Couldn't start dropbox - permissions error message on mac

[PennyB]

I'm unable to use dropbox on my mac, this message is popping up. 

Is there a dropbox helpline?! Please help, I'm hopeless at tech and really hoping to get my admin assistant back in to see my files again. 

Thanks! 

[Jay]

Hi @PennyB, thanks for posting on the Community!

Could you click the blue link in the error message, and then post the text in a reply so I can assist with the next steps to make it work?

Keep me posted!

[PennyB]

Hi Jay

Thanks so much, this is the text : 

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox

bn.VERSION: 104.4.175

bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 44

bn.is_frozen: True

machine_id: 361497d8-f37d-53a9-9561-e0202b917d59

pid: 2360

ppid: 1

uid: 501

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

effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='penny', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=501, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Penny Baldry', pw_dir='/Users/penny', 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', 'penny', '_xcsbuildagent', '_serialnumberd', '_xcscredserver'])

effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root', 'penny', '_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/penny'

appdata: '/Users/penny/.dropbox/instance2'

         real_path='/Users/penny/.dropbox/instance2'

                mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20

         parent mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20

dropbox_path: '/Users/penny/Dropbox'

              real_path='/Users/penny/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/22/9d6vg0154ng_hbfv3vwhbwnm0000gn/T'

         real_path='/private/var/folders/22/9d6vg0154ng_hbfv3vwhbwnm0000gn/T'

                mode=0o40700 uid=501 gid=20

         parent mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "dropbox/sqlite3_helpers.pyc", line 291, in execute

sqlite3.OperationalError: disk I/O error

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 7724, in main_startup

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 3132, in run

  File "dropbox/client/configuration/manager.pyc", line 238, in load_config

  File "dropbox/client/config.pyc", line 85, in __getitem__

  File "dropbox/sqlite3_helpers.pyc", line 296, in execute

  File "dropbox/sqlite3_helpers.pyc", line 262, in _raise_better_operational_exception

  File "six.pyc", line 695, in reraise

  File "dropbox/sqlite3_helpers.pyc", line 291, in execute

dropbox.sqlite3_exceptions.DiskIOError

[Здравко]

Hi @PennyB,

Seems configuration data got broken somehow. The easiest way fix this going to be erase existing configuration (in fact force unlink), using following in terminal:

rm -rf ~/.dropbox

Next, launch Dropbox and link back the application to your account.

Hope this helps.

[Jay]

Hi @PennyB, it looks like the Dropbox desktop application doesn't seem to be working as it should.

If you're not on a Dropbox Basic plan with more than 3 devices connected, could you try an advanced reinstall of the app using the steps in this link?
 

Let me know how it goes!