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Dropbox can't start after I moved hard drive to a new computer.

Hello!

I have physically moved my Dropbox hard drive to a new-old computer. I had this hard drive in my main computer, and now moved it to my 2nd home computer and wanted to install Dropbox there. The Dropbox folder is located at G:\Work Dropbox on both computers. I also added a bigger hard drive to my main computer.

The idea was to install Dropbox with the same path as the old one, so i don't have to download all the data again, but it will not let me start. My main computer runs Windows 11 and the 2nd computer runs Windows 10. I get this error message when i start the dropobox app after i pointed the path to the dropbox harddrive G:

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
bn.VERSION: 198.4.7615
bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 72
bn.is_frozen: True
machine_id: 91beffda-820c-4064-9257-668f16af7ac0
pid: 3672
cwd: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client'
     real_path='C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client'
           	mode=0o40777	uid=0	gid=0
     parent	mode=0o40777	uid=0	gid=0
HOME: None
appdata: 'C:\\Users\\**\\AppData\\Local\\Dropbox\\instance3'
         real_path='C:\\Users\\***\\AppData\\Local\\Dropbox\\instance3'
               	mode=0o40777	uid=0	gid=0
         parent	mode=0o40777	uid=0	gid=0
dropbox_path: 'G:\\Work Dropbox'
              real_path='G:\\Work Dropbox'
                    	mode=0o40777	uid=0	gid=0
              parent	mode=0o40555	uid=0	gid=0
sys_executable: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\Dropbox.exe'
                real_path='C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\Dropbox.exe'
                      	mode=0o100777	uid=0	gid=0
                parent	mode=0o40777	uid=0	gid=0
trace.__file__: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\198.4.7615\\python-packages.zip\\dropbox\\client\\ui\\common\\boot_error.pyc'
                real_path='C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\198.4.7615\\python-packages.zip\\dropbox\\client\\ui\\common\\boot_error.pyc'
                      	not found
                parent	not found
TMP: C:\Users\*\AppData\Local\Temp
TEMP: C:\Users\**\AppData\Local\Temp
tempdir: 'C:\\Users\\**\\AppData\\Local\\Temp'
         real_path='C:\\Users\\**\\AppData\\Local\\Temp'
               	mode=0o40777	uid=0	gid=0
         parent	mode=0o40777	uid=0	gid=0
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 889, in wrapper
  File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6884, in finish_dropbox_boot
  File "desktop/dropbox/client/message_queue.py", line 306, in _wrapped
  File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6347, in _init_components_for_account
  File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6268, in create_sync_engine
  File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine_boundary/factory.py", line 212, in make_sync_engine
  File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/sync_engine.py", line 243, in __init__
  File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/modern_client.py", line 285, in __init__
  File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/base.py", line 242, in __init__
  File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.py", line 221, in __init__
  File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.py", line 542, in _init_new_engine_locked
  File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/thin_client/client.py", line 144, in __init__
  File "desktop\extensions\nucleus\nucleus_python.pyx", line 77, in nucleus_python.NucleusSyncEngine.__cinit__
nucleus_python.SyncEngineError: "Initializing engine |>> Initializing filesystem |>> Attempting to initialize dbx cache directory |>> Ensuring root is writeable during FS initialization |>> Reopening failed |>> Duplicating handle |>> ACCESS_DENIED |>> Permission denied"

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Walter

Hey @rvenes - sorry to jump in here, but at this point I'd suggest a clean, advanced reinstall where you'd be able to point your Dropbox folder to your desired drive and select the folders you'd like to be synced on your new computer.

Let us know how it goes!

All comments

Megan

Hey @rvenes, I hope you're doing well, let's see what we can find!

As a first step, would you mind trying out these steps provided by my colleague, Nancy?

If this doesn't work, don't hesitate to let me know. Thank you!

rvenes

That didnt work. Im not sure if i got the same error log, but here it is anway.

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
bn.VERSION: 198.4.7615
bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 72
bn.is_frozen: True
machine_id: 91beffda-820c-4064-9257-668f16af7ac0
pid: 10320
cwd: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client'
real_path='C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client'
mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
HOME: None
appdata: 'C:\\Users\\rune\\AppData\\Local\\Dropbox\\instance3'
real_path='C:\\Users\\rune\\AppData\\Local\\Dropbox\\instance3'
mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
dropbox_path: 'G:\\Work Dropbox'
real_path='G:\\Work Dropbox'
mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40555 uid=0 gid=0
sys_executable: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\Dropbox.exe'
real_path='C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\Dropbox.exe'
mode=0o100777 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
trace.__file__: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\198.4.7615\\python-packages.zip\\dropbox\\client\\ui\\common\\boot_error.pyc'
real_path='C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\198.4.7615\\python-packages.zip\\dropbox\\client\\ui\\common\\boot_error.pyc'
not found
parent not found
TMP: C:\Users\rune\AppData\Local\Temp
TEMP: C:\Users\rune\AppData\Local\Temp
tempdir: 'C:\\Users\\rune\\AppData\\Local\\Temp'
real_path='C:\\Users\\rune\\AppData\\Local\\Temp'
mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40777 uid=0 gid=0
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 889, in wrapper
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6884, in finish_dropbox_boot
File "desktop/dropbox/client/message_queue.py", line 306, in _wrapped
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6347, in _init_components_for_account
File "desktop/dropbox/client/main.py", line 6268, in create_sync_engine
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine_boundary/factory.py", line 212, in make_sync_engine
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/sync_engine.py", line 243, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/modern_client.py", line 285, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/modern_client/base.py", line 242, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.py", line 221, in __init__
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/classic_client/thin_adapter/in_proc.py", line 542, in _init_new_engine_locked
File "desktop/dropbox/sync_engine/nucleus/thin_client/client.py", line 144, in __init__
File "desktop\extensions\nucleus\nucleus_python.pyx", line 77, in nucleus_python.NucleusSyncEngine.__cinit__
nucleus_python.SyncEngineError: "Initializing engine |>> Initializing filesystem |>> Attempting to initialize dbx cache directory |>> Ensuring root is writeable during FS initialization |>> Reopening failed |>> Duplicating handle |>> ACCESS_DENIED |>> Permission denied"

Walter

Let us know how it goes!

rvenes

That worked.

I had to download the offline installer, because the normal installer didnt want to download for some reason. I also had to choose a few days earlier version of the dropbox installer. But its working now, and i assume it will autoupdate to the lastest one.

Megan

Awesome news @rvenes!

If you need anything else, we'll be one post away, so let us know! 😎

wmflars

I was planning to do something like what @rvenes did. I was going to install the synced drive from my old computer in my new one. I'm glad I looked here first. Are these the steps you would recommend:

Un-sync Dropbox from the old drive on the old computer.
Erase and reformat the old drive.
Install the reformatted drive in the new computer.
Re-sync Dropbox with the old drive.

Walter

Hi @wmflars - thanks for joining the discussion here.

Before I make any suggestions on the steps you'll need to use, can you let us know your computer's OS and the status and version of the Dropbox desktop app that's installed on your old computer as shown in the system tray/menu bar?

If you make sure that the folder path is exactly the same on both devices, you shouldn't have to go through these steps, only install the app on the new computer and point your Dropbox folder to the drive (and folder path) you'd like to use.