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Changing the user name in OS Sonoma & now can't launch the app.
Hello,
I changed the name of my user from within the System Prefs app (Users & Groups). The change was done correctly as mentionned.
That being done, Dropbox does not launch so I cannot change the Dropbox folder location in the app. It returns this error window.
Help please.
16 Replies
Hi rlesperance,
You just hit a old bug of the Dropbox application. Dropbox doesn't tolerate change system setting (especially paths - changing your user name changes the path to Dropbox settings and that's why Dropbox has trouble opening the settings). It's good idea to uninstall Dropbox (or to unlink it at least) before any significant change in your system next time. Once all done, you can safely link it back... but that's the next time. Now the easiest way is to wipe out your setting (the Dropbox setting that the application cannot reach to - it will be recreated immediately on next application run). Open a terminal window and execute there following:
rm -rf ~/.dropboxHope this helps.
Hello Здравко,
Will that command delete the Dropbox folder or any important files ? Can you be more specific about what exact files this command will affect ?
Thanks for helping.
- Megan
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey rlesperance, thanks for posting here today!
Would you mind clicking on the blue hyperlink of the pop-up window, and sending us over the entire error message you get, when trying to launch your app?
Keep us posted!
Hi Megan,
For your info, I changed my user name from «Nous» to «Robert». That has been done by the OS through the System Preference app.
This is the content of the Text window I get:
bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropboxbn.VERSION: 195.4.4995bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 71bn.is_frozen: Truemachine_id: 47b4120f-e59e-50be-be18-57b0cdbf076bpid: 79312ppid: 1uid: 505user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='Robert', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=505, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Robert', pw_dir='/Users/Robert', pw_shell='/bin/zsh')effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='Robert', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=505, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Robert', pw_dir='/Users/Robert', pw_shell='/bin/zsh')euid: 505gid: 20egid: 20group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root', '_xcsbuildagent', '_nsurlstoraged', '_serialnumberd', '_xcscredserver', 'SonosDMS'])effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root', '_xcsbuildagent', '_nsurlstoraged', '_serialnumberd', '_xcscredserver', 'SonosDMS'])DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: Nonecwd: '/'real_path='/'mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0HOME: '/Users/Robert'appdata: '/Users/Nous/.dropbox/instance3'real_path='/Users/Nous/.dropbox/instance3'not foundparent not founddropbox_path: Nonenot foundparent not foundsys_executable: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'mode=0o100755 uid=505 gid=20parent mode=0o40755 uid=505 gid=20trace.__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 foundparent not foundtempdir: '/var/folders/nr/jdf3g__517n8kdyrfldtr3440000gs/T'real_path='/private/var/folders/nr/jdf3g__517n8kdyrfldtr3440000gs/T'mode=0o40700 uid=505 gid=20parent mode=0o40755 uid=505 gid=20Traceback (most recent call last):File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 1296, in safe_makedirsFile "desktop/dropbox/fsutil.py", line 706, in safe_makedirsFile "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 213, in makedirsFile "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 213, in makedirsFile "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 223, in makedirsPermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/Users/Nous'During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:Traceback (most recent call last):File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 8079, in main_startupFile "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 2655, in initializeFile "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 1681, in startup_lowFile "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 1305, in safe_makedirsFile "desktop/dropbox/fsutil.py", line 706, in safe_makedirsFile "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 213, in makedirsFile "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 213, in makedirsFile "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 223, in makedirsPermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/Users/Nous'
rlesperance wrote:...
Will that command delete the Dropbox folder or any important files ? Can you be more specific about what exact files this command will affect ?
...
No, that command, as could be seen, doesn't contain Dropbox folder. As I said that command erases Dropbox settings (residing within your home/user folder), nothing more. You application will comes up as like just installed - with cleared settings, including the absolute path to your old folder (you'll need to set everything anew). I cannot be more specific. If you cannot understand something still, clarify your question.
PS: As you can see in you log, that you just posted, Dropbox application tries access your old folder still - that's where the trouble comes from - this bug was signaled many times for many years and Dropbox development doesn't care. 🤷 That's it.
- Megan
Hey rlesperance, feel free to follow these steps, and let me know of the results!
Hello Megan,
Do you have any instructions as to fix my problem ?
- Jay
Hi rlesperance, did you follow the link posted by Megan in order to resolve what you're experiencing?
Hello Jay and Megan,
Thanks for your help. I did follow your instructions and I was able to launch Dropbox. It also mounted in the menu bar as before. It created a new Dropbox folder at the root level of my user folder.
My original Dropbox folder is nested in my user folder under Library>Cloud Storage and has been renamed Dropbox (03-04-2024 22/33). It has files that have been updated since the user name change that have not been synced with Dropbox in the cloud.
How can I connect to that original Dropbox and not moving the new Dropbox to that folder ?
Am I clear enough ?
- Hannah
Hey rlesperance, at this point, I would suggest that you move any files you want from your original Dropbox folder to your new one, then delete the original one, to avoid confusion and continue using the new one.
