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Desktop Application Will Not Allow Existing Dropbox Folder to Be Used. Error: "The folder already contains a Dropbox directory."
I have been a happy user of Dropbox for years. Until recently . . .
Dropbox recently quit working properly. The latest issue today was that it failed to load the "platform plugin windows." The Dropbox popup suggested that I reinstall Dropbox. So . . . I dutifully reinstalled Dropbox as recommended. However, I do not like to have my Dropbox located in the default . . . Users/User/Dropbox location, but on a separate hard drive.
So as soon as Dropbox opens the first time, it starts syncing to the default location (yes, development team, that needs to be fixed too -- please include an initial inquiry on first startup after install to make sure you are using the directory the user actually wants!).
I paused the syncing, opened the Preferences, went to "Account" and attempted to select a different Location, as ostensibly permitted by the preferences interface. However, when I went to the drive that contains my Dropbox, it refuses to allow me to use that location, because -- wouldn't you know it! -- there is already a Dropbox folder there. Duh! Dropbox told me to reinstall the application, but I don't want to delete everything from my computer and re-sync the entire Dropbox. Of course I already have a folder called "Dropbox". Just let me point to it.
Please, please, fix this ASAP, and don't tell me that this is something you "are aware of and are working on." A decent programmer could solve this issue during his lunch hour.
Bottom line: Dropbox needs to allow the user to specify where they want the Dropbox folder to be or where it already is.
You should not select the Dropbox folder but the folder you wish Dropbox to be placed in. Then it will be installed in that folder.
If its on a 2nd drive and not in a folder, simply select the Drive in the chooser window.
At least this is what I am thinking based upon your post. I made this same issue at first when trying to move Dropbox all those years ago.
The installer will let you choose the location. It on the last screen before it closes under the advanced settings. Many users myself included think Dropbox was already being installed in the default location at this point in the process but it was still waiting.
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- Sanchez
Dropbox Community Moderator
- This is such extreme common sense and yet Dropbox has YET to do it (over 2 years later). Let's spend our time making "paper" instead of correcting our HUGE mistakes in our core product. Luckily for Dropbox, Google Drive sucks even harder. Here's hoping to a better product in the future!
Seems like a pretty important one to fix!
Running into the same issue, two years later. I've been a paying customer since 2012, and have championed Dropbox heavily to everyone I know. However, it has become clear to me the last few years that company and by extension the developers do not listen to the community. This is definitely not the first issue I've seen or personally run into that hasn't been fixed or even addressed for one or several years.
At this point, I'm considoring jumping ship to Microsoft, which offers the same amount of storage (1TB) along with a professional office toolset AND a product that is actively developed to boot. (Updates that change nothing of consequence do not count as "active development", sorry) Unless something changes in the next year, I will very likely not be renewing my Plus subscription.
Sorry that this is off-topic, but there didn't seem to be a better place to put this. While submitting "suggestions" seems to have no effect, perhaps a public post will.
I fixed it by deleting the original Dropbox folder. You have to start by showing the hidden files in finder via Terminal (Steps: https://www.dropbox.com/help/desktop-web/hidden-folder ) Just remove the folder called Dropbox, then hide the hidden files again via Terminal and you're good to go!
I had my Dropbox folder on my machine, in a specified location. Something happened to the app and it re-started asking me to link an account. So out of nowhere the app stopped to be linked to my machine. When I try to link it again it immediately creates a Dropbox folder in the home directory. My home directory doesn't have enough space for it to sync so it crashes. I'm in an Ubuntu, so I cannot see those advanced options to pick folder because everything is done in the terminal. When I try to point it to the old directory it simply gives an error when moving and still keeps location in my home directory. I need urgent help as I'm finishing my Ph.D. thesis and I am not able to work if the files aren't sync in both my laptop and my machine.
Anyone knows how can I select the path to the folder through the terminal?
This does not provide a solution.
What I have now is one user re-uploading everything from the Dropbox directory into another directory called Dropbox (User/Dropbox/Dropbox) which is pointless.I cannot target the original Dropbox folder from the second Windows User account because the installer will not work unless it creates an entirely new Dropbox folder in a location where one does not already exist. I also cannot uninstall Dropbox from one Windows user, only all of them at once.
This should not still be a problem in my opinion. I don't know why I continue to pay for the service. I would be better off hosting my own redundancy at home.
The only solution I could think of would be if I temporarily rename the folder I intend to share on both users (_Dropbox_), install Dropbox to the intended share location by letting it create and name the Dropbox folder all by itself and immediately pause synchronization, then copy everything from the original folder (_Dropbox_) into the newly created one and hope that the synchronization doesn't break everything -- in which case I would have a temporary backup of the original folder, but that sort of defeats the purpose of paying for redundant cloud storage with a broken installer?Im reinstall windows, install dropbox, select existing folder and get it:
its really not good, guys...
