Error "Couldn't start Dropbox" - MacOS Catalina

[DavidMiller99]

I got a new iMac with Catalina installed, transferred my files from my old iMac to the new one. I get the following message:

I found some info about uninstalling Dropbox on another post (https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/desktop/uninstall-dropbox ), stopped all Dropbox processes in Activity Monitor (Yes, in spite of the message, Dropbox was running), deleted Dropbox, deleted all the files mentioned and some others I found, and reinstalled Dropbox. This improved things a bit, in that Dropbox now goes through the setup screens, and it now shows up in the task bar, but it still displays the message above. When I click on the icon in the task bar, the only thing I see is the above message. I deleted some files in my Dropbox folder and added another one. It doesn't get synced with my online Dropbox account. BTW, the clickable link in the screenshot wasn't clickable until I reinstalled Dropbox. Now it is. The last 2 lines are:

nucleus_python.NucleusSyncEngine.__cinit__
nucleus_python.SyncEngineError: "Initializing engine |>> Initializing filesystem |>> Attempting to register icons |>> Opening dst |>> open syscall |>> Permission denied"

[Здравко]

Hi @DavidMiller99,

It's better entire file content, pointed by the link, be posted so more info, about the issue, gets available. Anyway... according your description sounds like wrong some file attribute (or similar) in Dropbox directory. You can try reset significant attributes in your directory using something like:

sudo chflags -R noschg ~/Dropbox
sudo chflags -R nouchg ~/Dropbox
sudo chown -R "$USER" ~/Dropbox
chmod -RN ~/Dropbox
chmod -R u+rw ~/Dropbox

"~/Dropbox" is the default place; if this folder has been moved somewhere else, correct it appropriately.

Let's hope this will help.

[DavidMiller99]

Hi Здравко,

I will try what you suggest. 

Thanks!

Here is the full file: [except that when I attempted to post this, I got this message: "Your post has been changed because invalid HTML was found in the message body. The invalid HTML has been removed." I compared the text quickly with the original and it all seems to be there, but I didn't compare character by character.]

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox

bn.VERSION: 105.4.651

bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 45

bn.is_frozen: True

machine_id: e72c679a-0dc9-508b-9025-55387b00cb4e

pid: 21566

ppid: 1

uid: 503

user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='david', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=503, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='David ', pw_dir='/Users/david', pw_shell='/bin/bash')

effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='david', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=503, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='David ', pw_dir='/Users/david', pw_shell='/bin/bash')

euid: 503

gid: 20

egid: 20

group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root', 'davidmiller'])

effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root', 'davidmiller'])

DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: None

cwd: '/'

     real_path='/'

            mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0

     parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0

HOME: '/Users/david'

appdata: '/Users/david/.dropbox/instance1'

         real_path='/Users/david/.dropbox/instance1'

                mode=0o40700 uid=503 gid=20

         parent mode=0o40700 uid=503 gid=20

dropbox_path: '/Users/david/Dropbox'

              real_path='/Users/david/Dropbox'

                    mode=0o40755 uid=503 gid=20

              parent mode=0o40755 uid=503 gid=20

sys_executable: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'

                real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'

                      mode=0o100755 uid=503 gid=20

                parent mode=0o40755 uid=503 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/xl/7sd622f88xj17300r6bf936h0000gq/T'

         real_path='/private/var/folders/xl/7sd622f88xj17300r6bf936h0000gq/T'

                mode=0o40700 uid=503 gid=20

         parent mode=0o40755 uid=503 gid=20

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 793, in wrapper

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6534, in finish_dropbox_boot

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 5998, in _init_components_for_account

  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 5949, in create_sync_engine

  File "dropbox/sync_engine_boundary/factory.pyc", line 264, in make_sync_engine

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/sync_engine.pyc", line 345, in __init__

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/modern_client.pyc", line 187, in __init__

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/base.pyc", line 122, in __init__

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.pyc", line 220, in __init__

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.pyc", line 576, in _init_new_engine_locked

  File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/thin_client/client.pyc", line 151, in __init__

  File "extensions/nucleus/nucleus_python.pyx", line 86, in nucleus_python.NucleusSyncEngine.__cinit__

nucleus_python.SyncEngineError: "Initializing engine |>> Initializing filesystem |>> Attempting to register icons |>> Opening dst |>> open syscall |>> Permission denied"

[Здравко · Accepted solution]

Seems you haven't moved your Dropbox folder, so don't edit anything (i.e. "~/Dropbox" is correct).

