Folders Appearing and Filling with Empty Folders Every Few Minutes on Mac OS

I followed the link, but it only had instructions for Windows. I did a search on how to run an advanced reinstall on Mac, but couldn't find a Mac version of that page.

Jay

The link contains instructions for Windows, Mac and Linux, you'll need to click the option for Mac to see those steps.

I see it now. Sorry about that!

Anyway - I was able to follow the directions to uninstall. All of the terminal commands worked, but unfortunately, the folder re-created itself within a couple of minutes before I even re-installed, but I still reinstalled and deleted the folder. A few minutes more and the folder came back.

Jay

Do you have any other open apps or services on your machine? Could you try temporarily quitting them, then pausing the Dropbox desktop application, and delete those folders to see if they return?

Still the same unfortunately. I even restarted the computer as a 2nd try, but it came right back.

Activity monitor shows only the Dropbox Finder Extension and the dropbox forum (this page). I force killed the finder extension, but it still appeared. So weird!

Walter

Hey @BobF18 - sorry to jump in here, but could you send us a screenshot of how those folders look on your end so that we can have a visual too?

Do you see any signs of them on the website by the way?

Here are two screen shots of some of the files. I don't see anything online at all - not even the trash can, although it shows that 40% of my space is being used?

The folder inside my documents folder says:

com.apple.app-analytics.production.upload-dropbox

and the folders in there look like this:

Screenshot 2024-05-03 at 9.29.45 AM.png Screenshot 2024-05-03 at 9.30.47 AM.png

Nancy

Hi from me too, @BobF18. Do you see any active backups, if you go to this page perhaps? I'm trying to check if the 40% you see on your Dropbox account online are files being backed up from your computer.

It shows 0 backups:

Screenshot 2024-05-03 at 12.41.29 PM.png

Are there any other ideas? It keeps saving empty folders. I tried pausing sync, syncing just one file, deleting my account and app, and creating a new account the following day, and the folders keep coming. Help!

Megan

Hi @BobF18, can I send you an email, in order for us to have a closer look into this?

Absolutely! Let me know what the email address is. When I first sent this in via the support portal, the message I got was to come here to the communities to find help.

Thanks!!!

Bob

Walter

Hey @BobF18 - I just followed up via email to the email address that's associated with your Community profile.

Whenever you get the chance, please have a look at your inbox and we'll take it from there.

Were you able to work this out? I seem to be having the same issue.

Walter

Hey @warp5000 - thanks for letting us know about this.

Could you let us know some additional information so that we can make sure we're on the same page?

For example, what is your computer's OS version and the status and version of the Dropbox desktop app installed there?

When did you first noticed this by the way?

Do you see anything odd logged in your events page?

Macbook Pro Sonoma 14.5

I wasn't running Dropbox besides in the background. I tried uninstalling it, putting it back, uninstalling, deleting the folders, etc. I noticed it several days ago. I'm not sure what version of Dropbox I was running before but it must have been fairly older.

For some reason the folder keeps returning and growing.

at71485

I'm also experiencing the same issue. I deleted the folder several times, but the parent folder reappears and a new subfolder appears every three to five minutes. Also on Sonoma 14.5, but I haven't had Dropbox installed for several weeks now. Screenshot 2024-05-15 at 9.00.09 PM.png

at71485

I believe I’ve identified the culprit. I was able to open a file in one of the randomly-created folders, and it referenced the iPadOS Weather widget. I turned off the option to Share iPad Analytics (Settings > Privacy & Security > Share iPad Analytics), and it seems like it fixed the issue. I normally have the setting off, but must have enabled it by mistake when updating to 17.5 earlier this week.

I also turned off the option to share analytics on the MBP and iPhone, and all is good (so far! 🤞).

Anyway, I hope this helps some of you.

I don't seem to have this option im my Privacy & Security. There is no Share iPad Analytics available on my Mac. Am I missing something? I just went through the nearly 50 folders and there is nothing in any of them.

at71485

How about your Mac's analytics? System Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements. Screenshot 2024-05-16 at 7.57.17 AM.png

I was able to turn all off (above analytics and improvements), removed the weather widget from the Notification Center, went into activity monitor, and and then I even went into the /~library and removed all files associated with weather. Two things: (1) it didn't stop the folders from creating themselves, but (2) I noticed an odd message on the weather app when reseting the identifier:

Screenshot 2024-05-16 at 11.30.47 AM.png

DragonUser52

I have the same problem. com.apple.app-analytics.production.upload-dropbox in my documents folder, with 140 empty folders inside. Please make it stop.

14" Macbook Pro M3 Pro Sonoma 14.5

UPDATE: This is occurring even when I've quit the Dropbox app.

Doesn't seem like anyone is coming to our rescue here. Just continued dead files over and over and over and over...

BenDBX

Hi Everybody,

I've run this issue by our engineering team. Upon investigation. It does not appear that Dropbox is creating these folders. Based on the location where the folders are being created (com.apple.app-analytics), we recommend reaching out to Apple Support for further assistance.

Feel free to keep us posted with any solutions or further information you are able to obtain from Apple Support.

Thanks,

Ben

I am also getting this folder and a zillion empty sub-folders . . .
com.apple.app-analytics.production.upload-dropbox
How can I/We stop this? I deleted everything. There are NO analytics in Privacy. HELP!!!

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html

com.apple.app-analytics.production.upload-dropbox

Dropbox is creating this folder with a zillion sub-folders in my Documents on a Mac. HELP!!

DragonUser52

I reported this to Apple here and I hope you all will do the same:

I spent two hours on a chat with Apple. It ended with me disconnecting chat to reboot Mac Mini is "safe mode." I was just about to type that fixed the problem when right before my eyes another folder appeared . . . time for a new chat . . . .

com.apple.app-analytics.production.upload-dropbox