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alphi's avatar
alphi
Helpful | Level 5
7 years ago
Solved

Permissions Error Message every time Dropbox starts

As of yesterday, when I start up my Mac (High Sierra) I get a message saying "Dropbox needs to change permissions for the Folder:  ... " The folder location is correct, and it has not changed in months/years.

 

I have found someone else with exactly the same issue - https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Error-messages/Permissions-Error-Message-All-of-a-Sudden/td-p/264080 - but the solution was given to the poster outside of the community messages.

 

What do I do to fix this?

Thanks

 

desktop
Error Messages
Setting up the apps
  • alphi's avatar
    alphi
    7 years ago

    Hi Jane - several restarts did nothing, but quitting dropbox, and then restarting, did the trick. I didn't expect it to be so easy :)

  • Jane's avatar
    Jane
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    7 years ago
    Hey alphi, thanks for checking in with us referencing the previous discussion, I hope you’re doing well today! 
     
    As I’d like to get a better idea of what you’re experiencing, would you mind sharing a screenshot of how the error message appears to you? You may keep in mind that in some occasions the solution may be specific to a user’s setup or device settings & that’s why the solution wasn’t posted back on the thread. 
     
    To give you some possible hints to help you determine the possible cause, could you check if the are Symlinked or referenced locations inside your Dropbox folder? Also, is it likely that an application could be using the files placed in your Dropbox folder? Have you tried quitting all other apps & restarting Dropbox?
     
    Once you let me know of this info, I’ll make sure to get back in touch with you in a bit more detail. Thanks & I’m positive we’ll figure a solution together here! 
    • alphi's avatar
      alphi
      Helpful | Level 5
      7 years ago

      Hi Jane - several restarts did nothing, but quitting dropbox, and then restarting, did the trick. I didn't expect it to be so easy :)

      • Jane's avatar
        Jane
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
        7 years ago
        Ah, it’s great to hear that you got this sorted with this easy fix alphi! :slight_smile:
         
        You may keep in mind that unlinking & relinking your account on your desktop recreates the local database, so it's a great troubleshooting step you could use again in the future.
         
        Other than that, it’ll be a pleasure to work with you again in the future, so please do let us know here in case you have more thoughts or questions. Happy Dropboxing & I hope you have a wonderful week ahead! 

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