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macOS on File Provider - Identify non-supported files

On the Dropbox sync page in the Dropbox for macOS on File Provider there is the statement that:

"You are not eligible for the updated Derobox for macOS on File Provider at this time. Your Dropbox folder contains some file types that are not supported."

How do I find out what files these are and where they are?

I appear to be in a nasty half way house at the moment!

1 - I can only open half of the files in my local Dropbox folder - I get a message that the application (e.g. MS Office) cannot read the file;

2 - On the web client I cannot preview any file I receive the following error 'This file cannot be previewed because you are offline'. I am clearly not offline as I am accessing Dropbox!

3 - Desktop app states that it is updating 19,417 files and is not changing, there are no Sync issues identified;

4 - Sync appears to be working, I just can't access the files!

5 - There are no sync icons visible so I am unable to see the state / staus of my local files.

Dropbox Location = /Library/CloudStorage

Browser - Chrome

Op Sys - Ventura 13.4.1

I have spent hours over the weekend to try and find out what is going on.

The latest updates appear very unstable and have made the product virtually unusable.

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks

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Jay

Hi @NWKent, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Could you attach a screenshot showing where you're seeing this message about the unsupported file types?

This will help me to assist further!

NWKent

Standard Dropbox message by the looks of it.

Screenshot 2023-07-24 at 16.06.05.png

Jay

Do you have anything in this article (such as an iPhoto library or certain file types) which could be affecting the move to File Provider?

NWKent

I do not have any files identified in that link.

Cheers

Megan

Hi @NWKent, can I send you an email in order for us to have a closer look into this?

NWKent

Hi by all means drop me an email and we can pick this up.

Thanks

Nancy

Please check your email address, when you can, @NWKent and reply back to me.

Cheers!

NWKent

Done.

Thanks

Krytolandros

Please report back when you have solved this issue with the solution; others are having this problem, too. Thanks!

NWKent

For those that have asked for an update, I have an ongoing support case with Dropbox, once resolved I will post an update here.

Thanks

johnhalldesign

I'm on OS 12.6 on two Macs with what I guess people refer to as the "old Dropbox". I have been dealing with the limitations of not being able to open online only files directly through an app, by just making them local before I work on them. Little bit of a hassle, but I can deal.

But I was about to take the plunge and upgrade both machines to the current OS (13.5) today, and see I'm getting the same message, when I look to see if I can update Dropbox to the File Provider version

"Your Dropbox folder contains some file types that are not supported"

Really can't figure out what files these might be.

So not sure what do do now. Do I go ahead and update to the latest OS and see what happens, or should I figure out what these files are, and try to do the File Provider update first?

Really need to get current on the latest OS, which I havn't done in over a year just because of Dropbox.

NWKent

Caveat:

Please note I am not recommending the following will work if you are having the same issue, if you follow the steps you do so at your own risk as you may lose files. If in doubt contact Dropbox support.

After much backward and forwards between support and I (+product support) here is the guidance I got:

From Dropbox Support:

"Our engineering team have suggested to sync your Dropbox files to a new Dropbox folder.
To accomplish this, please follow these steps:

Under the Mac section of our advanced reinstall article, complete steps 1-4. Ignore the remaining steps: https://help.dropbox.com/installs/advanced-reinstall
Rename your Dropbox folder in /Users/xxxxx to Dropbox (old)
Rename your Dropbox folder in /Users/xxxxx/Library/CloudStorage to Dropbox (old)
- For this folder to appear, you will need to show hidden files:
  1. Open the folder where you want to search for hidden files.
  2. Press the “Command” + “Shift” + “.” (period) keys at the same time.
  3. The hidden files will show up as translucent in the folder.
  4. If you want to obscure the files again, press the same “Command” + “Shift” + “.” (period) combination.
  5. Note: If your Dropbox folder can't be renamed due to an error, skip this step
  6. Reinstall Dropbox from this link: https://www.dropbox.com/downloading?full=1&os=mac

This did "work".

Effectively what this did was delete my installation that appeared to be a half way failed move to Dropbox for MacOS on File Provider and take me back to a clean pre-File Provider installation.

I could then sync to this new folder.

Some observations:

1 - Any files I had created and saved to the local Dropbox folder had not been sync'd back to Dropbox since I started having this issue (3 weeks);

2 - I have to manually identify these and and move them from the Dropbox(old) folder to the new Dropbox folder;

3 - I am now having difficulty removing the Dropbox (old) folder;

To resolve 3 I have been provided the following commands:

Open the Terminal app via the Launchpad or using Spotlight search
Copy and paste this command into the Terminal: sudo rm -f ~/Users/xxxxx/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox (old)
Press return on your keyboard to run the command
Copy and paste this command into the Terminal: sudo rm -f ~/Users/xxxxx/Dropbox (old)
Press return on your keyboard to run the command

These have not worked and I continue in discussion with Support.

Just thought I would provide an update.

Cheers

BTW: I have not tried to move to "Dropbox for MacOS on File Provider" - I don't have the time to go thourgh all this again if the move fails!

johnhalldesign

Yeah, that all seems like a waste of effort in my case, since it still won't get me on the File Provider version and everything is generally working OK except for being able to open online only files directly, which I am working around without too many issues.

I just want to know either

1) How can I identify which files are causing the message "Your Dropbox folder contains some file types that are not supported" that is preventing me from updating to the File Provider version. The only thing I see in the link provided earlier in this thread is this,

Screen Shot 2023-08-16 at 12.30.00 PM.png

and I don't have either type of file in my Dropbox. Could Dropbox not find a way to flag the offending files, rather than just give such a vague message??

2) Some assurance that if I just kick the can down the road on File Provider, and simply upgrade my systems from OS 12.6 to 13.5 that I can continue to use the Old Dropbox as I have been without encountering any new issues.

NWKent

1 - I cannot answer as Dropbox did not provide me a way of doing that (not sure even they know that);

2 - I am on 13.4.1 and old Dropbox that I have gone back to appears to be working fine.

Cheers

johnhalldesign

Thanks, so I went ahead and updated one of the Macs from 12.6 to 13.5 and all went smoothly as far as I could tell with Dropbox, and interestingly I am now getting a notice that the File Provider update is available, and am no longer getting the message that there are incompatible files in my Dropbox.

This seems odd since I didn't move any files out of my Dropbox, and from what I've read the File Provider update should have worked with 12.6 also.

But anyway, that's where I am. I think I'll hold off for now on doing the File Provider upgrade, cause, well, i can only handle change in small increments, and my main goal was to get my Macs onto the current OS, so gonna just be sure this is all working as it was before I attempt then next step.