Mac - Changed User Name

[seanbonfire]

Hello

I recently changed the name of the User on my Desktop Mac from apple to a different one.

Since then I have tried to uninstall and reinstall Dropbox repeatedly but it keeps looking for a non-existent folder:

/Users/apple/.dropbox

It then tells me it Couldn't start Dropbox and gives me an error file to send to Dropbox support but I can't find anywhere to send it to.

The problem is there must be a file somewhere on my Mac telling it to follow that path?

I have tried to delete ‘Everything’ related to Dropbox that I can find anywhere along with the application itself.

Including files with the Library and files I found active in Activity Monitor but the same thing keeps happening.

Any help or advice would be very welcome

Mac OS12.2 Dropbox 141.4.3299

[Rich]

---

@seanbonfire wrote:

It then tells me it Couldn't start Dropbox and gives me an error file to send to Dropbox support but I can't find anywhere to send it to.

---

You need to perform an advanced reinstall. Refer to the following help article:

• https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/desktop/advanced-reinstall

[seanbonfire · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the reply Rich, much appreciated.
I just solved the issue a slightly different way by setting up a temporary new user called 'apple'  and reinstalled and it opened and gave me the opportunity to change the folder path in preferences.

[StefMat]

Hello, 

I am actually having the same problem. I changed the username on my mac and dropbox is reacting exactly as you described.

I would be grateful if you could explain a bit more in detail how you managed to fix the problem.

Thanks,

Stef

[Jay]

Hi @StefMat, in order to be certain you're experiencing the same issue, could you copy and paste the error log in the blue text link from when you attempt to load the Dropbox desktop application?

[flbo]

Hi, I have the same issue, and can post my error log.

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
bn.VERSION: 180.4.4912
bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 62
bn.is_frozen: True
machine_id: fa642afa-f787-594a-8bd9-fb4538396806
pid: 587
ppid: 1
uid: 501
user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='flomacmini', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='flomacmini', pw_dir='/Users/flomacmini', pw_shell='/bin/bash')
effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='flomacmini', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='flomacmini', pw_dir='/Users/flomacmini', 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', 'floimac', '_serialnumberd'])
effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root', 'floimac', '_serialnumberd'])
DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: None
cwd: '/'
real_path='/'
mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=80
parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=80
HOME: '/Users/flomacmini'
appdata: '/Users/floimac/.dropbox/instance1'
real_path='/Users/floimac/.dropbox/instance1'
not found
parent not found
dropbox_path: None
not found
parent not found
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/s0/mjfj28qj469693j3_sxvnw240000gn/T'
real_path='/private/var/folders/s0/mjfj28qj469693j3_sxvnw240000gn/T'
mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 1248, in safe_makedirs
File "desktop/dropbox/fsutil.py", line 706, in safe_makedirs
File "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 213, in makedirs
File "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 213, in makedirs
File "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 223, in makedirs
PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/Users/floimac'

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 7858, in main_startup
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 2663, in initialize
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 1611, in startup_low
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 1257, in safe_makedirs
File "desktop/dropbox/fsutil.py", line 706, in safe_makedirs
File "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 213, in makedirs
File "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 213, in makedirs
File "../mac_x86_64_dropbox_virtual_env/lib/python3.8/os.py", line 223, in makedirs
PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/Users/floimac'

[Hannah]

Hey @flbo, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Can you try the steps in Jay's reply here, to see if they help?