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How can I completely remove all Dropbox related stuff from my PC and restart installing Dropbox?

I had some problems of a shared directory that was not syncing anymore.
So I removed my dropbox from my PC and reinstalled dropbox. Still no sync.

Then I removed the app from my PC and removed all the dropbox files.

Reinstalled, but then no files came back. Oops.

Then I removed also the files from the "AppData" directories Local and Roaming.

Now it doesn't recognize me as a user anymore.

When I reinstall dropbox it cannot connect anymore: "This computer isn't linked to an account".

How can I COMPLETELY remove all dropbox related stuff from my computer and start with a clean install?

Thanks for your help!

Alex

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DBoxTips

Hello @AlexWijffels

The likely reason Dropbox keeps connecting to the wrong account is because the Dropbox desktop client uses the browser to perform the login operation, so it opens a browser window where you are most likely already connected to the wrong Dropbox account.

Here is what to try: before clicking "Sign in with Dropbox" in the Dropbox application, make sure you first go to your browser, go to Dropbox.com and log out of the Dropbox account that is currently logged in into that browser.

Hope this helps,

Andrew (DBoxTips)

All comments

Walter

Hey @AlexWijffels - sorry to hear you're having issues with this.

At this point, I'd recommend a clean, advanced reinstall as outlined here.

Let me know of any updates, Alex.

AlexWijffels

Hi Walter,

Thanks for your support.

I did as much as possible according to the "advanced reinstall" directions, but I ended up in the same situation.

After reinstallation, it wants to connect to an account but there is no account set.

It "cannot connect to the internet", because there is no account linked.

How can I link dropbox to my account? On a fresh installation it asks for an account but in my case it doesn't.

Thanks for your help.

Megan

Hey from me too @AlexWijffels!

If you open the app's preferences, under Account are you able to sign in with an account there?

If not, please send me a few screenshots of the messages you keep getting, in order for me to have a visual.

AlexWijffels

Hi Megan,

Thak you for trying to help me. I'm unable to login.

"This computer isn't linked to an account".

How can I link it to my account? I need a clean install, but due to all kind of files spread over the system, I'm unable to install a "clean install".
Note: this is a company computer with a firewall and all kind of blockages, but it had been working for some time. Only about a week ago it stopped synchronizing my files.

Then I uninstalled dropbox and tried to reinstall, but that didn't work. And it got worse and worse. 😞

Hannah

Hey @AlexWijffels, sorry to jump in here as well.

I would assume those security services wouldn't be possible to disable, but perhaps there's a way to whitelist Dropbox on them, to see if they're the culprit?

AlexWijffels

Hi Hanna,

No that is not possible.

What I need is a clean install. The installer should not be looking if there was a dropbox installed before. Files and registry settings just need to be overwritten.
The thing is miss is the possibility to connect to my account.
When you start a fresh install, it asks for an account name. That nevers pops up when I re-install dropbox now.

Hannah

A clean install should be possible with the advanced reinstall steps, @AlexWijffels.

Can you send us a screenshot of what you see after those steps are completed or a screenshot of where the process stops working for you?

AlexWijffels

Hi Hannah,

Before contacting Dropbix support, I already deleted all my dropbox files (after saving them on an external harddisk).

After doing all the steps of the advanced reinstall, I reinstalled dropbox again (v194.4.6267).
After the "installation window" (where the green bar is sliding while installing) there is no interaction where I can give my user name.

It comes back with the message "Your computer is currently offline. Please check your network settings."
But I'm connected to the internet.

When I open the dropbox program from the tray, it pops up with a window and reports "Starting".

When I select preferences/Account, it states "This computer isn't linked to an account".

Walter

If you happen to be running an antivirus, firewall or VPN/proxy setting on the affected computer, could you try disabling them temporarily and try again @AlexWijffels?

We'll need to exclude this kind of software from interfering here, Alex - I hope you understand.

AlexWijffels

Hi Walter,

I understand your question.

Sadly enough, my laptop is a company laptop, and I cannot switch off the proxy, anti-virus software or firewall.

The only way forward for me is to have my whole windows operating system reinstalled to get rid of all the dropbox files and then hope that that solves my problem.

I was thinking about replacing my NAS with a bigger account with dropbox, but I'm postponing that until I get this fixed.

I hope you understand.

Walter

I do understand, Alex - thanks for elaborating on your use-case here.

Another thing you could try is creating a new OS profile on the computer and seeing if the issue persists there as well or even booting it on Safe Mode if that's an option.

In any case, let us know of any updates!

AlexWijffels

Hi,

My PC is now completely cleaned and I have Windows reinstalled.

I had no problem with installing dropbox again.
But now I did something stupid.

I signed in with the wrong email address for my dropbox.

How can I unlink the account I have now and connect to the correct account?

If I sign out, and want to sign in again with a different username, I can't. It automatically takes the current (wrong) account.

I hope you can help me out.
I will look stupid if I have to go back to the IT guys and ask them to redo the windows installation 😞

Thanks for your efforts to help me.

Hannah

Hey @AlexWijffels, thanks for reaching out to us.

It's strange that the Dropbox app reverts to keeping your old account linked, even after you've signed out of the app.

Does the computer still appear in your "devices" list if you go to the security page of your old account?

If it's there, try deleting it from that list, by clicking on the trash can next to it and let us know how it goes!

AlexWijffels

Hi Hanna,

It did indeed appear in the list, so I removed it.

But that was not the solution.

I have logged out in Dropbox and the app quits.
Then I restart the app.

It comes up with the following picture.
When I click on "sign in on dropbox" it connects again with the wrong account.

I don't get the choice to fill in the correct email address to connect to.

Any idea how to get rid of the link to the wrong account?

Thanks,

Alex

Nancy

Hi from me too, Alex! Can you send me one more screenshot of what you see right after clicking on the “Sign in with Dropbox” button?

DBoxTips

Hello @AlexWijffels

Hope this helps,

Andrew (DBoxTips)

AlexWijffels

Hi Andrew,

YES!

That did the trick!

At last I have access again to my personal and shared files.

I'm grateful!

Thanks

DBoxTips

Glad to hear that, Alex! Feel free to mark the forum thread/question as solved.

Andrew (DBoxTips)

Graham

Hi @DBoxTips,

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you very much for helping @AlexWijffels get this issue sorted, and for all of the other awesome contributions you have made to the Dropbox Community recently. Community members like you help to make the Community better for everyone and we really appreciate it.

Thanks again, and have a great day!

Graham