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Kevin B.36's avatar
Kevin B.36
Collaborator | Level 8
3 months ago

Missing Registry Key on latest version of Dropbox for Windows.

In my code I check for the following Registry Key to verify Dropbox has been installed:   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\dropbox-install   One of the users testing the code returns an er...
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Megan's avatar
Megan
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
3 months ago

Hey Kevin B.36, thanks for posting here! 

 

I just wanted to check in with you, and ask if you've tried the workaround you mentioned about a clean Windows VM.

 

Also, would you mind clarifying what you wish to achieve on your end, in order for me to have the full visual here, and guide you properly? 

 

Thanks a bunch! 

  • Kevin B.36's avatar
    Kevin B.36
    Collaborator | Level 8
    3 months ago

    Hi  Megan,

     

    I have cleaned out a VM and doing a clean install of Dropbox per this (and manually deleting Dropbox references in the Registry):

     

    How to run an advanced reinstall of Dropbox - Dropbox Help

     

    What I'm trying to achieve is simply to let the app know Dropbox has been installed. I do not recall where I read this, but the advice was simply to check for the existence of this registry key. It has been working fine in the code for several years until one of the testers advised an error saying Dropbox was not installed. On inspection, that registry key did not exist on her Windows VM although Dropbox was installed.

     

    The code is relatively trivial:

     

    lReg.RootKey := HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE;
    DropboxInstalled := lReg.KeyExists('SOFTWARE\Classes\dropbox-install');
     
    So I then did a completely clean install of Dropbox on a clean Parallels VM. I then searched for the key:
     
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\dropbox-install
     
    For the record the values under the key are:
    (Default)       RG_SZ     URL:dropbox-install protocol
    URL Protocol    RG_SZ.    blank
     
    I can confirm .....\dropbox-install does not exist.
     
    So my question is: Is this a key that is no longer created in the latest version of Dropbox install or earlier (206.4.6506). It has likely NOT been noticed because upgrading Dropbox would NOT have deleted the key even though it is no longer created on a clean installed.
     
    Thanks, 
    Kevin
    • Kevin B.36's avatar
      Kevin B.36
      Collaborator | Level 8
      3 months ago

      So without keeping this thread going too long, I note ......./dropbox-client at the same point in the registry and with pretty much the same content. It's there on all current installed Dropbox.

       

      I've fixed my code to simply check for ..../dropbox-install and if that fails check for ..../dropbox-client. If both fail I assume Dropbox is not installed.

       

      Kevin

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