cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Announcements
Want to learn some quick and useful tips to make your day easier? Check out how Calvin uses Replay to get feedback from other teams at Dropbox here.

Integrations

Find solutions to issues with third-party integrations from the Dropbox Community. Share advice and help members with their integration questions.

cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Re: In a "mdworker quit unexpectedly" loop after turning on Smart Sync

In a "mdworker quit unexpectedly" loop after turning on Smart Sync

Kidhack
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

Ever since turning on Dropbox Smart Sync, Spotlight has been going nuts and using tons of CPU. The helper app "mdworker" is constantly crashing. Will report back after Dropbox finishes indexing all the Smart Sync files. 

Quit unexpectedly

PS. Funny you can't link Dropbox photos to the image uploader in this forum.

 
102 Replies 102

Leno M.
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

I am having the same issue. I tried the code to disable and it has stoped for now. I have not yet enabled it again. 

 

 

Leno M.
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

I enabled it and the error came back. So I have to keep spotlight disable for the error to go away or close dropbox for it to dissaper. 

 

I have tried to unsync my dropbox and sync again same error.

markh31
New member | Level 2
Go to solution

I have encountered spotlight being unable to index my entire drive after enabling smart sync.   I placed my Dropbox folder into the Privacy Tab of Spotlight (in System prefs) and spotlight was then able to complete an index of my computer (minus the dropbox folder of course).   There appears to be something inside the dropbox folder that is giving Spotlight a problem - prior to enabling smart sync spotlight had no issues that I know of.

 

mark

Kidhack
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution
Leno M.
I think the issue is that Spotlight indexing get's held up on a corrupt file (or maybe thinks the Smart Sync files are corrupt) and has to time out on the process before the errors go away. I assume that even though you disabled Dropbox, the MDWORKER is still trying to finish it's process. I found that errors go away in time, even if not disabling the MDWORKER in terminal. I just shove the error dialog to the corner of my screen and keep working. What ever is going does seem to empty my brand new laptop batter pretty quick.

markh31
What is your OS? I'm having general Spotlight indexing issues after migrating my computer on Sierra. It seems to be having a lot of problems indexing older media like emails and files older than 2016. Some people recommend reinstalling the OS, but I just don't have the time at the moment at work to dedicate the time to do it.

Leno M.
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

Mine is Sierra as well and if I leave it one it did not go away for at least 6 hours. I closed dropbox after that and it stoped.

markh31
New member | Level 2
Go to solution
using sierra

Kidhack
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

 zobie: no.

HusseinH
Explorer | Level 4
Go to solution
Thank you, this was so helpful

Kidhack
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution
I haven't had any issues for a while now. Not sure what changed.

HusseinH
Explorer | Level 4
Go to solution
Did you turn back search?
I still have the issue whenever I need to turn back search. It's quite annoying actually because I can't search for anything, unless I turn back search and then I have to turn it off to get rid of the "mdworker quit unexpectedly" pop-ups 😞
Need more support?