Dropbox won't start on my Windows 10 computer

[nielsvb]

I noticed that the dropbox icon was not in my apps tray, so I tried to start it manually, clicking the icon on my desktop. Nothing happens - win 10 task manager shows that it starts, but the program disappears from the list again.

Restarting my pc doesn't do the trick, clicking on the dropbox.exe file doesn't do the trick. I checked the start up settings, nothing strange there (task manager again). I just cannot start Dropbox - it seems to be blocked or something. Dropbox updater is running though....

Is there any way I can repair this without having to go through a de- and re-install and re-sync for 2 days?

[nielsvb]

it gets weirder....

I decide to uninstall anyway - since that's the best advice I can find on this issue - but now windows 10 won't let me uninstall dropbox!

So I cannot start it, I cannot use it, I cannot uninstall it .... what the heck do i do now? Remove all links to dropbox in the register?

[Mark · Accepted solution]

I would do all of that yes.

Remove all references to Dropbox in the registry. Remove any .exe references etc. to Dropbox. Restart computer.

Try a reinstall from www.dropbox.com/downloading

[nielsvb]

Just did a re-install. Seems to work fine now (got a scare because 2 days of work seemed gone, but are in 'conflicted files'...)

[Deanso]

I have the same problem, also on Windows 10.  I can't uninstall it.  I can't reinstall it even with the offline installer.  How do I remove Dropbox from the registry easily so I can reinstall it?  Thanks

[nielsvb]

Hi Deanso, I didn't bother cleaning the registry, just did a clean install and it worked fine again. Sorry, can't help you with your situation.

[Deanso]

Thanks for answering 🙂  I can't deinstall it and I can't reinstall it either.  Any ideas?

[Jimminy]

I have been dealing with this for months!  And Dropbox support ought to be embarrassed by their lack of a resolution after all this time.  They keep giving me the same fixes over and over, obviously they on't care enough to do anything but keep sending my the same stock email (open the ports, unblock in firewall, etc) that haven't helped.

My dropbox stopped starting at system start and would show the same behavior as to OP.  Crashes upon manual startup, can't be reinstalled, the installer crashes or maybe finishes but still can't start the client.  I've uninstalled, purged everything from the registry, tried the offline installer, shut down Windows Firewall, removed antivirus.  No help.  All I can do from here is reinstall Windows, but I'm not doing that just because Dropbox won't run.  No other program has a problem, just Dropbox.

It may have something to do with having my Dropbox folder on a secondary drive, but it's been like that for at least a year with no problem.  Dropbox works on all other computers I use, including mobile devices.  Just one computer won't run it.

If anyone has any ideas, PLEASE do what Dropbox won't and give me a hand.  Thanks!

[VetSvet]

Same issue on our work laptop. Is there really no one with solution of this problem?

[Christine G.]

I am having same issue on home laptop... works fine everywhere else but says Ápp won't start' when I try to open any dropbox files.

Any ideas?