Permission Error Message - Dropbox could not start

[Daniel0194]

Hi, 
Dropbox always worked really smooth and I never had a problem with any of the features. 

Now, a couple of days ago I was trying to launch my dropbox and it would work, the only thing I got was an error message saying: Dropbox could not start.

It also offered me a problem report which you can find below. 

On monday I was already trying to get in touch with the DB support but without any success. 

I really need to get DB running again since I desperately need it for work.

Problem Report:

[get_extra_trace_info failed]
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "dropbox\client\main.pyo", line 829, in boot_error
File "dropbox\client\main.pyo", line 5254, in get_dropbox_path
AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'local_config'

Original traceback:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "dropbox\client\main.pyo", line 5534, in main_startup
File "dropbox\client\main.pyo", line 2033, in run
File "dropbox\client\main.pyo", line 1031, in startup_low
File "dropbox\client\flush_and_terminate\__init__.pyo", line 35, in create
File "dropbox\client\flush_and_terminate\windows.pyo", line 70, in __init__
File "dropbox\client\flush_and_terminate\windows.pyo", line 45, in create_named_process_event
error: (1332, 'LookupAccountName', 'Zuordnungen von Kontennamen und Sicherheitskennungen wurden nicht durchgef\xfchrt.')

Thank you very much in advance in case you have some tips for me. One of the possible reasons could be that the account (windows account) was changed.

Daniel

[Karina]

Hey Daniel! 

Thanks so much for posting on our forum page! 

I'd like us to move this conversation to email in order for us to get this issue resolved for you. 

Please keep an eye out for my email. Thanks! 

Best, 
Karina

[Cecibell]

Hi, I have same problem, my Dropbox could´nt start, everything was ok until now. I´m using Mac OSX 10.6.8.

Can U help me, please? Thank you

[ms3]

I've got the same problem with 10.6.8 - Have you found a solution?
martin

[van]

---

@Karinaa wrote:

Hey Daniel! 

Thanks so much for posting on our forum page! 

I'd like us to move this conversation to email in order for us to get this issue resolved for you. 

Please keep an eye out for my email. Thanks! 

Best, 
Karina

---

I'm having the same problem. I have two computers but only one (the iMac) is refusing to start up Dropbox. My other computer (a MacBookPro laptop) starts up Dropbox just fine. Both computers are running OSX 10.6.8 and both have Dropbox v. 16.4.29. I am not sure how long the iMac Dropbox has had this problem but I noticed it on Dec. 13th.

I cannot get the iMac Dropbox to load and there is no longer a Dropbox icon on the toolbar on the top of the screen. When trying to start up the Dropbox app from my applications folder, I get an alert screen saying "COULDN'T START DROPBOX" with several things to try. Which I have tried, to no avail:

1-tried to fix my permissions (no effect)
2-forwarded you the info that the alert box told me to do (so far only your automated response)
3-tried unlinking and relinking my iMac but only succeeded in part way. Could not relink because I got no prompt screen to allow me to do it.

[si1973]

I've also been experiencing the same problem for the last 2 days. My ancient 13" Macbook is running OSX 10.6.8, and I've also lost the Dropbox App from my toolbar. When starting up the app from the applications folder, the alert reads: "Couldn't start Dropbox". None of the suggested steps, including unlinking and relinking my Macbook, have worked for me. Reverting to a previous version of Dropbox and moving the App to the Utilities folder has also failed due to the auto-update feature built into the App.

This is a total nightmare for my work, especially as there was no prior warning from Dropbox.

Any help would be hugely appreciated, as I really can't afford to update my Macbook right now!

[MDW]

Hey Karinaa,

I have the same problem. 

Dropbox could not start on my iMac 10.6.8

Because you moved the conversation to email, I can't read what the possible solution is.

Can you help me?

Marc 

[hanskap]

I think i have same problem, i posted my own message. I work on a mac, i hope there is a solution for a mac too.
Thanks
Hans

[Daniel0194 · Accepted solution]

Hi Guys,
i got a message from Karina and would like to share the content so maybe it helps you guys, after this I will tell how it worked out for me:

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for taking the time to post on our forum page! I'm reaching out to you through email on order for us to get this desktop issue resolved for you!

