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Forum Discussion
larryy
3 years agoHelpful | Level 6
New version of Dropbox completely broken, need to revert to previous version.
I got a new MacBook Air 15". Used Migration Assistant. Something updated Dropbox. Everything is broken.
Specifically:
* The Dropbox.app application when launched does not open the app, but op...
Jay
Dropbox Community Moderator
3 years agoHi larryy, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
As it seems you're now on the newer version of the Dropbox desktop application for Mac OS, it can take some time for the files to migrate into the new CloudStorage location on your machine.
At this point, making any major changes to the app could affect the movement of the files. Have you noticed any difference now? Are the files still in the old folder, or have they moved over?
This will help me to assist further.
- larryy3 years agoHelpful | Level 6
Yes, apparently I am on the new version of that app. I do NOT want to be. Is there anything I can do to fix that?
If I allow the complete Dropbox folder sync to the new CloudStorage location while the old Dropbox folder (in ~/) is still present, I'm not sure the system will have enough SSD space to run without problems. So I paused Dropbox from the small menu.
I then made a complete backup of my boot drive, so I have a full, external copy of my original Dropbox folder. And I have turned off automatic app updates. So I feel safer experimenting. Unless you have a way to revert to the original behavior or some better idea, I am going to try to MOVE (not copy) my old Dropbox folder's contents into the new Dropbox folder. Then un-pause Dropbox.
Actually, now that I think about it, if I can find a way to entirely quit and restart Dropbox I'll do that instead of pausing/un-pausing it.
If that works and I can prove the new Dropbox is syncing with my other Macs, both directions, then I just have to start the tedious process of changing a bunch of symbolic links, by hand from the command-line. Did I mention I *hate* this change? Who thought it was a good idea to force my Dropbox documents to be in a HIDDEN folder? No wonder some other bright spark thought launching the Dropbox app should do nothing but open the magic, hidden folder. Sorry, but the new design really sucks.
- larryy3 years agoHelpful | Level 6
Question... Do the "advanced reinstall" instructions at the following link still work with the latest rev of Dropbox? It clearly indicates you can specify where the Dropbox folder resides. That would solve my biggest problem, allowing me to point Dropbox at my existing ~/Dropbox folder. Should that work or is the webpage out of sync with reality?
- larryy3 years agoHelpful | Level 6
One other tidbit, rebooting my Mac with Dropbox paused seems to have broken Dropbox in a new way, preventing it from launching at all. I'll try to attach a screen grab of the error dialog that opened on reboot:
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