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My Dropbox app is stuck at "Connecting" and I can't use compatibility mode either.

Hello,

I have seen numerous/old threads on this "Unable to connect to internet" issue when launching the DropBox client but still no luck after multiple attempts.

I use Windows 10 and everything connecting fine to internet.
Of course I tried disabling VPN/Firewall and multiple uninstall/reboot/reinstall and nothing helps. I use latest version 211.4.6008 and even tried installing old ones (210.5.4894 and 197.4.7629) and this didn't help either

Long time ago, I had this issue and I was told to run DropBox in compatibility mode.
This was fine until recently when DropBox said that I couldn't do that anymore and as soon as compatibility mode is turned off, then I can't connect anymore.

If I turn on compatibility mode, it connects fine, sync all files and then suddenly tells me that I can no longer run in compatibility mode and I have no other solution than to turn off compatibility mode and then it is no longer able to connect (stuck on "Connecting...").

Maybe this has something to do with SSL/TLS, I tried sniffing the traffic, enable disable IP v6/v4, tried on wifi vs. ethernet, and so on. Still nothing.

So how can I use Dropbox on my Windows 10 machine?
Is there any setting/registry entry/troubleshooting tool you can suggest?
Please help. Thanks.

Eric

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Nancy

Hey @EricTabet! Thanks for posting on our forum about this.

Can you send me a few screenshots of what you see on your end, while not in compatibility mode, so that I can have a look?

More specifically, I’d like a screenshot of your Dropbox app version and current syncing status, as well as a screenshot of the OS version you’re currently running. You can also send me a screenshot of the error you keep receiving stating that compatibility mode is no longer supported.

Give me a nudge, when you’re ready.

EricTabet

Hello Nancy,

Thanks for the follow-up.

The alert when launching Dropbox is this one (pardon my French)

I have reinstalled it fresh right before taking the screenshot.

The version is this one:

It is obviously not syncing right now (stuck on "Starting...")

If I switch it to compatibility mode, then it works well and syncs files but then I get the following pop-up:

Which says that it runs in compatibility mode and the two choices are to continue or disable compatibility mode.

If I select "Disable" I go back to the beginning (no longer syncing). And if I click "Continue", I then get:

And the only option is to quit Dropbox.

So this seems like an endless loop.

Over the past couple of days, I have upgrade to Windows 11, hoping this would resolve it, but as you can see the issue remains exactly like it was on Windows 10.

Here is a screenshot of the OS I'm running:

Please let me know if I can provide more to allow resolution.

Thanks for your help

Eric

EricTabet

@NancyPlease let me know if I can provide additional details or screenshots. Tried again multiple times to uninstall/reinstall and I can confirm that no Antivirus or Firewall is blocking the connection. But still no luck.
Note also that because the connection is clearly not blocked when in compatibility mode, this means we can rule out the antivirus/firewall part.

Thanks.
Eric

EricTabet

Hello @Nancy and all,

Would you kindly have any tips on this please?
Is there any way to re-enable compatibility mode or to understand why it cannot connect when not in compatibility mode?

Thanks.
Eric

mitgeek

I'm experiencing this exact same thing. Everything was working just fine until I got that same screenshots that Eric posted.

Megan

Sorry for the late reply @EricTabet

It seems due to the changes on our community's surface, your messages were a bit delayed.

Can you please also clarify if you're able to access your files from your Dropbox account online without issues? I'm assuming yes, correct?

Have you taken a look at these steps, by any chance?

Also hello there @mitgeek🙂

Can you clarify your OS, along with the version of our app that you're ustheseing, please?

Thanks!

EricTabet

Hello@"Megan"

Yes, I confirm that I can access my files from the web site fine, I can even access them from a Mac but just not on Windows.

i tried all the steps in the post you linked and in many other posts. I tried advanced reinstall as well, fully disable all antivirus and even safe mode with network and new user session. It just won’t connect.

Again, because it connects fine when in compatibility mode (just until it quits with the message, that is…) it is clear that the issue is not the firewall or antivirus because it would also block it in compatibility mode if that was the issue.

So the problem lies inside DropBox client itself. Please can you escalate so a resolution can be found? Given the number of posts and persons who have the issue, it would be good that true network troubleshooting could be performed by your team to understand the bug and find a solution.

i remain available to share logs or wireshark session or TLS/SSL negotiations or whatever else…

Thanks

Eric

mitgeek

I’m on Windows 11 Pro. I had Dropbox support help me today - but all we did was uninstall and install the latest version 213.something.

