Multiple Members with Multiple Mac Users

[rbsalz]

I have a Dropbox Business Advanced Plan.  I am using two of the member accounts, one for business files and one for personal files.  I want to separate silos for work and personal matters.  

I use a Mac and have two user accounts set up, one for business and one personal.  

I want to set up the business Mac user account to sync with with the DB user member account via the DB app.  I want the Mac personal user to sync with the DB personal member account.  

I downloaded the DB app and set up the Mac business user to sync with the DB business member.  It works just fine.  

I then set up the personal user to sync with the personal DB member account, and initially, it worked fine too.  I could switch between user accounts and both DB member accounts synced with both Mac user accounts they way I intended.  

But the next day, I logged onto the Mac as the business user and the DB app worked fine. When I logged into the personal user Mac account, the DB app wouldn't start.  "Couldn't start Dropbox.  This is usually because of a permissions error.  Storing your home folder on a network share can also cause an error."  

I can resolve by reinstalling the DB app, and setting up the personal account all over again.  If I log out of one of the accounts, then log back in, I get the same error message.  

I appreciate any help from anyone who has encountered this.   

Thanks.  

[Walter]

Hey there @rbsalz  - sorry to hear about this.

I'm not sure if this is indeed related but I've seen some similar reports recently.  

Could you try re-installing one last time for both user profiles using our latest version's stable build's offline installer as found at the following page?

https://www.dropbox.com/downloading?build=70.4.93&plat=mac&type=full

Let me know how it goes please!

[rbsalz]

Is this version different from one that I installed 2 days ago?

Thanks.

[Walter]

You can check this out if you like @rbsalz!

To do this, simply take a look at the Dropbox icon in your menu bar and see what the exact message being displayed reads. 

Even if you notice the same version on one of your instances, I'd still give our offline installer a go!

Let me know of any updates!

[rbsalz]

I’ll try. Thanks.

[Chris_J]

Hello rbsalz

Often, I refer Mac users to look at this article:  https://help.dropbox.com/syncing-uploads/stuck-syncing

Pay extra attention to the Subheading regarding permission.  I would do the steps it listed to fix permissions.

Hopes this helps

[GFP]

I just set up a new Mac Mini and have the same problem.  I've got three users, and logged in as anyone of them I can download a new version of the dropbox App and set up sync.  But when I then log out, and log in as a different user, the dropbox app won't work and I get "couldn't start dropbox" error message again.  So I download a fresh version of dropbox, get that working, log out, login to the previous account, that was working, and now it's broken.  Help?

[Chris_J]

Hello GFP

Fyi, when you are running the Desktop CLient, one links there account via tokens once authentication is done with Dropbox servers.  You can't log out and log in as it doesn't really use username and password.  If this is the case, you would need to unlink it.

you can view the links devices here https://www.dropbox.com/account/security

also you can unlink it by clicking on the X on the right hand side of the device name

Hopes this helps 

[GFP]

Chris, in this case I have one machine, two different users, with two different dropbox accounts.  But if one logs into their account and sets up dropbox, then the other user cannot get to their dropbox folders...    Usually that works, multiple users on one machine, each able to get to their own dropbox folders.  Am I missing something?

[rbsalz]

Seems like GFP and I are trying to accomplish the same thing, but are having the same issue.  I find it hard to believe it's not  some kind of setting and/or permissioning issue.  I also find it hard to believe that there aren't thousands of other Mac users who also want to (or who have figured out how to) link DB member accounts with unique Mac user accounts residing on the same computer.