Child Item

"There was a problem completing this request" on every browser operation at Dropbox website

Hello, All! I am hoping someone can offer some wise words to help with this weird problem I have started to have with the Dropbox website. Since most of my files in my Dropbox Home account are stored in the Cloud via SmartSync (as opposed to on the physical drive), I find that the website search function is usually the most helpful if I need to find some file in a pinch. However, a weird problem has been bugging me for the past several days. ANY operation on the Dropbox website--e.g., opening the site on any browser (Chrome or Edge or Firefox), clicking on contact support, trying to search for any file in my Dropbox folders--is bringing up the error message "There was a problem completing this request" (red font in a red bordered box) on top of the webpage. Worse, the search operations are not completing at all.

I don't know if this is related, but on my computer, the Dropbox App in the task tray also seems to be stuck at "Syncing 11 files" for weeks now. Rebooting the computer or restarting the app offers no resolution.

Could any you please offer some insights on how to resolve these? Thank you.

Find more posts tagged with

Desktop

Web

Sync

Insightful

Closed - Not for right now

Closed - Partially Delivered

Accepted answers

All comments

Megan

Hi @suirauqa, thanks for posting here!

Now, let's jump into this, one issue at a time. In regards to the website access, I know it might sound trivial, but have you tried accessing our website, using an incognito tab on any of your browsers?

Are all of your browsers up to date with the most recent updates?

As for the app, can you clarify the app's precise syncing status, while we speak along with the version you're using on your end?

Let me know more, and we'll take it from there!

suirauqa

Hello, Megan!

Thank you for your kind response. Let me answer your questions in order.

In regards to the website access, I know it might sound trivial, but have you tried accessing our website, using an incognito tab on any of your browsers? Yes, I have and I discovered an interesting situation.
- If I go directly to a browser (any browser) and type in "dropbox.com" in the address bar to access my Dropbox account from there, the website works as expected. I can search for files and folders from the top search bar, no problem.
- The problem that I reported earlier occurs reproducibly in ONE specific situation, when I access the Dropbox website by clicking on the globe icon on the popup menu from the Dropbox App (screengrab below). Getting to the Dropbox website via this method causes the exact problem I mentioned earlier.

Are all of your browsers up to date with the most recent updates? Yes, of course.
As for the app, can you clarify the app's precise syncing status, while we speak along with the version you're using on your end? As you can see, the syncing status of my Dropbox App is stuck at "Syncing 11 files" for weeks now - as I mentioned earlier. This does not seem to hamper the actual syncing of newer files as and when they are generated or moved, but the status does not change, not even if I close down the Dropbox App and restart it, or reboot my computer.

Does that clarify my weird situation? Thanks again for trying to help. ~~ S

Walter

Hey @suirauqa, thanks for the additional information and the screenshot too.

Have you tried clearing your browser's cache at all since you first noticed this?

When it comes to the desktop app, can you try fixing your hardlinks and permissions and let us know if syncing gets stuck at the exac t same number of files again?

suirauqa

Hi there, Walter! I was really hoping that the link you provided would lead me to a solution. However, the weird bit is that I seem to have neither of those two options, "Fix hardlinks" or "Fix permissions", under my Account tab in the Dropbox app. I noted that the original message in the link was from 2020; perhaps the settings changed in these three years? Please see below for a screengrab.

Thanks for trying to help! ~~ S

Walter

Are you pressing down ALT+H (or the spacebar for Macs while on the Account tab @suirauqa?

suirauqa

@Walter, seriously, THANK YOU. I had not pressed Alt-H earlier at the Account tab. The moment I did, those options magically appeared. I clicked on Fix Hardlinks first and got a message that the hardlinks were fixed and copied into links. Next I pressed Fix Permissions. A blank console window of some kind opened up. So I closed it down. Once I closed the preferences box, I noticed Dropbox was now syncing some 10,000 files (Yikes!) and hovering on the app in the tasktray showed files being synced and uploaded. This is going to take some time I think, but I shall see what happens at the other end and write back here.

You are awesome, Walter.

EDITED TO ADD: Sorry, the App still seems to be stuck at "Syncing 11 files." 🙄

Megan

Hi @suirauqa, could you try uninstalling, and re-installing the app?

