Dropbox application keeps crashing at starting mojave 10.14.6

[PHILZ]

Today, Dropbox sudently started acting up. The app keeps crashing while trying to start. I see the icon in the dock appearing, trying to sync, then desappearing. It does it again and again. I tried reinstall dropbox but doesn't do anything.

I'm using Mojave 10.14.6

Anybody knows how to fix this?

[Jane]

Hey @PHILZ, sorry to hear that you’re facing issues upon launching the app; I’m here to work with you towards a fix! 

For starters Phil, can you let me know if the app has been syncing at all after you reboot your device/ launch it through Applications? If so, what’s the status of the Dropbox icon on your menu bar? 

If that’s okay with you, I’d also appreciate a screenshot (omitting personal info) of this view; please include it in your next post here if possible. 

Off the top of my head, I’d suspect Symlinks to be the culprit here, however I’d also like to see if there are other applications trying to access your files in Dropbox that may cause a conflict. 

Once I have a look at this, I’ll try to focus on that a bit closer. Thanks in advance!

[PHILZ]

Hello,

After reboot, the app start and crashes and restarts and crashes again. It's  a loop. First i don't see the app icon in the menu bar, then it appears, start syncing, disappear, starts again and so on...

I even updated my os to the new Catalina. Same. 

[PHILZ]

Firstthenand again

[Здравко]

Hi @PHILZ,

Would be fine to be known actual Dropbox application version. If you can't see it in the icon's popup, post in your next reply the result from following commands:

cat /Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Info.plist | grep -A 1 CFBundleVersion
cat ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dropbox/Dropbox.app/Contents/Info.plist | grep -A 1 CFBundleVersion

Did you try unlink and link it again? Seems like autoupgrade is on the go, but something prevent it in inappropriate way. You can also try:

rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dropbox/Dropbox.app

In such a way the place where the new version can be seated is freed.

Hope this gives some way.

[PHILZ]

Version is V83.4.152

If i unlink and re-link. It'll erase the files from my computer? Is there a way to prevent re-dounwloading everything?

[Здравко]

Unlink-relink will not change anything in the fileset on your computer. Redownloading should not happens or at least for files which are already in sync.

Did you try clear your local application cache first? Or you can do it just before relink.

rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dropbox/Dropbox.app

[PHILZ]

@Здравко 

Ok. Just unlinked.

Now, dropbox starts, then i try to reconnect with my account, then app says the i succesfully relinked, then try to sync, then crashes again, then restarts, then asks to reconnect and so on......

[PHILZ]

In the terminal? yes i did clear the application cache, as you requested 

Still the same

[Здравко · Accepted solution]

Wow... That's not good.

Ok, the last thing full uninstall. Unlink Dropbox. Stop the application. Execute following commands:

rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dropbox
rm -rf /Applications/Dropbox.app
rm -rf ~/.dropbox

After that download & install it again.

Your files are in safe.

Hope this will helps.