Dropbox can't start after I moved hard drive to a new computer.

Hey rvenes, I hope you're doing well, let's see what we can find! 

As a first step, would you mind trying out these steps provided by my colleague, Nancy? 

If this doesn't work, don't hesitate to let me know. Thank you!

That didnt work. Im not sure if i got the same error log, but here it is anway. 

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
bn.VERSION: 198.4.7615
bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 72
bn.is_frozen: True
machine_id: 91beffda-820c-4064-9257-668f16af7ac0
pid: 10320
cwd: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client'
real_path='C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client'
mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
HOME: None
appdata: 'C:\\Users\\rune\\AppData\\Local\\Dropbox\\instance3'
real_path='C:\\Users\\rune\\AppData\\Local\\Dropbox\\instance3'
mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
dropbox_path: 'G:\\Work Dropbox'
real_path='G:\\Work Dropbox'
mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40555 uid=0 gid=0
sys_executable: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\Dropbox.exe'
real_path='C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\Dropbox.exe'
mode=0o100777 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
trace.__file__: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\198.4.7615\\python-packages.zip\\dropbox\\client\\ui\\common\\boot_error.pyc'
real_path='C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\198.4.7615\\python-packages.zip\\dropbox\\client\\ui\\common\\boot_error.pyc'
not found
parent not found
TMP: C:\Users\rune\AppData\Local\Temp
TEMP: C:\Users\rune\AppData\Local\Temp
tempdir: 'C:\\Users\\rune\\AppData\\Local\\Temp'
real_path='C:\\Users\\rune\\AppData\\Local\\Temp'
mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 889, in wrapper
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6884, in finish_dropbox_boot
File "desktop/dropbox/client/message_queue.py", line 306, in _wrapped
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6347, in _init_components_for_account
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6268, in create_sync_engine
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine_boundary/factory.py", line 212, in make_sync_engine
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/sync_engine.py", line 243, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/modern_client.py", line 285, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/base.py", line 242, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.py", line 221, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.py", line 542, in _init_new_engine_locked
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/thin_client/client.py", line 144, in __init__
File "desktop\extensions\nucleus\nucleus_python.pyx", line 77, in nucleus_python.NucleusSyncEngine.__cinit__
nucleus_python.SyncEngineError: "Initializing engine |>> Initializing filesystem |>> Attempting to initialize dbx cache directory |>> Ensuring root is writeable during FS initialization |>> Reopening failed |>> Duplicating handle |>> ACCESS_DENIED |>> Permission denied" 

That worked. 

I had to download the offline installer, because the normal installer didnt want to download for some reason.  I also had to choose  a few days earlier version of the dropbox installer.   But its working now, and i assume it will autoupdate to the lastest one. 

Awesome news rvenes!

If you need anything else, we'll be one post away, so let us know! 😎

I was planning to do something like what rvenes did. I was going to install the synced drive from my old computer in my new one. I'm glad I looked here first. Are these the steps you would recommend:

1. Un-sync Dropbox from the old drive on the old computer. 
2. Erase and reformat the old drive.
3. Install the reformatted drive in the new computer.
4. Re-sync Dropbox with the old drive.

Hi wmflars - thanks for joining the discussion here. 

Before I make any suggestions on the steps you'll need to use, can you let us know your computer's OS and the status and version of the Dropbox desktop app that's installed on your old computer as shown in the system tray/menu bar?  

If you make sure that the folder path is exactly the same on both devices, you shouldn't have to go through these steps, only install the app on the new computer and point your Dropbox folder to the drive (and folder path) you'd like to use.