Windows 7 Event Viewer Error "Failed to connect to the driver: (-2147024894)"

Thank you.

I'm really wondering about the poor support from dropbox. After opening a ticket a few days ago, today I got an email pointing me to some FAQs by far not adressing this specific problem, which is obviously not solved as you can see in this topic:

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Installation-and-desktop-app/DbxSvc-ID-320/m-p/230263#M45135

One more reason for me to get rid of dropbox as soon as possible.

Hi again,

I created a workaround that consists of a task in the Windows task scheduler, that is triggered only if the well known unwanted event occurs (e.g. after a Dropbox update to the latest version, where the problem still isn't fixed).

If triggered, the task tries to "repair" the dbx driver in that it is configured to use dbx-stable.sys (if present) and to start automatically, so that the annoying per second events disappear, because afterwards the starting DbxSvc finds the running dbx driver to connect to.

Otherwise, if some set of conditions isn't met (e.g. if after a Dropbox update file dbx-stable.sys isn't present anymore), as an alternative workaround DbxSvc is simply stopped and its start type is set to disabled.

Here is how you can configure this workround (tested in Win7 x64, maybe that it must be adapted to other Windows systems):

First create some Folder, e.g. D:\CMD. Within this folder create a batch file named dbx.cmd

Open dbx.cmd (e.g. using notepad) and copy the following code to the file:

@echo off
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION

set ROOT=%~dp0
set LOG=%ROOT%dbx.log
call :clear "%LOG%"
echo Log for last execution: >>"%LOG%"
echo ----------------------- >>"%LOG%"
echo %DATE% %TIME% >>"%LOG%"
if not exist %windir%\System32\drivers\dbx.sys (
    echo File system32\DRIVERS\dbx.sys not found. >>"%LOG%"
    for /f "tokens=3" %%i in ('sc qc dbx ^| find "BINARY_PATH_NAME"') do (
        if /I "%%i"=="system32\DRIVERS\dbx.sys" (
            echo But file system32\DRIVERS\dbx.sys is referenced by Dropbox Mini-Filter Driver dbx^^! >>"%LOG%"
            call :svc DbxSvc stop
            if "!RETURN!"=="FALSE" (
                goto :EOF
            )
            if exist %windir%\System32\drivers\dbx-stable.sys (
                echo File dbx-stable.sys exists, trying to fix Dropbox Mini-Filter Driver dbx: >>"%LOG%"
                call :svc dbx stop
                if "!RETURN!"=="FALSE" goto :EOF
                sc config dbx start= auto binPath= system32\DRIVERS\dbx-stable.sys >nul
                echo Changing parameters of Dropbox Mini-Filter Driver dbx: >>"%LOG%"
                echo      Setting ImagePath to System32\drivers\dbx-stable.sys >>"%LOG%"
                echo      Setting Start type to auto >>"%LOG%"
                call :svc dbx start
                if "!RETURN!"=="FALSE" goto :EOF
                call :svc DbxSvc start
                if "!RETURN!"=="FALSE" goto :EOF
            ) else (
                sc config DbxSvc start= disabled >nul
                echo File dbx-stable.sys doesn't exist, disabling service DbxSvc:  >>"%LOG%"
                echo      Setting Start type to disabled >>"%LOG%"
            )
        )
    )
)
goto end

rem - function :clear (file)
rem   Deletes "file", if present.
:clear
if exist %1 del /f %1
goto :EOF

rem - function :svc (service, start|stop)
rem   Break, if "service" is in a pending state (neither stopped nor running)
rem   "stop": If running, try stopping "service", break if "service" hasn't stopped after 10 seconds.
rem   "start": If stopped, try starting "service", break if "service" isn't running after 10 seconds.
:svc
if "%2"=="stop" (
    set beginstate=4
    set finalstate=1
) else if "%2"=="start" (
    set beginstate=1
    set finalstate=4
)
for /f "tokens=3" %%i in ('sc query %1 ^| find "STATE"') do (
    if "%%i"=="!beginstate!" (
        sc %2 %1 >nul
        echo Trying to %2 service %1 ... >>"%LOG%"
    ) else if "%%i"=="!finalstate!" (
        set RETURN=TRUE
        goto :EOF
    ) else (
        echo Service %1 is in a pending state, script was aborted^^! >>"%LOG%"
        set RETURN=FALSE
        goto :EOF
    )
)
set /a SECONDS=0
:loopwait
for /f "tokens=3" %%i in ('sc query %1 ^| find "STATE"') do (
    if not "%%i"=="!finalstate!" (
        ping -n 1 localhost >nul
        set /a SECONDS+=1
        echo Process to %2 service %1 still in progress ... >>"%LOG%"
        if !SECONDS! EQU 10 (
            echo Process to %2 service %1 failed to terminate within 10 seconds, script was aborted^^! >>"%LOG%"
            set RETURN=FALSE
            goto :EOF
        ) else (
            goto loopwait
        )
    ) else (
        echo      ... terminated successfully. >>"%LOG%"
        set RETURN=TRUE
    )
)
goto :EOF

:end
ENDLOCAL

Safe and close dbx.cmd.

Then start the Windows Task Scheduler and create a new task:

On the General tab:

• Name it as you like, e.g. "DbxSvc-Workaround"
• Select a user with administative rights (Change User or Group)
• Select it to be executed independent from the User Login (Run whether user is logged on or not)
• Select (check the checkbox) "Run with highest privileges"

On the Trigger tab:

• Add a new trigger "On an event" and select the Protocol "Application", the Source "DbxSvc" and the Event-ID 320

On the Actions tab:

• Add a new action "Start a program" and specify the path: D:\CMD\dbx.cmd

All other settings can be left with their default values.

Note:

1. Once the problem is fixed, the task will never be scheduled anymore.
2. The task only consumes computing resources if triggered by the unwanted event. After the repair (via the script) it goes back to sleep.

Have fun!

<EDIT>

Did some code optimization - less code now due to use of functions.

In addition, the activities executed by the script are logged in a file dbx.log.

</EDIT>

Loopback

Kudos to people like you doing the job instead of dropbox.

Their ignorance is amazing.

Thanks for posting this Kester!

Unfortunately, it didnt work for me.

I plan to uninstall dropbox and move to amazon drive /google drive.