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Desktop app on Mac crashes when trying to link a second account

I was using Dropbox Beta with the new cloud storage location in Ventura. I had both personal and business account on the desktop app. Things were working mostly ok, but I was having some issues with syncing, so I thought I should try leaving the beta. that's when all the problems started.

After I left the beta, I could no longer add a second account to the desktop app. I tried adding the Personal account then adding the Business acount. I tried adding the Business account, then adding the Personal account. When I add the second account, Dropbox crashes and it doesn't login. So I went back to the beta to see if that made a difference and it hasn't. So now I'm stuck with only my Business account in the beta

Is there anyway to fully reset Dropbox on the computer to fix this?

thanks

Paul

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PLPL

all sorted. turns out i had been downloading the beta. needed to untick the Early Access

All comments

PLPL

I unlinked my personal account and relinked it on the web, but it didn't help

Hannah

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, @PLPL.

Can you hover over your Dropbox icon and let me know the current sync status and version of the app?

Are you getting some kind of error message when the app crashes?

Let me know and we'll go from there.

PLPL

Up to date

197.3.7490

No error message.

It creates Dropbox-Personal, then crashes and restarts. when it restarts the personal account is still logged out and it deletes the Dropbox-Personal folder

MacOS 13.6.6

Macbook Pro 14" 2023 - Apple M2 Max

Hannah

Thanks for the update, @PLPL.

If you haven't already can you restart the computer, to see if that helps?

If not, please also quit the Dropbox app and relaunch it from your applications folder.

PLPL

- restarted

- tried to add personal account

- dropbox crashed and restarted

- closed dropbox

- opened dropbox from applications

- tried to add personal account

- dropbox crashed and restarted

PLPL

all sorted. turns out i had been downloading the beta. needed to untick the Early Access

Walter

We're glad to hear it's sorted and thanks for keeping us in the loop too @PLPL

See you around the Community and have a lovely week ahead!

stephenneal

I'm having the same problem. I am unticked from Early Access. I have restarted my Mac. I have restarted Dropbox and opened from Applications folder. Every time I try to link my 2nd account it creates the folder, then crashes and deletes it. I'm on a new MacBook Air M3.

I even uninstalled / deleted Dropbox completely and redownloaded it and still having the same issue.

Nancy

Sorry to hear about this, @stephenneal. Can you share with me the app version of your Dropbox app?

drummersteve

I am having the same issue - My personal account has been added, no problem. All synced and saying all files are up to date.

Now trying to add work dropbox (as I had it just a few days ago before my hard drive failed). I log in as per the various prompts, asks me to choose a folder where to locate the dropbox. All seems good, but then the desktop app quits, and then restarts, and wants me to go through the process again.

The folder gets created in the specified location, but it just crashes before anything begins syncing.

Running on macOS Big Sur 11.7.2. Tried re-installing the app, quitting/restarting, restarting computer etc. Nothing helps.

PS running desktop app version v197.4.7571

Jay

Hi @drummersteve, when you reinstalled the app, did you perform an advanced reinstallation of the app?

stephenneal

v197.4.7571

Nancy

Thanks for sending over your app version, @stephenneal! You also mentioned previously you’ve already reinstalled the Dropbox app; did you perform an advanced reinstall as well, or just the basic one?

stephenneal

I did not do the advanced reinstall that requires you to go into terminal.

Nancy

Can you please give that a go as well, and let me know if it helps at all?

goodmangames

Hi, I'm on a Mac desktop running Sonoma 14.4.1. I had enormous problems when I tried to convert to the new File Provider version of Dropbox so I've restored to a Time Machine backup of my Mac from last week. Now when I use the desktop Dropbox app, I am unable to switch between my two linked accounts. They are linked in the web-based interface, and on my separate laptop, they're linked and I can easily switch between them in the desktop app.

But on my regular desktop Mac, the switching won't work. I see the secondary account in the drop-down menu under "Switch Accounts." If I choose to switch to that account, it makes me sign in to the linked account - each and every time - but then it just leaves me in the original account. And the dropbox folder for the linked account won't sync any files, and doesn't have the special icon for a dropbox folder.

I have already uninstalled and reinstalled the Dropbox app multiple times, to no avail. (So far this is the only advice I have gotten from the Dropbox support team, who took 2 days to reply to my query.) If anyone can help, I would appreciate it!

