"There was a problem completing this request" on every browser operation at Dropbox website

[suirauqa]

Hello, All! I am hoping someone can offer some wise words to help with this weird problem I have started to have with the Dropbox website. Since most of my files in my Dropbox Home account are stored in the Cloud via SmartSync (as opposed to on the physical drive), I find that the website search function is usually the most helpful if I need to find some file in a pinch. However, a weird problem has been bugging me for the past several days. ANY operation on the Dropbox website--e.g., opening the site on any browser (Chrome or Edge or Firefox), clicking on contact support, trying to search for any file in my Dropbox folders--is bringing up the error message "There was a problem completing this request" (red font in a red bordered box) on top of the webpage. Worse, the search operations are not completing at all.

I don't know if this is related, but on my computer, the Dropbox App in the task tray also seems to be stuck at "Syncing 11 files" for weeks now. Rebooting the computer or restarting the app offers no resolution. 

Could any you please offer some insights on how to resolve these? Thank you. 

[Megan]

Hi @suirauqa, thanks for posting here! 

Now, let's jump into this, one issue at a time. In regards to the website access, I know it might sound trivial, but have you tried accessing our website, using an incognito tab on any of your browsers? 

Are all of your browsers up to date with the most recent updates? 

As for the app, can you clarify the app's precise syncing status, while we speak along with the version you're using on your end? 

Let me know more, and we'll take it from there! 

[suirauqa]

Hello, Megan!

Thank you for your kind response. Let me answer your questions in order.

• In regards to the website access, I know it might sound trivial, but have you tried accessing our website, using an incognito tab on any of your browsers? Yes, I have and I discovered an interesting situation.
  • If I go directly to a browser (any browser) and type in "dropbox.com" in the address bar to access my Dropbox account from there, the website works as expected. I can search for files and folders from the top search bar, no problem.
  • The problem that I reported earlier occurs reproducibly in ONE specific situation, when I access the Dropbox website by clicking on the globe icon on the popup menu from the Dropbox App (screengrab below). Getting to the Dropbox website via this method causes the exact problem I mentioned earlier.

• Are all of your browsers up to date with the most recent updates? Yes, of course. 
• As for the app, can you clarify the app's precise syncing status, while we speak along with the version you're using on your end? As you can see, the syncing status of my Dropbox App is stuck at "Syncing 11 files" for weeks now - as I mentioned earlier. This does not seem to hamper the actual syncing of newer files as and when they are generated or moved, but the status does not change, not even if I close down the Dropbox App and restart it, or reboot my computer.

Does that clarify my weird situation? Thanks again for trying to help. ~~ S

[Walter]

Hey @suirauqa, thanks for the additional information and the screenshot too. 

Have you tried clearing your browser's cache at all since you first noticed this? 

When it comes to the desktop app, can you try fixing your hardlinks and permissions and let us know if syncing gets stuck at the exac t same number of files again?

[suirauqa]

Hi there, Walter! I was really hoping that the link you provided would lead me to a solution. However, the weird bit is that I seem to have neither of those two options, "Fix hardlinks" or "Fix permissions", under my Account tab in the Dropbox app. I noted that the original message in the link was from 2020; perhaps the settings changed in these three years? Please see below for a screengrab.

Thanks for trying to help! ~~ S

[Walter]

Are you pressing down ALT+H (or the spacebar for Macs while on the Account tab @suirauqa?

[suirauqa]

@Walter, seriously, THANK YOU. I had not pressed Alt-H earlier at the Account tab. The moment I did, those options magically appeared. I clicked on Fix Hardlinks first and got a message that the hardlinks were fixed and copied into links. Next I pressed Fix Permissions. A blank console window of some kind opened up. So I closed it down. Once I closed the preferences box, I noticed Dropbox was now syncing some 10,000 files (Yikes!) and hovering on the app in the tasktray showed files being synced and uploaded. This is going to take some time I think, but I shall see what happens at the other end and write back here. 

You are awesome, Walter.

EDITED TO ADD: Sorry, the App still seems to be stuck at "Syncing 11 files." 🙄

[Megan]

Hi @suirauqa, could you try uninstalling, and re-installing the app?

Once you do, please check both the syncing status, to see if it's still stuck, and the way it behaves when it comes down to your browser when you press the globe icon, and let me know! 

[suirauqa]

Hello, @Megan!

Thank you for your message and for trying to help. I uninstalled my Dropbox app and reinstalled it from the link you gave me. I was really, really hopeful that this would work. Sadly, it was not to be. I appear to be still stuck at "Syncing 11 files." 😓

The online account access using the globe icon appears to be fine now. If this process of uninstalling and reinstalling did indeed fix that, I have you to thank for it!  So, thank you.

Best,

S

[Megan]

Hi @suirauqa, do you have any other cloud services running at the same time as the Dropbox app?

What about signing out of the app, then back in?