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Windows 7 Event Viewer Error "Failed to connect to the driver: (-2147024894)"

Windows 7 Event Viewer Error "Failed to connect to the driver: (-2147024894)"

Kester
Collaborator | Level 8
Go to solution

Onthe last few startups of my Windows 7 desktop, the EventViewer has shown the following error  and subsequent information logs as the error is corrected by Windows:

 

Record Number: X 95916
Log Type: Application
Event Type: Error
Source: DbxSvc
Category: 3
Event ID: 320

Failed to connect to the driver: (-2147024894) The system cannot find the file specified.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Record Number: 95931
Log Type: Application
Event Type: Information
Source: ESENT
Category: 3
Event ID: 300

Windows (2500) Windows: The database engine is initiating recovery steps.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Record Number: 95932
Log Type: Application
Event Type: Information
Source: ESENT
Category: 3
Event ID: 301

Windows (2500) Windows: The database engine has begun replaying logfile C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\MSS.log.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Record Number: 95933
Log Type: Application
Event Type: Information
Source: ESENT
Category: 3
Event ID: 302

Windows (2500) Windows: The database engine has successfully completed recovery steps.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Record Number: i 95915
Log Type: Application
Event Type: Information
Source: DbxSvc
Category: 2
Event ID: 258

Pipe server thread started.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seems as if the Dropbox service may be trying to start too soon as, after the initial error, Windows seems to be able to correct the problem and everything works correctly.  This is a very recent happening and I cannot relate the change to any system changes.  Is there anything I can do to stop the error - if I didn't regularly check the Event Viewer I would be none the wiser so perhaps I'm being too sensitive.

 

Thanks.

254 Replies 254

amfm84
Explorer | Level 4
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I had this same issue on a Windows 7 desktop and 8.1 laptop. I disabled dbxsvc on each system (via task manager on 8.1, via "services" on 7). That stopped the event logging every second. On 7/13 Dropbox was updated to version 30.4.22 on both computers and the event logging issue reappeared, likely due to dbxsvc restarting with the Dropbox app restarted. So, on 7/13 I disabled dbxsvc on both computers again to prevent this "failed to connect to driver" error from flooding event viewer every second.

However, just now I've noticed that sync is not working correctly between the two systems. For example, there's a file I update almost every day mainly from my desktop (most recently 7/20/2017). Yet, the last version uploaded from the desktop in the file history on the Dropbox website is 7/14/2017), with the last version from the laptop uploaded on 7/15/2017. In addition the file properties on my laptop for this spreadsheet file show a last modified date of 7/15/2017 - the newer version of this file from my desktop PC has not been synced to my laptop for 5-6 days.

So, it seems that disabling Dbxsvc might have screwed up my sync. As far as I can tell files from my Windows 7 desktop PC are not uploading properly to the cloud or syncing to my Win 8.1 laptop. No other settings have since been changed on either PC, no other programs recently installed, etc. I just have a personal Dropbox account (non-business).

 

Has anyone else noticed this behavior/issue after disabling Dbxsvc?

ecobags d.
New member | Level 2
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From 7/10/17 untill noon on 7/13/17 I have an event logged by DbxSvc every second saying "Failed to connect to the driver: (-2147024894) retrying in 1000 miliseconds". These events are still occuring but the retry time has become 86400000 milliseconds (24 hours). In the event properties of these entries it says the "Event 320, DbxSvc". I am using Windows 7 64 bit. 

 

This odd event behavior is very similar to that of virus behavior. Looks like it might be an underflow error? Can someone explain what the software is attempting to do that is causing this event to be logged?

Kester
Collaborator | Level 8
Go to solution

Hi,

 

This issue still drags on with only half-hearted part solutions offered by the developer.  Contrast this with one of their competitors, Box. 

 

To find a replacement service I checked reviews on-line and decided to give Box a try.  Their free service is more generous than that of Dropbox in that they provide 10 gb of storage.  All went well with Box for several days until on booting my system one morning, I had an error message to say that the sync program could not contact the website.  I could still access my files on-line but just could get any communication between my computer and the website. 

 

Using the Box community forum did not provide a solution so I was advised to set up a ticket with the Box support facility.  I was contacted by email after a little delay (obviously free service users are prioritised lower than the paying customers as one would expect).  It was suggested that I undertake various checks to rule out anything on my computer as the cause.  When these did not resolve the issue I was emailed again to submit logfiles and so on.  I was always contacted by the same member of the support staff who kept me updated on a regular basis.  The box internal team kept working on the problem until yesterday, when I booted the system, the sync was working perfectly once more.

 

The notable difference between Box and my experience with Dropbox is the interest that Box takes in their users, their willingness to communicate and their effort to find a solution.  I really feel that Dropbox takes its users for granted and has little interest in making its service run smoothly for users while it has some other agenda to explore.

 

I have also been trying pCloud which, like Box offers 10 gb of free storage.  pCloud is interesting in that its on computer folder is in the form of a virtual drive so does not use up more than minimal drive space.  So far pCloud is running very smoothly for me.  Whilst I am not posting here as an advertising campaign for these alternatative products,  Dropbox would do well to realise that users of their free service may well consider the alternatives as better options particularly as they offer considerably more free storage and they should recognize too that users of free services may well move on to paid for services if they like what they experience.

 

Right now, I cannot see any reason to stay with Dropbox and may therefore be closing my account shortly

jcholcomb
Explorer | Level 4
Go to solution

Well, it's back again, getting the "Failed to connect to the driver: -2147024894, retrying in 1000 milliseconds" event every second for some time now, after getting rid of it for a few weeks by disabling service DbxSvc.  Then, for no apparent reason, it dropped to once per minute, but that's still too often for my liking, as that is 1440 unnecessary events per day.  I will try disabling DbxSvc again, and if I ever see it again, my next step will be to uninstall Dropbox.  Dropbox version is 30.4.22.

orion44
Helpful | Level 6
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Here is the solution to this problem:

 

Step 1: Back up your data

Step 2: Migrate to another cloud storage provider

Step 3: There is no step 3!

urle
New member | Level 2
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since that error (thousends of them in eventviewer on 2 PCs ) i'm on Onedrive, fortunatly , or luckly... i dont know yet

amfm84
Explorer | Level 4
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Dropbox just updated itself to 31.4.24. Right after it relaunched it created a single event for "failed to connect to the driver", but after about 6 minutes there hasn't been another instance. I will be checking periodically to see how frequently Dropbox creates this event now.

Tom W.40
Helpful | Level 5
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Looks like the same thing here, 31.4.24 seems to have fixed it.

Kester
Collaborator | Level 8
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Hi,

 

Version 31.4.24 has not really provided a fix but it has decreased the nuisance level to a tolerable position.  On my Windows 7 system,  Event Viewer actually shows two instances of 'Failed to connect to the driver: (-2147024894) The system cannot find the file specified. , retrying...' after each system startup.  The two instances are 30 seconds apart.  So the issue is still there but no lonbger irritating enough for me to disable dbxsvc.  Dropbox has a little more time now before I decide whether or not to get rid of it.

jcholcomb
Explorer | Level 4
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The problem does seem to at least be vastly improved, if not completely fixed, with version 31.4.24 on my Windows 10 system.  I've had less than 10 events reported with DbxSvc as the source in the past 24 hours, and those have been at random times, or system startup.  About half of those events have also been more normal things, like "Server started," or "Pipe server thread started."  I am satisfied with that, as long as the original problem stays away.

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