gid=20
  dropbox_path: '/Users/Lars/Dropbox (Wirtén Content)'
  real_path='/Users/Lars/Dropbox (Wirtén Content)'
  mode=0o40700 uid=503 gid=20
  parent mode=0o40755 uid=503 gid=20
  sys_executable: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'
  real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'
  mode=0o100755 uid=503 gid=20
  parent mode=0o40755 uid=503 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/l5/3c0yyg5j0tb3v3lrjpz5zzyh0000gq/T'
  real_path='/private/var/folders/l5/3c0yyg5j0tb3v3lrjpz5zzyh0000gq/T'
  mode=0o40700 uid=503 gid=20
  parent mode=0o40755 uid=503 gid=20
  Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 816, in wrapper
  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6537, in finish_dropbox_boot
  File "dropbox/client/message_queue.pyc", line 313, in _wrapped
  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6070, in _init_components_for_account
  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 5994, 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 278, in __init__
  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/modern_client.pyc", line 245, 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 209, in __init__
  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.pyc", line 520, in _init_new_engine_locked
  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/thin_client/client.pyc", line 188, 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 |>> Opening dst |>> open syscall |>> Permission denied"
- CThurn
  Explorer | Level 4
  4 years ago
  Thank you Jay,
  actually I clicked the wrong solution -
  it wasn't the one in preferences which made it work,
  
  but this one with the Terminal commands actually fixed the probem !
  
  Thanks so much x I wouldn't have dared to use the Terminal.
  But it's amazing how this inner programming world of a computer miraculously solves problems...