Dropbox won't start for multiple MacOS users

[DanielSchaffer]

I have a brand new MacBook Pro running MacOS Catalina (10.15.2), and I'm trying to set up separate MacOS users with the same Dropbox account. After successfully installing Dropbox for User "A" and logging in as User "B", I was unable to start Dropbox, and got a MacOS error message saying "The application "Dropbox" can't be opened". I tried installing Dropbox again as User "B", and was able to launch Dropbox - but after logging back in as User "A", I was no longer able to use Dropbox, getting the same "The application "Dropbox" can't be opened" error. I don't necessarily care about both users being able to use the same files or sharing a Dropbox folder, but they do both need to be able to use Dropbox.

[Daphne]

Hey @DanielSchaffer, thanks for reaching out to us here!

You should be able to use Dropbox on each User profile, but you'll indeed need to have separate installations of the desktop app to run on each profile.

If you haven't done so already, can you reboot your device and ensure that the app is installed separately under each User profile and see if you have the same error message?

Should you still be getting the same error message, can you just try manually closing the desktop app before switching profiles to see if that does the trick?

Let me know how it goes and we can take it from there!

[DanielSchaffer]

Can you clarify what you mean by "installed separately under each User profile"? Each user has their own Dropbox folder under /Home/(user)/Dropbox, but the application itself is installed in the machine-level Applications folder. I didn't see any options in the installer, nor the "advanced install" instructions that would do anything different.

[Daphne]

Thanks for getting back to me here @DanielSchaffer!

Installing the desktop app under each profile would just require you to sign into a user profile and install the desktop app, signing into that user's Dropbox account.

Then, you would sign into the next profile and install the desktop app again, signing into that user's Dropbox account. Rinse and repeat for all the different users.

Can you let me know if this is how you set up the desktop apps on this device?

Keep me posted!

[DanielSchaffer]

Yes, that is what I did. Only the most recently installed user is able to load the app. This holds true through repeated installs with the same users. I’ve also tried various combinations of uninstalling and reinstalling, all with the same result.

[Daphne]

Thanks for clarifying that for me @DanielSchaffer!

Can you send me a screenshot of the error message that you're getting when trying to open the desktop app on another user profile than the one Dropbox was last installed on?

Also, can you just let me know if this persists when you close the Dropbox app processes (by "Force quitting") on the working user profile before then switching to another profile?

Cheers!

[DanielSchaffer]

When I installed Dropbox on the 2nd user profile, and switched back to the original user profile, the main Dropbox process/app is automatically killed. I also tried killing the additional processes (/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/PlugIns/garcon.appex/Contents/MacOS/garcon), and still got the error.

The "?" icon just brings up a blank window.

[DanielSchaffer]

I'm also seeing this "HTTP status 501" error in Console.app on the profile that can't load Dropbox:

I do not see this error on the working profile.

[Daphne]

Thanks for your patience here @DanielSchaffer!

I'd like to have a better look into this with the device specific info too, so I've reached out to the email address linked with your profile here.

If you'd like to, please check your inbox for my message and we can take it from there.

Thanks!