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The Dropbox app doesn't launch automatically every time I restart my Win11 computer.

I recently got a new laptop with Win11 on it. Got the Dropbox app installed, synced, etc.

When I shut down the computer, then turn it back on, the DB app is no longer available in my system tray, and I have to reinstall. That works, but it's a pain in the butt.

Is there a setting in Windows11 that I need to set? Or in the DB App, that I missed? In General Preferences, I have the "Open Dropbox upon startup slider to the left.

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radical_exponent

Hi @oreosmeow, can you try going into Dropbox preferences and changing the "Open Dropbox upon startup" slider to the right (instead of the left), and see if that fixes it?

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Walter

Hi there @oreosmeow - sorry to hear about this.

Can you please let us know if the app does indeed get uninstalled when you shut down your laptop or if it's the app's icon missing from your task bar? If you search for the app after rebooting your computer, does it show up at all?

Also, do you have any security programs that might be causing issues by the way?

Let us know more and we'll take it from there.

oreosmeow

Hi Walter, thanks for getting back to me.

After I wrote that first post, I did a restart and Dropbox is still in my program files that could be uninstalled. So, I guess that it's just the icon that disappears.

And I'm running the same variations of Norton that I ran on my Win10 laptop and had no issues there. Of course, that's not to say that there are issues that Norton's causing now on Win11. I did have to reinstall all my software, though, and have had no problems running any of those.

Walter

In that case, could you try disabling it temporarily and let us know if the issue persists @oreosmeow ?

oreosmeow

I disabled Norton and it didn't help. But I did a search for DB, the app came right up and, after clicking it, it landed back in my system tray.

Walter

I see, thanks for the update @oreosmeow

If it's not too much of a hassle, could you try creating a new OS profile on your computer and try to replicate the issue there as a test?

oreosmeow

Walter, sure but it will have to wait until tomorrow...just signed in to do a bunch of work that I have to do as me. 😉

oreosmeow

Okay, I created a new user and logged in as that user. The icon for Dropbox dropped right into the tray. I restarted, used my regular user and no icon. Restarted with the new user and DB opened right up.

I'm going to test something else, just for fun - my regular user doesn't have a password to sign in, but the new user does. I'll set a password for myself and see if that takes care of it. Perhaps DB is looking for me to have a password for the computer?

oreosmeow

Walter, that didn't work. I didn't think it would, but thought it was worth a shot. I can still bring up DB by searching for it.

Nancy

Hey @oreosmeow! Hope you’re well.

When saying that you need to reinstall the Dropbox app each time for the Dropbox icon to appear, do you mean that you completely uninstall it first and then reinstall it? Or do you just go here to download it without removing it first?

If the latter, please uninstall it next time this happens, and then install it once again via this link.

radical_exponent

Hi @oreosmeow, can you try going into Dropbox preferences and changing the "Open Dropbox upon startup" slider to the right (instead of the left), and see if that fixes it?

oreosmeow

Hi Nancy - no, I've determined that the app icon simply doesn't drop into the tray. I have to do a search for Dropbox and then the icon appears.

Originally, I believed the app was gone, so I'd reinstall. But then, between Walter and I, I figured out it's just the icon that's missing and I have to search for the app and then it apparently starts and the icon drops in.

oreosmeow

radical_exponent - that worked! I knew with my old laptop that it defaulted to "run on startup" and, due to the laptop was 10 years old, I'd turned that off so I didn't drag my internet down. I'd turn it on only when needed.

With the new one - I SWEAR it didn't run on startup initially...so I toggled that switch.

Toggled it back and now DB starts up fine whether I do a full shutdown or a restart.

I feel really stupid now...I've used DB for a gazillion years and never had a problem with the app starting up when I wanted it to. Geez.

Thanks so much for getting my head on straight!