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Safari 16.1 (macOS Ventura) cannot access Dropbox files

Safari cannot open the page.The error is: "The operation couldn't be completed. (kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork error 1.)" (kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork:1)

Dropbox recently moved itself to "a safer location", i.e., ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox. Everything was fine. Afterward, I upgraded macOS to 13.0 (Ventura). Safari is now ver 16.1 and cannot open html files stored in Dropbox. All other apps appear to be quite happy with cloud versions of Dropbox files, including Chrome, TextEdit, macVim, Terminal, etc. Probably something minor, but not sure what.

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Megan

Happy Monday guys!

Thanks for keeping us updated, and for sharing your finds with the Community. I'll forward your feedback to the appropriate areas so we can continue to improve.

If you need anything else, let me know!

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Walter

Hey there @GMart1120, thanks for flagging this with us.

Can you please let me know if this happens with files that are online only or if it's about files that are available offline on your computer?

Does the issue persist on other browsers perhaps?

Any additional information or screenshots of the errors you get will be much appreciated.

GMart1120

Screenshot 2022-10-31 at 2.55.26 PM.png

Walter: per your request, here's a screenshot of the Safari error message. I believe you will find the text exactly as I stated in my original post. With respect to the online/offline question, the file I ask Safari to open has already been opened by Chrome and TextEdit. What else can I provide? Thank you for your interest.

Megan

Hey @GMart1120, thanks for the screenshot, very helpful!

Does this happen with all of your .html files, or only some of them? Also, could you clarify the state of the files too (online-only, available offline)?

GMart1120

@Megan Safari's failure to load HTML files only happens when I try to access ones in the ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox folder. Failure on all files.

Not sure how to answer your online/offline question. Using Chrome: menu File, Open file..., point to the ~/Library version and it opens the HTML file just fine. Immediately go to Safari and enter the same string of commands and it fails with the aforementioned error message.

I've copied the folder of HTML files to the local drive and Safari loads them without error.

DCSkipper

This happens for me with offline html files. Safari won't open them if they are in Dropbox locally on my computer. I don't know about online ones. It also took me a long time to find the location of Dropbox files on my Mac using Ventura OS so that I could upload them using the latest version of FileZilla.

DCSkipper

I just checked and the html file that wouldn't open with Safari opened with Chrome.

GMart1120

@DCSkipper's experience matches mine. Is there anything magical about the ~/Library/CloudStorage location of Dropbox? Can I moved it somewhere else? any special instructions/processes to do that? Or do I just need to abandon the idea of storing HTML files in Dropbox?

Hannah

Hey @DCSkipper and @GMart1120, can you please let us know which version of Safari you're using?

Is your browser updated to the most recent version?

DCSkipper

Using most recent Safari (16.1) that came with Ventura macOS 13.01

DCSkipper

This is the most recent version of both

GMart1120

@Hannah - I think Safari is up to date -- Version 16.1 (18614.2.9.1.12). macOS is 13.0 (22A380).

KePar

Same problem after Dropbox moved this week my files to ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox. Use most recent Mac Ventura version. Safari Versie 16.1 (18614.2.9.1.12).

Don't see any solution yet. Anything coming?

Joel B.6

Same problem here. Ventura 13.1; Safari 16.2 (18614.3.7.1.5); Dropbox v163.4.5456.
Static HTML file stored in Dropbox.
Same effect with file as default access or set to "Make available offline"

File _is_ accessible via Chrome 108.0.5359.124, and other apps such as BBEdit.

Interestingly, when I tried to open with Firefox (104.0.2), it requested access to files managed by Dropbox, and then opened the file...using the _old_ link. Firefox appears to be following the newly-created alias into the new CloudStorage directory...and Chrome seems to be able to do that too. Safari will not do this.

I suppose it's also worth noting that Safari _will_ open a copy of the same file located in iCloud Drive.

GMart1120

There doesn't appear to be any movement on this issue. Alternatively, is there a way to move the Dropbox directory out of ~/Library/CloudStorage/, back to "normal space"? I'd like to resume using Dropbox, but the current situation is a showstopper.

mrkva

Found a solution. You need to give Safari "Full disk access" via System Settings (Privacy tab in Privacy & Security part)

KePar

Correct. Works. But is it safe? normally an app asks for permission for the part of your drive it needs.

DCSkipper

Don't see Safari listed under full disk access. Do I need to add it manually?

mrkva

Yes, add it manually via the "+" button. Not sure about the safety of this method, it is up to Dropbox/Apple to say...

KePar

Yes. Which is what I do not trust. Normally an application asks for permission and, if affirmed, appears in Files and Maps list (you cannot enter anything there). Hence it stays for me a flaw in the Mac/Dropbox design, which Dropbox should address.

DCSkipper

Thanks!

GMart1120

@mrkva - Thank you! Yes, I believe that will work. However, I will hold off implementing pending additional research on granting "Full Disk Access" to Safari. There are less than 10 items on the Full Disk Access list and none of them are enabled. My intuition tells me enabling Safari is not the safe thing to do.

Megan

Happy Monday guys!

Thanks for keeping us updated, and for sharing your finds with the Community. I'll forward your feedback to the appropriate areas so we can continue to improve.

If you need anything else, let me know!

Jasiu

Just read through this whole thread... So do I have it right that the only solution at this point is full disk access?

If that's the case, where does the "real" fix need to be done? (Apple or Dropbox?)

Thanks!

GMart1120

@Jasiu - everyone will probably have different opinions on the answer to your question. In my case, the situation was initiated by Dropbox moving itself to "a protected location" on the boot drive of my MacBook Pro. So my opinion is that Dropbox is responsible for the ultimate resolution. And granting Full Disk Access to Safari is not, in my opinion, the solution.

GMart1120

As I think about this situation, it occurs to me that I don't understand enough about "the protected area" where Dropbox moved now resides. If that is the case, educate me (us). Explain where Dropbox moved to and why. What are the advantages, the side effects, the restrictions? It obviously affects our daily interactions with macOS, knowing more about it would help. BTW, thanks to everyone who contributed to this conversation. All of our comments helped lead us to this point.

DCSkipper

I found this on the web about this topic: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/438689/is-allowing-full-disk-access-to-safari-dangerous

wbrehob

Same issue on macOS 12.6.2, Safari 16.2, Dropbox 6 / 165.4.4300

I feel that much of this is due to macOS / Safari sandboxing, but I think Dropbox in its pursuit of online/offline capabilities also added t this. It would be nice if Dropbox developers could provide a better solution than "give Safari full disk access". Firefox seems to understand that it needs special access to Dropbox (and not full disk access), so could Dropbox work with Apple and Safari devlopers for the same thing?

kpitt

I'm running on macOS Ventura 13.2.1, and I'm having the same problem with accessing Dropbox files from Safari. However, my company uses OneDrive for file sharing and I'm having the same problem there. It seems to be a general problem with Safari accessing files from any "Cloud Storage" provider that is using the Apple File Provider API. Every other application I've tried will prompt for access the first time I try to open a file from one of these locations, but Safari does not.

It's probably not directly related to the same issue, but there is also a problem with displaying the access permissions under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Files and Folders. I used a text editor application to open a file from both Dropbox and OneDrive, and it brought up the appropriate access prompt for each provider. However, if I then look at the "access user files" permissions, I see two entries for "Dropbox" instead of one for "Dropbox" and one for "OneDrive".