Couldn't start Dropbox permissions error

[Andy Coda]

Hi,

My dropbox app won't open at all anymore. I get a Couldn't Open Dropbox message saying it's usually a permissions error. I've been through my shared folders on the webpage and checked and removed them, I've followed a series of terminal scripts from the FAQ section but it did nothing. Help! 🙂

I'm on Mac OSX 10.13.6 (can't update any further) and this is the 'following info for help' text:

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox

bn.VERSION: 118.4.460

bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 47

bn.is_frozen: True

machine_id: 98d693a2-5ca3-5e2f-9968-c7834cc9259c

pid: 742

ppid: 1

uid: 501

user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='andrewmackay', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='CODA', pw_dir='/Users/andrewmackay', pw_shell='/bin/bash')

effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='andrewmackay', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='CODA', pw_dir='/Users/andrewmackay', pw_shell='/bin/bash')

euid: 501

gid: 20

egid: 20

group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root', '_xcsbuildagent'])

effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root', '_xcsbuildagent'])

DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: None

cwd: '/'

     real_path='/'

            mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0

     parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0

HOME: '/Users/andrewmackay'

appdata: '/Users/andrewmackay/.dropbox/instance1'

         real_path='/Users/andrewmackay/.dropbox/instance1'

                mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20

         parent mode=0o40722 uid=501 gid=20

dropbox_path: '/Users/andrewmackay/Dropbox'

              real_path='/Users/andrewmackay/Dropbox'

                    mode=0o40722 uid=501 gid=20

              parent mode=0o40777 uid=501 gid=20

sys_executable: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'

                real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'

                      mode=0o100777 uid=501 gid=20

                parent mode=0o40777 uid=501 gid=20

trace.__file__: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Resources/python-packages.zip/dropbox/client/ui/common/boot_error.pyc'

                real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Resources/python-packages.zip/dropbox/client/ui/common/boot_error.pyc'

                      not found

                parent not found

tempdir: '/var/folders/9x/d16hd_ts6tz685wd0jkv1h_80000gn/T'

         real_path='/private/var/folders/9x/d16hd_ts6tz685wd0jkv1h_80000gn/T'

                mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20

         parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 7701, in main_startup

  File "dropbox/client/ui/cocoa/uikit.pyc", line 726, in initialize

  File "dropbox/client/ui/cocoa/uikit.pyc", line 289, in create_app

  File "dropbox/client/ui/cocoa/uikit.pyc", line 250, in static_init

Exception: should not give write permissions to other users for the module, /Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Frameworks/DropboxCrashpad.framework/Versions/A/DropboxCrashpad, loaded by Tungsten

Appreciate any help! Thanks in advnace!

Andy

[joshk90]

Thank you Megan.

I was able to do an advance re-install and it worked!

Can you please advise how to avoid this happening again in the future?

Thank you,

[Megan]

Hey @joshk90, awesome news! 

I'm not entirely sure if that was a file permission error, or some temporary issue with the app. 

In any case, if you come across something similar in the future, we're one post away. 

Have a lovely weekend ahead,enjoy!