Reactivating Dropbox on a previous device ...

Question

I have a MacBook Air M2 (MBA) running Ventura.  I previously installed Dropbox (DB) on that computer but had to stop syncing because I  wanted to run it on 3 other devices.

When using my MBA again, I launched DB.  I had to unselect one of my other DB devices. When DB began, I thought it was verifying my files to match them with the version since my last connection.  In fact, I later realized that it renamed my previous DB folder already in the ~Library/CloudStorage folder, created a new one and synced my files all over again.

When that came to a completion, I could see a DB alias folder in the root of my user folder pointing to the new DB folder location just beside my previous one.

I really don't understand why DB did not simply synced my previous DB folder with the cloud version instead of creating a new one all over again.  My only possible clue is that when the original DB folder was created and updated to work with OS 12.5 and earlier, I trashed the alias folder that DB created in the root of my user folder, folder that has been created again with this new installation.

What am I missing or what have I done wrong ?

LynnDbx · Answer

You can now always chose the location of your Dropbox folder when you sign in, but if you alter the location, that means you will be on the previous Dropbox experience without the fix for opening certain online-only files in third-party applications that come with the File Provider API.

rlesperance · Answer

Hello LynnDbx,

Sorry for not replying to your April message.  I cannot remember how long it was between the 2 connections.  Your guess that it was too long between the 2 connections must be the reason for this behavior.

I just wanted to do the same thing yesterday.  This time instead of forcing me to put the Dropbox folder in the Library>CloudStorage folder, it offered me to put it wherever I wished like in the past.

Do I understand that, now, on any computer (MacBook or iMac) running Ventura 13,5, I can put the Dropbox folder wherever I want like in the past ?

Thanks for helping.

LynnDbx · Answer

Hi,

Deleting the symlink (aka the alias file) did not cause this behavior. I just confirmed manually myself that if you sign out now and sign back in, it should re-use your previous Dropbox folder. This is also the case for the version of Dropbox which stores your Dropbox folder in ~/Library/CloudStorage.

However, this behavior was different a while ago for this version of Dropbox. When did you sign out and then when did you sign back in to this device?