I had my IT department at my work troubleshoot this and if we reverted to DropboxApp v 210.5.4894 the app connects, appears alive and nominal, attempts to sync files, but then shuts down and the app no longer appears in the system tray. When we goto relaunch Dropbox it’s now the updated version. So maybe the app is updating itself?

We also concluded this is not a firewall issue as no updates were done in these past few days. Windows had a security patch a week ago. But nothing else.

mitgeek

I agree - the problem appears to be with latest version of Dropbox.

Hannah

Hey @mitgeek, thanks for updating us.

Can you also give us the ticket number for your communication with our support team, so we can take a look?

mitgeek

Ticket#: 24550189

Nancy

Thanks for sending us your ticket number, @mitgeek! I checked it on my end and could locate your convo with our support team.

I’ve left them an internal note on your behalf too, so that they may reach back to you soon.

EricTabet

I wouldn't mind being contacted as well, or provided with the fix/solution, hoping that it is the same cause. I have other users around me sharing the same problem since compatibility mode is no longer an option.

Thanks.

log1t3

@EricTabet @mitgeekDid you get the solution or fix to this problem?

EricTabet

Absolutely not.
And nobody contacted me despite providing all the screenshots I was asked for.
This is getting very frustrating.

Megan

Hi @EricTabet, I just created a ticket on my end for you, I

mitgeek

No my Windows 11 machine is still stuck. Dropbox support staff is still trying to help me. We have tried Advanced Reinstall but same issue - stuck in "Starting" with greyed out icon in System tray. I did notice that when I downloaded the installer it downloaded v213.4.4597. Last week, I was downloading v215.something.

I've also tried running it in compatibility mode for Win7 or Win8 and same issue.

mitgeek

So I have verified that if I uninstll v213 and install v210.5.4894 and run it under compatibility mode for Win7, the dropbox app appears to work nominally (time stamp 12:43pm) - but then the darn thing updates itself to v213.4.4597 and the system tray icon disappears and if I relaunch Dropbox it is stuck in the startup phase again. I hope this helps Dropbox support staff.

Walter

Hey @mitgeek - thanks for the additional information and the screenshots too.

At this point, I'd recommend waiting for an update from our expert on your existing ticket since they're better equipped to help you on this with account and device specific information.

If you'd like to troubleshoot this further and it's not too much trouble for you, you could try creating a new OS profile on the affected computer and install the desktop app there.

In any case, keep us posted with any updates!

EricTabet

Facing the exact same issue, I have already tried from a brand new OS profile, as mentioned earlier in this thread. This did not help.

Also as mentioned, the attempts included "Advanced Reinstall" and safe mode with Network. This also occurs on just upgraded Windows 11 with no firewall and no antivirus installed.

Exact same behavior: old version in compatibility mode works fine, then updates itself and no longer works.

This is not a new issue, it is the same "unable to connect to internet" that we see in many posts for the past few years. Root cause was just hidden under the rug because many of us enabled the compatibility mode, and now that it is no longer supported, then it fails for many of us.

It should be clear by now that, for the very reason that it works fine with earlier versions but just not on the new one that forbids compatibility mode, the cause of the issue cannot be antivirus, firewall or OS profile. If these were the cause, then the old version would also be impacted and would not sync.

I really don't want to have to uninstall and reinstall the old version, just to get it to sync just once... :-)

mitgeek

I'm noticing that the Offline installer v210.5.4894 and today I tried offline Installer v211.5.32 both work in compatibilty mode until the darn app auto updates itself to current version then becomes stuck in the Starting up mode.

Dropbox support - please help us with a version that does not have autoUpdate so we can live our lives until the support team figures this out.

log1t3

@Megan @EricTabet @mitgeekHas support resolved this issue?

EricTabet

No. Support has still *not* resolved the issue.

They keep asking me for more info/attempts which I already provided in this post.

Very disappointing to not being able to use Dropbox on a simple Windows 11 machine.

EricTabet

Two months later, still no solution or follow-up from my support ticket.

I just received today a notification from Dropbox to install the client. Just tried and nothing changed. Still says "Unable to connect to Internet".

All other tools (and drive/sync solutions such as OneDrive, iCloud, Google Drive, etc.) are working fine. Just not Dropbox.