One more thing. If the previous commands don't do the trick for you, try forcibly relink the application to your account using following (make sure the application got closed in advance):

rm -rf ~/.dropbox

Next you can run the Dropbox application anew and authorize.

Good luck.

[DavidMiller99]

The sudo and chmod commands you gave me in your first reply took care of the problem! Dropbox now runs! 

Thank you Здравко!

[Supafly]

Hello,

Following a HDD crash on my mcbook and installing a new SSD and mac os, dropbox gives me the following error message when trying to set up the app on my computer:

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
bn.VERSION: 105.4.651
bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 45
bn.is_frozen: True
machine_id: eb2873da-0671-55a3-82bb-ea727b4b2329
pid: 22204
ppid: 1
uid: 502
user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='Masta', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=502, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Masta', pw_dir='/Users/Masta', pw_shell='/bin/bash')
effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='Masta', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=502, pw_gid=20, pw_gecos='Masta', pw_dir='/Users/Masta', pw_shell='/bin/bash')
euid: 502
gid: 20
egid: 20
group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root'])
effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='staff', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=20, gr_mem=['root'])
DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: None
cwd: '/'
real_path='/'
mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
HOME: '/Users/Masta'
appdata: '/Users/Masta/.dropbox/instance1'
real_path='/Users/Masta/.dropbox/instance1'
mode=0o40700 uid=502 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=502 gid=20
dropbox_path: '/Users/Masta/Dropbox'
real_path='/Users/Masta/Dropbox'
mode=0o40755 uid=501 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=502 gid=20
sys_executable: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'
real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'
mode=0o100755 uid=502 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=502 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/kf/5v8r9n9d18g3gt6gwp1zvldm0000gp/T'
real_path='/private/var/folders/kf/5v8r9n9d18g3gt6gwp1zvldm0000gp/T'
mode=0o40700 uid=502 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=502 gid=20
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 793, in wrapper
File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 6534, in finish_dropbox_boot
File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 5998, in _init_components_for_account
File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 5949, in create_sync_engine
File "dropbox/sync_engine_boundary/factory.pyc", line 264, in make_sync_engine
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/sync_engine.pyc", line 345, in __init__
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/modern_client.pyc", line 187, in __init__
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/base.pyc", line 122, in __init__
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.pyc", line 220, in __init__
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.pyc", line 576, in _init_new_engine_locked
File "dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/thin_client/client.pyc", line 151, in __init__
File "extensions/nucleus/nucleus_python.pyx", line 86, in nucleus_python.NucleusSyncEngine.__cinit__
nucleus_python.SyncEngineError: "Initializing engine |>> Initializing filesystem |>> Marking .dropbox.cache as ignored |>> Writing to xattr |>> fsetxattr syscall: write_xattr |>> Permission denied"

Can someone help me please?

thank you!!!

[Здравко]

Hi @Supafly,

Take a look here. 😉 I believe it's very similar.

Hope this helps.

[rossmr]

Здравко -

Thanks much - the sudo ch* commands worked for me after a restore from a time machine backup.

Much appreciated.

Thanks again,

Michael

[Marina Vogelhelm]

Спасибо большое!

Had the same problem and the solution worked!

[tomkowz]

Had same issue after migration using Time Machine to Big Sur. Previous solutions didn't work for me. I fixed that by renaming Dropbox dir to _Dropbox, then sign in to Dropbox and go through Advanced Settings and then it works. The app created new Dropbox directory and synced the content.