Child Item

Dropbox for Windows 11 Virtual Machine (Parallels) on Macbook M1 (Apple silicon) - can't install

I'm trying to use Dropbox in a "Windows 11 Pro" virtual machine (under Parallels) on Macbook M1 (Apple silicon). When I attempt to install, I get an error message "Couldn't start Dropbox. Your device is not compatible with this version of the Dropbox app." It states that I could use Windows 11 in S mode, but I can't be restricted to S mode.

I installed Dropbox a month ago on the Mac (Ventura) side, and it installed (although it's awkward). I write some of my own apps (C# .Net) and need to have stable locations for many Dropbox files. I just installed the newest version of MacOS Dropbox but it conceals the drive locations of files in a way that wrecks the programmatic access from the Windows side. I therefore uninstalled Dropbox from the Mac side am now trying to install it on the Windows side.

I've used Dropbox happily for over a decade, but this has me stumped. Any help is most welcome. Thanks

Find more posts tagged with

Desktop

Install

Insightful

Accepted answers

TomFuller

Thanks to both you and Hannah. I think I may have found a work-around while searching the developer forum. I'll pursue that for now.

All comments

Hannah

Hey @TomFuller, thanks for joining our Community!

Your setup is actually not really supported by Dropbox (with the VM and all), but let's see what we can find.

If you switch out of S Mode on the Windows side, and try to install the Dropbox app again, does it work?

Let me know when you have an update.

TomFuller

Hi Hannah,

Thanks for responding (and so fast!)—very encouraging to this newbie. Yes, I am a newbie on the Forum, but I have used Dropbox for over a decade. I have used it on a virtual machine on my Macbook pro for 8 years. The programs I wrote (C# .Net) for backup, organization, photos, etc. all worked perfectly in this dual environment (MacOS and Windows 10). In fact, they worked fine when I installed Dropbox on the MacOS side of my new Macbook M1 a month ago. (BTW, I do not use, cannot use, Windows in S mode.)

For example, in Windows 11 on the new Macbook M1, I could see the MacOS Dropbox folders as something like Z:\dropbox\family\. . .

The trouble began a few days ago when I upgraded to the most recent MacOS Dropbox. It conceals the location of files stored in the MacOS side. I can’t reach them with my Windows programs now. If there is a stable folder location visible to the Windows VM, I would not need Dropbox on Windows VM. I understand from your response that Dropbox in Windows 11 VM is not supported. With the MacOS Dropbox location known, I could reinstall MacOS Dropbox and be happy again.

Thanks for your interest!

Tom

Jay

Hi @TomFuller, as the Silicon chip used by Apple is actually an ARM chip, for the full Dropbox app, this is not supported for any installation of Windows, so only the S Mode app can be installed.

Since you're using Windows 11 as a VM on that hardware, this is why you can only install that version of the app.

TomFuller

Thanks to both you and Hannah. I think I may have found a work-around while searching the developer forum. I'll pursue that for now.

Kauaigene

Hoping you have good luck cause this "new" location thing is a PAIN !

andymilder

Hi Tom,

What was your workaround? I have the same issue. Thanks!

TomFuller

Hi Andy,

Welcome to the forum. I wish I could tell you of some profound insight or clever work-around. Right now I just use USB drives to update the Mac virtual Windows machine. It's clumsy but it does work. I continue to look for something better, but that's it for now.

alissa914

As an FYI, if you don't share what is your working solution, you're not assisting others with the same problem as they'll wonder "OK, what are you doing to solve it?"

Simple solution is to install Dropbox on your Mac and then make a mapped drive using Parallels so that it maps your Dropbox in Windows 11. Then you get to use the M1/M2 native app for Mac to work on your PC.

alissa914

For Mac in Parallels, if you turn on file sharing between Mac and Parallels, you can send files to each other using UNC paths. You can set mapped drives and then use them like you would anything else. On mine, the Mac is referenced like \\Mac\ in Windows. If your Dropbox is at \\Mac\username\Dropbox, then that's your Dropbox. Keep in mind that online files will show up as 0 bytes and if you access them, it doesn't seem to download the files when you do... so that's something to be aware of.

TomFuller

Thanks for the reply. Let me experiment with that.

TomFuller

Oh yes. When I have a working solution, I'll be glad to share it! I re-loaded Dropbox again on the Mac side, but I'm still hitting some bumps with it.

tomhamp

This is the solution I am using...find it a bit slow but it does work.

Tom Hamp

Medicine Hat, Alberta

tomhamp

My apologies...the method I use is as recommended by others...map the Dropbox folder on the Mac side to a drive on the VM...and use that for Dropbox on the Windows side.

tomhamp

Have clarified with Dropbox Support today that this issue is apparently not related to the M1 ARM processor, but rather due to permissions settings or errors that will arise with the user profile to install Dropbox via a virtual environment.