Nancy

Sorry to hear you’re having the same issue, @goodmangames. Just to clarify, did you manage to update your desktop Mac device to File Provider in the end, and then this issue started?

What if you quit the Dropbox app now, restart your computer, and then relaunch the app again? Can you share with me the app version it’s running?

I’d also like to know the ticket number of your support request.

goodmangames

Thanks for the reply. I am also using v197.4.7571. I was never able to get File Provider to work so I am running it on the "non-File Provider" implementation. The problems occur now even without File Provider. I've tried quitting the dropbox app and restarting multiple times. It doesn't help. My ticket number is 23650568. They took 2 days to reply and all they recommended was to delete the app and reinstall it - which I have done multiple times.

Nancy

I see. Thanks for the ticket number and the extra info! I can see your case is already being handled by our specialists, so I’d suggest continuing with them directly.

However, can you clarify if you’ve also performed an advanced reinstall, instead of the basic one?

angelique_WR

I am having the same issue on 197.4.7629. I believe the issue is that my personal account is eligible for the switch to File Provider, but my work account is not, because it has over 500,000 files. If I sign out of both accounts and sign into my personal account first, my personal Dropbox folder appears in Locations, but trying to sign into my work account puts me in the sign in/crash loop others have mentioned, plus an extra dialog asking me to choose specific folders to sync since I am over the 500,000 limit. However, even if I only choose a single folder with a single file in it to sync, my work Dropbox only briefly appears in Locations with my personal one before the app crashes, my work folder disappears and I'm back to square one with the sign in loop.

However, if I sign out of both accounts and sign into my work account first, it puts my work Dropbox back in my user folder where it was before, and syncs normally even with over 500,000 files. In Sync under Preferences in my work account, I also see a message that that account is not eligible for the switch to File Provider. With my work account functional, if I then try to sign in to my personal account, the same thing happens in reverse - a folder is created in my user folder for my personal Dropbox, but the app crashes when it attempts to sync anything and puts me back in the sign in loop. The personal folder also disappears from Locations in this scenario.

The problem is obviously a mismatch between my two accounts - my personal account is trying to use File Provider, while my work account can't. Is there a way to roll back my personal account and force it not to use File Provider so that both accounts keep their old locations in my user folder until my work account is eventually eligible to be migrated as well?

Walter

Hey @angelique_WR - sorry to jump in here, but could you clarify if you were able to link your accounts on a MacOS device without an issue in the past and how many files you're syncing locally on your Business account on your desktop?

angelique_WR

Yes, I had both my accounts synced to my Mac for years before this. I don’t know exactly when my personal account got disconnected but it has to be pretty recent because I use it frequently.

I honestly have no idea how many individual files i have synced locally vs. in the cloud, or just in general. Who counts their digital files? I know I probably have a couple hundred folders, each with several subfolders and probably dozens to hundreds of individual files depending on the client. If there is an individual file limit, it would be nice if Dropbox could provide that count, but it only shows the size of the folder in kb/mb/gb, which is pretty meaningless for digital files that could be a wide variety of types and sizes individually.

Walter

Thanks for the additional information @angelique_WR - much appreciated.

I took a look at our system and I can see that you have a ticket with our support team so I'd suggest waiting for our expert's response on your ticket so that you can continue troubleshooting this with them directly.

Let us know if you have anything else to add in the meantime.

JessRTS

I am having the exact same issue and I also suspect the cause to be the same thing - personal account allows File Provider, work account is apparently not eligible (I don't know why not though).

Were support able to help you at all?

angelique_WR

Support suggested I do an advanced uninstall/reinstall using command line tools, and supposedly after that I should be able to revert to the non-File Provider version for my personal account and have both back in my user folder. However, I haven’t had a chance to try this yet as I can’t afford at downtime from Dropbox during my workday. Hopefully I will be able to give it a shot over the weekend and will report back!

JessRTS

Thanks for letting me know. I'll try an advanced uninstall/reinstall and see how I get on.

I'll also report back if I manage to get anywhere.

JessRTS

Thankfully, the advanced uninstall/reinstall worked. What a relief.

I hope it works for you too, @angelique_WR.