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Multiple Mac User Accounts » one Dropbox Folder
I have two (admin) user accounts set up on my mac (High Sierra 10.14.2) and i'd like to share the dropbox folder amongst them (as it obviously doesn't make sense to have duplicate files on my HD).
When placing Dropbox in the shared folder and setting up permissions correctly, i am having weird issues – the Dropbox folder in this location seems to switch back and forth in its accessibility (little red 🚫-icon appears and disappears repeatedly)
any help? after having major issues with dropbox and high sierra in general – please don't tell me this is not possible! \o/
thanks!
It's possible, but you're on your own to get it working as it is not a supported configuration.
The basics of it would be to install Dropbox under the first user and specifiy a common location for the Dropbox folder (a location that both user accounts have full rights to). Wait for Dropbox to finish syncing. Switch to the other user and install Dropbox under that user, specifying the same location for the Dropbox folder. Dropbox will index your files. Do not interrupt this process.
It is absolutely imperative that you DO NOT USE Selective Sync on either user while running in such a configuration. If you do, the files will be removed from your local drive by the first account, and then deleted from your Dropbox by the second account.
Also, if you get a message during the second installation that there's already a Dropbox folder in that location, temporarily rename the exiting Dropbox to Dropbox_OLD or something, finish the installation on the second account and immediately pause syncing or exit Dropbox. Remove/rename the Dropbox folder that it created (the new empty one) and rename the Dropbox_OLD folder back to Dropbox. Relaunch Dropbox or resume syncing and wait for it to index your files.
5 Replies
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- Rich
Super User II
It's possible, but you're on your own to get it working as it is not a supported configuration.
The basics of it would be to install Dropbox under the first user and specifiy a common location for the Dropbox folder (a location that both user accounts have full rights to). Wait for Dropbox to finish syncing. Switch to the other user and install Dropbox under that user, specifying the same location for the Dropbox folder. Dropbox will index your files. Do not interrupt this process.
It is absolutely imperative that you DO NOT USE Selective Sync on either user while running in such a configuration. If you do, the files will be removed from your local drive by the first account, and then deleted from your Dropbox by the second account.
Also, if you get a message during the second installation that there's already a Dropbox folder in that location, temporarily rename the exiting Dropbox to Dropbox_OLD or something, finish the installation on the second account and immediately pause syncing or exit Dropbox. Remove/rename the Dropbox folder that it created (the new empty one) and rename the Dropbox_OLD folder back to Dropbox. Relaunch Dropbox or resume syncing and wait for it to index your files.
- Sanchez
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hi @Sanchez,
Is there a supported method for having one local copy of dropbox files that can be used by multiple OSX user accounts?
- RichNo, there isn't. Officially, it's one Dropbox folder per user account. Dropbox was not intended to be used any other way.
Can we request that as a feature? Google drive's desktop ap allows it.
I have a personal and business drop box account. But I don't use the business caount and request that clients use google drive because it's much easer for me to use the desktop version. I have two separate business accounts with google drive for different organisations and can sync and access files between the two seemlessly.
