Help! "Couldn't start Dropbox" error (Mac & Big Sur)

[prc87]

Dropbox won't start on my MacBook Air (13" 2018), with Big Sur 11.3.1.

Have uninstalled dropbox and reinstalled. Same error

Uninstalled again, advanced re-install. Same error

AFAIK, vanilla install, with dropbox folder in default location.

Used to work, but stopped when rebooted laptop after 11.3.1 upgrade

Help!

Error messages:

"Couldn't start dropbox"

"This is usually because of a permissions error. Storing your home folder on a network share can also cause this error."

Contents of error file:

"

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox

bn.VERSION: 122.4.4867

bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 48

bn.is_frozen: True

machine_id: 664c1217-e060-5667-8990-51d38e73896b

pid: 815

ppid: 1

uid: 502

user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='petercrow', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=502, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Peter Crow', pw_dir='/Users/petercrow', pw_shell='/bin/bash')

effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='petercrow', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=502, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Peter Crow', pw_dir='/Users/petercrow', pw_shell='/bin/bash')

euid: 502

gid: 20

egid: 20

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

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

DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: None

cwd: '/'

     real_path='/'

            mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0

     parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0

HOME: '/Users/petercrow'

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

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

                mode=0o40700 uid=502 gid=20

         parent mode=0o40755 uid=502 gid=20

dropbox_path: '/Users/petercrow/Dropbox'

              real_path='/Users/petercrow/Dropbox'

                    not found

              parent mode=0o40777 uid=502 gid=20

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

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

                      mode=0o100755 uid=502 gid=20

                parent mode=0o40755 uid=502 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/y5/nky42css7sbgmkskdqtx09q80000gp/T'

         real_path='/private/var/folders/y5/nky42css7sbgmkskdqtx09q80000gp/T'

                mode=0o40700 uid=502 gid=20

         parent mode=0o40755 uid=502 gid=20

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 807, in wrapper

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6277, in finish_dropbox_boot

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6497, in on_fresh_link

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6534, in create_dropbox_folder

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 1236, in safe_makedirs

  File "os.pyc", line 223, in makedirs

PermissionError: [Errno 1] Operation not permitted: '/Users/petercrow/Dropbox'

"

[LBG01]

Happened after Montery upgrade.  Tried this solution, didn't work.

n.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox

bn.VERSION: 134.4.4115

bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 51

bn.is_frozen: True

machine_id: ddc1034c-a7af-5798-a128-21dbca2d510b

pid: 1023

ppid: 1

uid: 501

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

effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='larrygoldstein', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Larry Goldstein', pw_dir='/Users/larrygoldstein', 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', '_nsurlstoraged'])

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

DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: None

cwd: '/'

     real_path='/'

            mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0

     parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0

HOME: '/Users/larrygoldstein'

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

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

                mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20

         parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20

dropbox_path: '/Users/larrygoldstein/Dropbox'

              real_path='/Users/larrygoldstein/Dropbox'

                    mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20

              parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20

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

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

                      mode=0o100755 uid=501 gid=20

                parent mode=0o40755 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/cy/_dkr8xkn2b9g86jggm4ck2rw0000gn/T'

         real_path='/private/var/folders/cy/_dkr8xkn2b9g86jggm4ck2rw0000gn/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 816, in wrapper

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6537, in finish_dropbox_boot

  File "dropbox/client/message_queue.pyc", line 313, in _wrapped

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6070, in _init_components_for_account

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 5994, in create_sync_engine

  File "dropbox/sync_engine_boundary/factory.pyc", line 226, in make_sync_engine

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/sync_engine.pyc", line 278, in __init__

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/modern_client.pyc", line 245, in __init__

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/base.pyc", line 152, in __init__

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.pyc", line 209, in __init__

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.pyc", line 520, in _init_new_engine_locked

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/thin_client/client.pyc", line 188, in __init__

  File "desktop/extensions/nucleus/nucleus_python.pyx", line 76, in nucleus_python.NucleusSyncEngine.__cinit__

nucleus_python.SyncEngineError: "Initializing engine |>> Initializing filesystem |>> Attempting to register icons |>> fchflags syscall: _set_hidden |>> Permission denied"

[Megan]

Hi @LBG01, happy November 1st! 

Would you mind trying these steps, and performing an Advanced re-install? 

That should do the trick. 

Keep me posted on the results.

 

[LBG01]

I already tried this- twice.  Same problem.

[Megan]

Would it be possible for me to reach out via email, @LBG01? 

I'd be happy to see more info on it there.

[LBG01]

Sure.  Send me your email.  Any help figuring this out would be appreciated.

[Megan]

Hi @LBG01!

You should have an email from me, in order for us to look into this.

Reply back, and I'll see you there!

[LBG01]

OK

[prc87]

After experiencing the ‘could not start’ problem with Big Sur, and fixing it, the problem resurfaced when upgrading to Monterey. 

The solution, for us, was to

1. Decommission the BitDefender anti-ransomware (one aspect of which prevents new software from running unless approved)
2. Remove dropbox completely from the computer
3. Reboot
4. Do the advanced dropbox install
5. Reboot
6. Reinstate BitDefender
7. ‘Whitelist’ dropbox within BitDefender
8. Reboot

All applications, including both BitDefender and dropbox started correctly, and they seem to be operating correctly too.

[LBG01]

Hi-  Any other thoughts?  Still same error on DB desktop.  Can access on my Laptop running Monterey.  Still not working on my iMac running the same system.

[washburn311]

Had the same problem. This worked for me. Did not have to reboot computer or reinstall anything.