Dropbox Location Change on MacOS 12.6

[OldMacGuy]

Just installed DropBox update v157.4.4808 on a MacbookPro 13,3 running MacOS 12.6.  DropBox location was moved by installer to ~/library/CloudStorage and alias moved from "Favorites" to "Locations" in sidebar.  DropBox support doc "https://help.dropbox.com/installs/macos-faqs" says new location due to change in MacOS.  HOWEVER, installed same DropBox version on an iMac 18,3 running MacOS 12.6 and the location did not change!  DropBox alias remains in "Favorites".

Anyone else run across this discrepancy?

Anyone have an idea as to cause of this discrepancy?

[Walter]

Hey @OldMacGuy, thanks for the report. 

When you say you installed the same Dropbox version, did you download and install the desktop app from this page on both devices?

Also, is this causing any specific issues or were you just curious about this?

Any additional information is more than welcome!

[OldMacGuy]

Walter:

I did not use the download page noted.  I received a notice via the DropBox menu bar app that a new version supporting MacOS 12 was available to install.  Followed the resulting install dialogue.

Everything appears to be working OK after upgrading on both systems. I am able to add items to my DropBox folder on either system and they sync just fine.  I was perplexed by the difference in the installations, given the information detailed in the support doc.  I assumed that I would run into the same Dropbox folder relocation on the iMac as I did on the MacBook Pro.  

Ultimately, just curious.

[Walter · Accepted solution]

Thanks for clarifying that for me @OldMacGuy - much appreciated.

Full support for macOS 12.5 and higher has started rolling out. Broader availability will begin in November as we work to preserve the reliability and quality of our sync experience. You will be notified when you’re eligible enroll your other device as well. 

So, in essence, this is an update to ensure that the Dropbox desktop app continues working seamlessly on your devices and what you noticed is actually part of this process. 

We currently have a private beta, which will be more widely available in October. If you’re interested in joining, you can turn on early releases.

I hope this helps!

[benjackson]

This change prevents having a Dropbox location on an external drive though. Is the update in October going to allow this again? i realize it’s a macOS new restriction but this essentially makes Dropbox worthless to me if I can’t store my 2tb on an external drive. I’ll have to switch to owncloud or something. It’s also not consistent as this post explains. I’ve experienced this too. I have a MacBook Pro M1 Pro on 12.6 and it’s allowing me to keep my Dropbox location on an external ssd but when I migrated that user to a Mac mini I cannot hey it to allow the same and I won’t be able to use Dropbox to store files on the external ssd and sync up with my other devices. I also have a hackintosh on 12.6 and it’s allowing an external location

how can I force Dropbox to allow an external drive location even if macOS doesn’t want it that way? Clearly it’s still possible even on 12.6 as the OP noted as well on their iMac. 

[John999]

I am confused about the effects of update to 12.6. The Dropbox button on top tool bar does not go into the Dropbox folder but a status page with "list" sync history or activity. When I click on folder it comes up with regular Dropbox folders but shows it constantly in sync mode. I have stopped it syncing but whenever I go back it still has a static blue sync indicator. While I have been out of IT for many years this does a. not help b. shows a possible lack of compatibility with 12.6?

[Walter]

Hey @benjackson & @John999 - thank you both for your feedback on this; we'll make sure to pass it to the team. 

In regards to your question @benjackson, I'm afraid this is not possible at this time. Is there any specific reason you'd need your Dropbox folder on an external drive? 

When it comes to the issue you described @John999, could you send us a screenshot of the app's status as shown in your menu bar so that we can have a visual too? 

[mf88]

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@Walter wrote:

In regards to your question @benjackson, I'm afraid this is not possible at this time. Is there any specific reason you'd need your Dropbox folder on an external drive? 

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I, too, rely on an external drive for my Dropbox folder. I have a Dropbox Plus plan, in which I store close to 2TB of data. Unfortunately, my Mac has only 256GB internal storage. I know that I could select online-only for the bulk of my Dropbox files and keep only a select few locally, but I want all 2TB both stored locally and continuously synced to Dropbox. Having my Dropbox folder on an external drive made this possible. Is there an alternate solution that I'm missing?

[benjackson]

I really cannot fathom how you can ask that question. "Is there any specific reason you'd need your Dropbox folder on an external drive?" That is so blatantly obvious that I cannot believe you asked it. Internal drives being small, dropboxes being large. Why is that not absolutely obvious!!!

And no, having offline files is NOT an option. My efficiency and workflow is SIGNIFICANTLY effected by this setup. I cannot get any work done at a normal pace.

Unacceptable, especially when competing cloud services have a way around it.

[podusa]

I wonder too! If I’m not going to be able to store on external drive in the future it’s unusable to me (and many of my colleagues working with music production. FAR too big files to store internally)

But, I really can’t a definite answer from Dropbox officials? :
Is it going to be an option to have Dropbox stores on an external hard drive in future releases? Yes or no?