Can't find Dropbox in the applications folder

[Genie123]

sorry if this is a daft question but here we go ...

I use Dropbox across five different devices (two imacs, a macbook pro, ipad, and iphone). I'm selling one of the imacs and wanted to delete the application from that particular device, but not the others. I quit Dropbox on the machine i wanted to sell, then went to the applications folder to try and find it ... the app was not there. It's not in startup items either, but the app keeps trying to start up, and it has created some issues with erasing the machine. 

I ended up having to do a fairly brutal hard reset and recovery of the startup volume in order to erase the machine. 

Any ideas why I couldn't see Dropbox in the applications folder? It was still showing in the sidebar 😕

[Jay]

Hi @Genie123, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

On Mac devices, if an app is installed, it generally should be in the Applications folder. If it isn't there, but the app is still running, then it could somehow be located elsewhere for some reason.

Have you tried these steps to remove the app completely from your machine (without the reinstallation steps)?

This will help me to assist further!

[Genie123]

Thanks Jay - I ended up doing a nuclear option recovery mode reboot/erase/reinstall of the OS, so I didn't get a chance to try the solution you suggest - good to know it's an option if I encounter problems in the future 🙂

[Jay]

No worries, glad to have provided some information for you at least!

[Genie123]

I've just migrated from an Intel Imac to a new M3 imac. everything seems to be working fine, but I notice that I can no longer save anything to the desktop - I can see the file in the sidebar, but I can't save anything in it.

this isn't an icloud issue as I don't use icloud - it's switched off. 

I have a feeling it's got something to do with the imac backup that I've also got on Dropbox? I can't think of anything else it would be. 

thanking in advance 🙂

[Jay]

Hi @Genie123, thanks for posting today.

Could you clarify exactly what you're referring by not being able to save to your desktop? 

Which programs are you using when saving? Are you referring to the desktop folder itself?

Any other info or screenshots would be helpful!

[Genie123]

Thanks Jay - here's a screenshot of what happens when I click on the Desktop folder from the finder. 

in terms of saving - I first noticed the problem when trying to save a word document locally, to the desktop of the machine I'm working on right now. I wasn't able to do that. so, for instance, if I'm in MS Word, I click 'save as', and then click the desktop in the sidebar, nothing happens - I just continue to see whatever folder I was in the last time I saved. does that make sense?

Genie

[Jay]

Could you check if the Dropbox Backup feature contains the Desktop folder, and any others, from this page?

[Genie123]

yes, the My Mac back folder contains the desktop. I've tried moving it back to the sidebar but I just get another empty and inaccessible folder. i guess i'm doing it the wrong way (dragging and dropping)

i'd actually like to switch off backup - I gather it's more or less the same as Time Machine, which I"m already using? 

[Hannah]

Hey @Genie123, if you'd like to turn off the Dropbox backup of your desktop folder, you can follow the steps here.

Let us know how it goes.