Error when importing .MOV file from DropBox in Adobe apps

Jay Have just checked one more thing. If I move the file out of Dropbox (i.e. drag it onto desktop) I can then import the file into After Effects, but if I drag and drop it back into Dropbox - I can't import it again (file is green and synced).

If the file has that green icon on it, and you then quit the Dropbox desktop application entirely, are you able to import it into that app?

Jay good thinking! But no, have just tried it - still can't import the file even if I quit the Dropbox app completely.

Hey pavelas - sorry to jump in here, but could you try fixing your hardlinks and permissions as outlined here and let us know if you notice any improvement? 

Hi Walter did not solve the issue, tried both: fixing hardlinks and fixing permissions. But I think the error message changed after that, it now says:
1) After Effects error: Could not open source file. Please check that file exists with correct permissions.

2) After Effects error: file 'filename.mov' cannot be imported - this 'MooV' file is damaged or unsupported.

I am struggling with this also. If I change the name of the file or the location, its seems to lose the error and work - but of course, that's hardly a viable solution for a comfortable workflow ,as we typically work with many video files in every project.... as I imagine most people would.

Hi everyone! I’d like to ask a few more things here, if you don’t mind. 

Can either one of you send me a screenshot of the error, so that we may have a visual?

Also, what’s the current location/filepath of the local Dropbox folder on your computers?

Can you try opening the files directly via the Dropbox folder, and then via Adobe After Effects, and let me know if there’s a difference in the error you’re getting?

Nancy error image attached.

current filepath of the Dropbox folder - Users/username/Dropbox

As I mentioned previously, there is no problem opening the files for previews or in QuickTime directly in the folder, only when trying to import to After Effects (doesn't matter if I drag & drop or import it via File -> Import). The files also can't be opened when opening an old project file that has those files in place.
And just to clarify - those files 'break' only after bringing them back from the cloud, and yes they are green and available offline. They work if I change their location or rename them, but once I rename them back to their old names or drag them back into the folder - they don't work.

Hi pavelas, sorry to jump in here, but I just wanted to mention that this issue seems like a known Adobe issue outlined here.

Have you reached out to Adobe support to flag this with them perhaps?

Is there any updates on this?  I'm having the same problem with Dropbox and After effects.
Here's a quick summary: 
MacOS Sonoma 14.1
Adobe After Effects 24.0.1
I'm not using File Provider - Dropbox file path is in users. (seems like I'm not eligible for FP and I'd rather not do that now since it requires to move all the files to a different location, which will cause a whole lot of missing footage)
I've fixed permissions and hardlinks.
I've given full disk access to Dropbox.
I've cleared cache and restarted the DB app and the computer multiple times. 
All the missing footage is available offline and green.
---These are all the solutions I could find online. Tried them and they don't work for me. 

The only way to workaround this problem is highly unsustainable for me and my team:
It works when I duplicate and rename the file, then import it separately, then replace the layer inside AE.
Or when I collect the files on After effects (which will duplicate all the assets on a separate location and result in an unnecessary folder size)
But we're collaborating as a team on many project files with a huge number of assets and this workaround is impossible for us to do on a daily basis. 

From what I've read online, this is a Dropbox issue rather than an After Effects issue. And I need this to be solved immediately so that we can continue our way of working. 
Thanks in advance.