macOS Monterey 12.0.1 - "Dropbox Folder Missing"

[thecreativeoffices]

The other day, I rebooted my Mac and Dropbox greeted me with the following notification:

"Dropbox Folder Missing.

Your Dropbox folder has been moved or deleted from its original location. Dropbox will not work properly until you move it back. It used to be located at: /Volumes/Data/DB/Dropbox

To move it back, click "Quit" below, move the Dropbox folder back to its original location, and launch Dropbox again.

This computer was previously linked to xxx@xxx.com's account.

If you'd like to link to an account again to download and restore your Dropbox from the web version, click "Relink".

I checked to make sure the folder in question was still there -- and it is. So I quit and tried again. Same notification.

So I figured it was some kind of weird glitch, relinked the account to a new Dropbox folder, downloaded files and went on with my day.

Fast forward to today. I rebooted my Mac again, and when it started it, the same Dropbox notification appeared. The folder is still there. The files are still there. But Dropbox is not connecting.

I'm not enthusiastic about the idea of downloading a few hundred gigs of data *again*... So what's going on with Dropbox? It's worked flawlessly so many years I've forgotten how long. 

Is this happening for anybody else, and what solution(s) did you find?

Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts.

[Jay]

Hi @thecreativeoffices, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Did this occur after a Mac OS update, or any other updates?

Did you enable iCloud or make any other system changes?

This will help me to assist further!

[thecreativeoffices]

Hi Jay,

Thanks for the response.

The most recent system change I made was a few days ago; I swapped out an external hard disk drive that I was using for Time Machine. It was several years old and beginning to fail. Dropbox had nothing to do with that disk. Prior to that, I upgraded to macOS Monterey in early November, and everything was fine with Dropbox afterward.

I can't think of any other major changes...

[Jay]

Was the Dropbox folder itself located on the old external drive, or an internal drive?

[thecreativeoffices]

In a separate external drive that's still attached and working fine.

(Although even if it wasn't, I don't understand why I can't just re-select the original Dropbox folder and go on my merry way just like I've done lots of times over the years with new computers, new disks, new folder arrangements. It's never stopped me in my tracks at startup before this problem).

[Megan]

Hey there @thecreativeoffices, I hope you're doing well. 

We don't suggest keeping Dropbox on external drives because it can lead to a variety of sync issues, including the one you described.

If you want to preserve space on your computer, you could sync it to your root hard drive but utilize the Selective Sync function to block specific folders from syncing to your computer (they'll only be stored on Dropbox and accessible through dropbox.com).

Also, how do you try to re-link to your Dropbox folder? Do you do it upon installation through the Advanced settings?

[thecreativeoffices]

Hi Megan,

I appreciate your response.

I've been using Dropbox for a very long time -- if not a decade, then pretty close to it. And it's never had a problem before this month. There's got to be some kind of solution...

As for how I used to go about re-linking. Probably through advanced settings. I don't recall exactly because it didn't happen all that often -- except when I changed computers. I'd take a screenshot to show you, but this new error won't let me past the modal dialog without either quitting or logging out of Dropbox to start over. The previous functionality was preferable.

Also -- Selective Sync isn't a viable solution for me. I work with a lot of large files, and I need them on my system for many reasons -- searching, rapid opening and editing, backups, and more. When I double click on a file or attach it to an email, it's got to be there ready to go.