Once you do, please check both the syncing status, to see if it's still stuck, and the way it behaves when it comes down to your browser when you press the globe icon, and let me know!

suirauqa

Hello, @Megan!

Thank you for your message and for trying to help. I uninstalled my Dropbox app and reinstalled it from the link you gave me. I was really, really hopeful that this would work. Sadly, it was not to be. I appear to be still stuck at "Syncing 11 files." 😓

The online account access using the globe icon appears to be fine now. If this process of uninstalling and reinstalling did indeed fix that, I have you to thank for it! So, thank you.

Best,

Megan

Hi @suirauqa, do you have any other cloud services running at the same time as the Dropbox app?

What about signing out of the app, then back in?

suirauqa

Hello, @Megan!

To answer your questions:

Yes, I do have another Cloud service running at the same time (OneDrive). I have no problems with that. The OneDrive app is well integrated with Windows and Microsoft Office applications.
I signed out and back in as you instructed. Upon signing back in, I see the process is looking exactly as it did when I re-installed the Dropbox app following the previous set of suggestions. The Dropbox app is, like before, indexing my tens of thousands of files. I shall wait to see what happens this time when the file/folder count for sync drops down to 11 and then report back here.

Thank you for your continued help.

Best,

Megan

Don't even mention it @suirauqa!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and hope this time the content syncs, and the files are updated!

suirauqa

Sorry @Megan, I wish it were good news. But my Dropbox app still seems to be stuck at "Syncing 11 files" <img class= " title="" />

Hannah

Sorry to jump in here as well, @suirauqa!

If you click on the Dropbox icon, then on your initials/profile pic and then on "view sync issues", does the app report anything there?

Also, if you navigate to your Dropbox folder, do you see the files that are still syncing?

They should have an icon on them, indicating that sync is in progress; if so, can you move them out of the Dropbox folder, to see if syncing finishes?

You can add them back in after that.

suirauqa

Hello @Hannah,

Thanks for trying to help. Weirdest thing, when I hover the cursor over the Dropbox app in the task-tray, it kinda shows what the "Syncing 11 files" means: apparently, it's indexing one folder and uploading 10 files. (See the screengrab.)

The funny thing is that I searched my entire Dropbox folders, and there is no folder (or file) whose name is the one that shows up here (the one starting with "N..."). Therefore, there is no question of figuring out any syncing activity running in the background.

And to answer your question, the "View Sync Issues" option shows zero issues. <img class= " title="" />

Le sigh. ~ S

Megan

Hi @suirauqa, one thing I noticed from your screenshot, is the version of our app.

It seems like you're using our Beta version, which could be causing this small syncing hiccup. Can you try accessing your account's settings online, and disable Early Releases?

Once that is done, please re-install the app, and let me know how things go.

suirauqa

Hello @Megan,

At a previous step during this troubleshooting, I was instructed to uninstall the Dropbox App and re-install it, which I did. That did not, unfortunately, resolve this weird issue. Now, following your instruction, I disabled the Early Release in my account, and again went through the uninstall/reinstall cycle. The App version that shows up now is 172.4.7555; I don't know if that is another beta or not. It has installed and is again indexing my Dropbox content. Once it finishes, I shall report back here.

Fingers and toes, all crossed. Thank you, Megan. ~~ S

Edited to add: I should have guessed already. Again stuck at "Syncing 11 files." <img class= " title="" />

Hannah

Thanks for the update, @suirauqa.

The version that you installed (xxx.4.xxxx) is the stable version, so we're on the right track.

Hopefully, everything will go smoothly this time, but do let us know what happens.

suirauqa

Oh @Hannah, I’m afraid you missed my edit to my last reply, my tale of woe… even after everything I’m still stuck at “Syncing 11 files” 🤷🏾‍♂️

Hannah

Sorry I missed that, @suirauqa!

Can you also check one more thing? If you look at your account online, are you able to find the file name that appears in your sync status?

suirauqa

Hi @Hannah!

As it happens, I have tried this and reported on your question already the other day. Here's the link to my previous post in this conversation thread. Funnily enough, you were the one to ask me this question that day too! 😅

Best,