“Can't open the file because the file format/extension is not valid.” error on website/desktop app.

Hi again, Don!

So, regarding the Dropbox folder, it should be okay that you deleted it; it's basically just to keep a copy locally just in case, but that's that.

As for the registry, you can delete the Dropbox Update folder from WOW6432Node, that's the correct one.

Dear Hannah,

Before I go any further with the Advanced Reinstall steps, I want to clarify a couple of things.

During the uninstall, Dropbox gave me an option to drag the Dropbox folder into the Recycle Bin, which I did, and then I emptied the Recycle Bin. I’m mentioning this because the Advanced Reinstall instructions say not to delete the main Dropbox folder, but the uninstaller itself prompted me to remove it.

Next, in the Registry Editor, I do not see a “Dropbox” folder directly under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. However, under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE → SOFTWARE → WOW6432Node, I do see a Dropbox Update folder, and inside that are two folders: ClientState and ClientStateMedium.

Before I proceed, can you confirm exactly which registry folders I should delete?

I’d like to hear back from you before continuing.

— Don

Hmm, I see. 

In that case, please try our advanced reinstall steps here and we'll go from there.

Hi Hannah, thanks for the follow‑up.

I tried reinstalling the app exactly as you suggested. Then uninstalling and reinstalling. When I launch Dropbox, a window flashes for about a second with a message I can’t read, and then it closes immediately. After that, the Dropbox folder opens, but the Dropbox app itself never launches. There is no tray icon and no sync engine running.

None of the files in the Dropbox folder on the Falcon will open, and the behavior is exactly the same as before the reinstall.

Please advise on the next steps.

Okay, Don, understood.

Have you tried reinstalling the app like I suggested in my previous reply?

If simply reinstalling the app doesn't work, you can uninstall it, restart the computer and then reinstall it.

Hannah, thanks for the reply.
Just to clarify: the Dropbox website does not open any files on any of my computers, so uploading files to the website wouldn’t help in this case.

Also, I can already open all of my existing files from the second computer (the HP). The only files I cannot open are the most recent ones, which do not appear on the HP at all and also won’t open on the Falcon or on Dropbox.com.

At this point, I’m mainly trying to get Dropbox running again on my primary computer (the Falcon), since the app does not launch. I'm looking for some help to do this properly.

Don

Thanks for the updates, Don.

I completely understand where you're coming from, I would be frustrated if this happened to me as well.

Regarding the Dropbox app, have you tried simply reinstalling it, without uninstalling it first?

And as for your files, if you upload them to the website from the second computer, are you able to open them?

Hopefully, the reinstall will also fix the syncing issue on the Falcon too, but let me know how it goes.

To all concerned. Here is what I believe is happening.

On my  primary computer the Falcon, Dropbox is not running at all. The sync engine doesn't seem to launch, so the app cannot verify the file status and the files do not open. The Dropbox folder itself opens and lists all the files including the most recent ones I'm trying to recover.

On every computer I own, the Dropbox web app also fails to open any files.

On my secondary computer 2, (the HP) the Dropbox desktop app does run, and I can open most of my files there. However, the most recent files do not appear on that machine at all.

From my secondary computer 2 (the HP) I have been able to download and save all the files that still exist in Dropbox, except for those most recent ones. Those files appear in the Dropbox folder on the Falcon, but they do not open anywhere (Falcon, HP, or Dropbox.com).

At this point, I’m simply trying to get Dropbox reinstalled and running again on the Falcon. I understand that the most recent files are likely unrecoverable, and I’ve accepted that. I just need help getting the Dropbox app working again on my primary computer.
Thank you. Don

 Jay,

 Regarding the green icons. Most of these files are available on my computer 2 the HP Desktop Dropbox App. However, this screen shot is from my primary computer and NONE of these files open from the Dropbox App on this computer.

Using the Dropbox Web, NO files open on either machine.

I’ve tried to explain this before, but any files created or saved on my primary computer after around mid-January, only show up on this primary computer Dropbox App. I can not see them on any Web site or my computer 2 App. This is the reason I attempted to resync over the weekend.

It’s not just some Excel files. I use a program called Tradestation. When I create a workspace in that program, it must be saved. Many of these .tsw files were saved after mid-January and are also corrupt.

When you save an existing workspace, it saves over the previous version.

I only have two or three Excel files that were saved after mid-January and they are shown on primary computers’ desktop App, but they of course don’t open. There are very important files to me.

On Monday when I was first able to recover the file list on my primary computer desktop App, I had high hopes that they had been recovered. When I tried to open a file, I got a message from Dropbox that said that I was out of Dropbox memory and that I could upgrade my Dropbox memory for an additional charge from Dropbox of $119.88  I had already renewed my Dropbox Plus account last June, but I followed the instructions and bought it anyway. BTW, I was not even close to being out of Dropbox memory. My primary computer has over 300 GB storage space available.

No files created or saved after mid-January will open. I don’t have an exact date in January when this first happened.

I hope you can help me recover my corruupt files.

Don

Hi Mitz1, the green icon next to the files indicates that they are already available offline. 

Is this only occurring for the Excel files? Are they only for files in this folder, or does it occur for new files that you create within the Dropbox folder?

Regarding the message about being out of memory, are you referring to the Dropbox site, or the computer itself saying there's not enough storage space?