I’ve taken a look at your account, and there appear to be some issues with the Dropbox software currently installed on your computer. To ensure that the software is working correctly, I’d like you to do a complete reinstall to try to fix the problem. This will not affect or remove the files in your Dropbox folder.

Please save and quit all programs accessing files in the Dropbox folder, and then follow these instructions:

Note: Please be sure to take note or take a screenshot of any Selective Sync settings you may have applied as well as the location of your Dropbox folder (if not in the default location) prior to re-installing, as you will need to match these settings upon re-install.

1) Quit Dropbox:

- Click the Dropbox icon in the system tray at the bottom of your screen.
- Click on the gear icon in the Notifications panel, and select "Quit Dropbox".

2) Uninstall Dropbox:

- Click on the Start button in the bottom left of your screen, and select Control Panel (Vista, 7), or type Control Panel at the Start screen or start menu, and click on it (10, 8).
- Click "Uninstall a Program".
- Select Dropbox from the list of programs and click "Uninstall".

Or follow the steps outlined in our Help Center article:

https://www.dropbox.com/help/41

3) When the uninstall finishes, please reboot your computer to ensure that it is complete.

4) Delete the Dropbox remaining folders:

- Open a Windows File Explorer (not Internet Explorer).
- Type %LOCALAPPDATA% into the address bar (include the % percent signs) and press enter.
- Delete the folder "Dropbox" from the resulting window.
- Please repeat these steps with the following folders as well (it's OK if you don't find a Dropbox folder in any of those locations):
%APPDATA%
%PROGRAMFILES%
%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%
- Then restart your system

Please note that deleting any of these folders will not delete the files in your Dropbox folder.

5) Download the newest version of Dropbox from the following website:

https://www.dropbox.com/downloading

6) Navigate to the folder where you downloaded the installation file and double click on it.

7) During the initial setup and sign in process apply any Selective Sync settings you may have had prior to the reinstall and select the Dropbox folder location (if not in the default location).

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because this process removes the previous settings and configuration, if you wish to avoid re-downloading your Dropbox content you will need to manually choose the location for Dropbox to sync to, otherwise you will create a new Dropbox folder and start to download your content again.

To select your already established folder on your drive, after signing in and choosing which folders to sync, and before you click on "Open my Dropbox folder", you should see an "Advanced Settings" link, click on this.

Then you can choose the parent folder of the already established Dropbox folder, for example, if you have your Dropbox folder in the path "D:\OtherDrive\Folder\Dropbox (Team)" you'll want to select the folder "D:\OtherDrive\Folder".

At the end of this process, after clicking "Open my Dropbox folder", it might take some time to re-index the files and sync any pending changes.

Please note that any changes made to the files in the Dropbox folder, the web interface or other linked devices while the folder was "off-line", will generate conflicted copies:

https://www.dropbox.com/help/36

Finally, this process only works when linking to the exact same account that was previously linked to this computer. If you'd like to merge accounts, please refer to the following Help Center article:

https://www.dropbox.com/help/9104

Please feel free to let me know how this works out for you!

Happy Holidays!

Best Regards,
Karina

My problem was that the first step 'launching dropbox' was already impossible. I am not sure how i got it running again but I think the point was detaching my account from the desktop application was the clue. Today I started my computer and I had to sign in again, what I did and it started syncing again. 🙂

I am sure that this error message does not point at one specific issue but all our problems are slightly different and might have something to do with the fact that we changed some permission setting on our computer.

I would try to detach your account from the application and and restart and and start again and see how it work.

Tip: if this does not work. Start your own topic in this forum because this will get you immediate help, whereas a comment underneath another topic is merely ignored. 🙂

Merry X-mas and good luck!

[hanskap]

this is all for a windowscomputer. How i solve this on a mac?

I think dropbox did an update, i see all same problems for people with macs...

What can we do about it. It all worked good before...

Regards

Hans