Thankfully the workaround describe in these messages (using Dropbox drive on Mac side shared to the Parallels VM) provides a good solution.

Thanks everyone!

Cheers,

Tom

TomFuller

This thread has been very helpful. I plan to try the mapping solution. So far, my workaround gets me by, but is far from elegant. I deleted the newest Dropbox app (that places the Dropbox folder in "Locations") and re-installed the earlier version that place the Dropbox folder under "Users". That folder is mapped to Z:\ on the Windows 11 side, and that works with my programs now. I still use USB drives for some backup functions. These should be eliminated as I fully implement the recommended solutions.

Thanks again to the several respondents!

Tom Fuller

CarBer

This thread has been the most useful ever, to understand and solve this exact issue, for which I have been in contact with customer care services from Dropbox, Microsoft, Parallels and Apple, each with different answers and bouncing me to each other.

I was about to remove and re-install Windows 11, because I thought the "S" mode was a WIN OS installation problem within Parallels, when I realised the issue is with the Dropbox app (running on Win 11 environment, on Parallels, on a M1 or M2 powered Apple).

The ultimate workaround solution, as suggested in this thread, is using the full Dropbox app on Mac (with selective sync and all that), saving all files in the Dropbox folder on Mac, then "pointing at" that folder from Windows 11 by using the "files sharing" function in Parallels. If you need help with this, here is a Parallels article where it is well explained: h ttps://kb.parallels.com/en/6912

It works beautifully and has the added value to save storage space: before I used to duplicate the Dropbox-synced folders (one set on Mac, one on Windows), in order to find them in both partitions. Now I have only stored them on the Mac side, and I can access them from Windows too -- opening and working on them with Windows programs.

Craig P.13

I just installed Windows 11 in a paid version of Parallels I just installed on my Mac Studio with M2 Max.

And after the above I tried to install standard Dropbox app for Windows 64 bit in Windows 11 and it fails with the option to install "Dropbox Lite" for Windows S mode. I tried this but it sucks so I unstalled Dropbox Lite. Dropbox standard for Windows 11 apparently won't work in Windows 11 installed into Parallels (newest version available as of 9-1-2023).

Sooooo, this kind of sucks because I paid $130 today for Parallels but they don't tell you that Windows 11 in Parallels may not work with some Windows 11 programs.

**bleep**!

Can you guys at Parallels offer me some sort of discount off the $130 I just paid for the new version of Parallels. It doesn't work right!!!

Craig P

TomFuller

This is similar to my eventual workaround. I was discouraged when a the new version of Parallels (19.1) started assigning Mac folders to different drive letters (Y:\ instead of Z:\ etc.). But I found a way to override those assignments, so now a given Mac folder will always get the same letter. Things work quite well now.

andrewjngray

Dropbox team ... given how much money I am paying for my team to use this product ... and that they use Apple computers with Windows VM's .. "and the like". How about you let us know when you will provide support for what is a simple set-up and one for the future not the past ... "and the like". We moved an entire company away from Fusion to Parallels for ... "and the like" support practices. We have been looking very hard at moving away from Dropbox for this same reason to Microsoft. It would be great to see some of that historical service orientation return to Dropbox rather than "we don't support your set up ... and the like.". Thank you.

newmanaudio

Personally, while I love Dropbox and have used it for many years without any issues, when it didn't work with Windows 11 on Parallels on my M1 and M2 MacBook Pro computers, I switched to Sync.com. So far it's working pretty nicely. And it has no issue with Windows 11 on Parallels.

If Dropbox ever starts supporting Windows 11 or newer on Parallels, I'll definitely consider moving back. But for the time being, Sync.com is just fine!

timpalpant

Hi Everybody,

We’re happy to share that the latest builds of Dropbox support Windows-on-ARM, and they can be installed in Parallels Virtual Machines running on Apple Silicon. You can download the latest build here.

As always, we welcome your feedback and we are here to answer any questions. Thanks for being part of the community!

TomFuller

Is this for all Windows 11 on ARM Parallels, or only those running in S-mode?

timpalpant

This is for all Windows 11 on ARM Parallels, and does not require S-mode. Thanks for clarifying!

TomFuller

Thanks to *you* for clarifying, and to the Dropbox team for fully supporting Windows 11 on ARM.

newmanaudio

That is GREAT news!!

I'll be returning to Dropbox, once the year of Sync usage that I've already paid for is close to running out!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!

Craig P.13

Hi Tim,

I have just installed Dropbox for Windows 11 on Windows running virtually in Parallels on Mac Studio with Apple Silicon M2 Max processor ARM.

Thank you for the addition of this software for Dropbox on Mac ARM machines! 😀

Craig