"This is an unlinked Dropbox" on my app's preferences on Mac Sonoma 14.5.

Hey @Chiboko - thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Can you please send us a screenshot of the error you're getting so that we can have a visual too?

Did you reboot your computer, and/or quit and relaunch the app since you noticed this?

Keep us posted!

I have discovered the exact same issue today and it renders my iMac useless if I can’t use it for dropbox as I normally would. It was buggy today so I uninstalled it and reinstalled and after that all my files changed location, I had no dropbox options when I right clicked, I cant open my files or “view on dropbox.com” as there is “no connection to the server”, it’s a total mess.

But my macbook is fine?

Scared to touch anything at the risk of deleting files that can’t be retrieved

Megan

Hey @James Burford, let's jump right into this!

Would you mind clarifying if you're using the same OS as the OP, and the Dropbox version you have installed there?

Also, what is the app's current syncing status?

Let me know more, and we'll take it from there!

@Megan Hi. I have Sonoma 14.5 running and dropbox version 203.4.4857 which is "up to date".

Current syncing status is "all files up to date"

@Megan If it helps, it might be worth me saying that there are two locations where I can find all my files that i use for dropbox (This is Mac).

1) Finder - Library - CloudStorage ...

- When I try to access my files this way, Finder tells me that this is an unlinked dropbox, I can't open any files, and if I am to right click on my files I DO see the Dropbox options but if you click on any of them it tells you that there is an issue connecting to the server.

2) Finder - User - "username" - Dropbox (personal)... (I also have another Dropbox folder here asI I am part of a team that uses dropbox) ...

- If I access my files this way, I can open them and everything works fine and things then seem to update when I log into dropbox on browser. However, when I right click, there are NO options for dropbox at all, so when I am finished working on the file I cannot "Make Online-Only" - so essentially I'll eventually use up all the space on my iMac

Hope this helps ?

Hey @James Burford, jumping in here as well, if you don't mind.

When you uninstalled the Dropbox app, did you also sign out of the app before doing so?

Hi @Hannah . My guess is that no - I wouldn't have signed out of the desktop app. I would have simply just uninstalled it.

Thanks, James.

Would you mind sending us a couple of screenshots of how your files appear in both of those locations, what you see when you right-click on files in both as well, so we can have a visual?

Screenshot 2024-07-12 at 14.22.26.png This screenshot here is from the directory: Finder - Library - CloudStorage (as you can see)

This is where I can right click and see the dropbox options however clicking on any of those buttons gives the error screen "Your device couldn’t connect to the server. There may be a problem with the server or network."

If i make changes to these dropbox files on a different device, even though this is in the cloud storage folder, the changes do not appear here on this device.

Please notice also at the top of the finder window "This is an unlinked dropbox". I have never seen this before until yesterday.

I will give you the other example in my next post

Screenshot 2024-07-12 at 14.26.40.png Alternatively, this screenshot is from the directory Macintosh HD - Users - "username" - Dropbox (personal) (as you can see)

When I follow this directory when I right click I Cannot see the dropbox options. However, if I make changes to my dropbox files via another device, the changes do appear across all devices - which is how we know dropbox should work.

Is it possible that where dropbox/apple have made the choice to change where dropbox folders are sorted there has been big mistake.

I have tried all possible fixes/reinstalls and reboots of both my device and dropbox in order to get the file extensions to work and that hasn't solved anything.

Because there is no option to make available online/make online-only, I am quickly running out of space on my hard-drive, which is the issue we all got dropbox for in the first place!

Hope these screenshots help you to find a quick solution

Megan

Hey @James Burford!

I'd love to have a visual of your Sync tab when accessing the app's preferences, if you don't mind.

Also, would you be able to send me a couple of screenshots from both of these Dropbox folders when you check their properties?

dpdpdp

I have exactly the same problem, but the message trail ends here. Was the problem solved, and if so, how?

I have the same problem

Sorry to hear that, @dpdpdp and @larryoz.

