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Completely disable "Dropbox on Startup"
When starting up my computer and logging in to the user account, I do NOT want Dropbox to be starting, at all. The files Dropbox needs are not even accessible unless I as the user take a particular step to unlock them. If I want to, I can unlock the files and THEN manually start Dropbox. I understand that no syncing will happen until after Dropbox is manually started.
I have taken the following steps:
In Dropbox Preferences, General:
-"Start Dropbox on system startup" is UNCHECKED.
-"Show Dropbox as a save location in Microsoft Office" is UNCHECKED.
-Dropbox Badge: Never Show
-Open folders in: File Explorer
Under Import, "Share screenshots using Dropbox" is UNCHECKED and the AutoPlay settings all have "Open folder to view files (File Explorer)" instead of Dropbox import.
In msconfig's "services" tab, I have unchecked the three Dropbox services.
In Task Scheduler, the "DropboxUpdateTaskMachineCore" task has had the log on trigger removed, the user changed to the local account and "Run only when the user is logged on" instead of "Run whether user is logged on or not" selected.
There are no tasks, Dropbox or otherwise, in the Startup tab of Task Manager or under Start Menu/Programs/Startup (for All Users nor for the specific user).
Yet every time on login, I get a popup "Dropbox 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."
Yes, it is clearly a permissions error, but intentionally. I DON'T WANT DROPBOX TO BE STARTING UP AT ALL unless I manually start it. How can I disable Dropbox from even trying to start on login?
This is on a new install of Windows 10.
Thanks!
Hey ben
I launched a boot trace to find the cause of the problem and I noticed that the corresponding option in the preferences of the application does not disable the startup at all. It has the only role of requesting a "quiet close" of the Dropbox processes during the startup phase. It also explain why you still see Dropbox in msconfig even after unchecking the box...
That said, Dropbox create a key for its own startup, hidden in Windows registry, the only option to fully disable Dropbox at startup is to remove it from there.
Lets find it in one of the following paths:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
You should find the line:
Dropbox "C:\Program Files (x86)\Dropbox\Client\Dropbox.exe" /systemstartup
Backup it if necessary and just delete it. Done, no more Dropbox at startup!
Note: You may have to repeat the operation regularly as Dropbox updates could recreate startup reg key anytime 😋
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I should also add that Dropbox is not in Startup (Start Menu or Task Manager); nothing is.
- Jane
Dropbox Staff
Hi @Jane,
As noted in the initial post, unchecking the box to start on system startup does NOT stop Dropbox from presenting this "Couldn't start Dropbox" error. Clearly, Dropbox is doing other things to try to start itself up. I even see it flash briefly in Background Processes when I have Task Manager up, before the error. I found some sources where Dropbox appeared to be trying to do something on login, and disabled those also as noted above, but apparently am still missing something.
I agree that this one checkbox SHOULD be enough, and am significantly concerned about Dropbox's security and ethics that it is not, but I would like to find out how to actually and completely disable Dropbox on startup.
Thanks!
- Jane