Can you also let us know which version of Dropbox you're using and what the sync status is?

You can see this info, by hovering over the Dropbox icon in your menu bar.

Version 209.4.3647
Status: updating
All my files are zero bytes.

I have a ticket in with your support team that told me it would be 24 hours for a reply and it well past that.

Not happy at all.

Thanks for the update, Larry.

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

#24317686

Nancy

Hey @larryoz! I can see our support team has replied to you now, so please take the time to check their email when you have some free time.

Thanks for helping push this through. Appears there was some sort of unlinking of dropbox and my computer that I had no part in, no solutions were given yet. I just replied.

Appreciate your continued support.

So I got a reply...

NOTHING they wrote in any possible way:

A. Took the time to properly troubleshoot my problem

B. Gave any effective recommendation to a fix because of A

This sort of service is considered advanced support!?

So how does a customer who has been waiting for some sort of answer for nearly a week get this fixed?

Now I have to wait 24 hours for someone different to pick up this ticket and give me some BS response.

This is a joke of a service.

amaresh001

ok. so there is no help and fix for this. while this is happening dropbox is charging top dollar for a faulty service. Not right at all.

Since Dropbox support is entirely useless I took it upon myself to fix the problem.

What worked for me was deleting the unlinked dropbox and reinstalling a dropbox. It had to download everything I had all over again but all is working as it should.

jgksea

I have been battling this for 2 weeks now. I am scared to delete the dropbox if I might lose all my files ... but like you have described I am getting the same messages. It all started because we are all switching to OneDrive, so I had to unlink my computer and then all hell broke loose. I couldn't reconnect and get the "This is an unlinked dropbox" message and also the ones about the server etc. I can access my files on the website, but everything locally on my computer I can't copy or paste or move or open.

Thomas_Breath_Coach

Hi,
I'm having the same issue. Did you come up with a solution? Thanks, Thomas

Thomas_Breath_Coach

Hi @Walter
Did you find a solution to @Chiboko issue. I am having the same issue which has rendered my Dropbox folder useless for the past 2 months. Also, all my JPEG file thumbnails no longer show the image so I can't choose images like I used to which again renders all my images useless. Can you please help? Many thanks, Thomas

Hi there @Thomas_Breath_Coach - thanks for the nudge.

Can you please clarify your computer's exact OS version and the status and version of the Dropbox desktop app as shown in your menu bar?

Did you install the app with admin privileges in the first place and have you also granted Dropbox full disk access as outlined here?

Chatterbox

I have been having the same troubles over the past 6 months. Currently Mac OS 15.2 Sequoia and Dropbox v 215.4.7202, the troubles started in Sonoma and with many earlier DB versions. I have deleted the Dropbox app, tried the recommended Terminal commands, and reinstalled four times. For over $1,300 a year, I am about ready to pull the plug for my whole work team and go with someone else. Recommendations?

Hi @Chatterbox - sorry to hear about this.

When you say you tried the Terminal commands, are you referring to an advanced reinstall or something else?

Chatterbox

Yes, I have tried every different series of steps to delete and re-install Dropbox to two separate Mac computers running Sequoia 15.2. Neither is working well. One one, a laptop with limited discs space and with the default sync as online only, I cannot change folders to offline. I get no left click or cntrl-click Dropbox menu choices (which used to come up in blue) to change the sync setting. I also, off-and on, get a warning when I try to open a selective sync document that there is a network or server error and I cannot open it. This resolves sometimes after a reinstall, but pops up again. I really want to move some folders I use all the time to offline, but I cannot.

On the other machine where all files are also offline, a computer I use to make local backups of the important working files every hour, now control of select sync which once worked is now off. I get no dropbox commands when I control click or left click a file or folder. I have been using Dropbox and supporting a dozen Mac and Windows 9 and 10 machines for a decade now and problems are now popping up everywhere. I support one Windows 10 machine where sync has not been working for over a month. I have not had time to Teamviewer into this machine or attempt to resolve this problem in person yet. I need to fix my issues first.