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No 'Copy Dropbox Link' menu option, no green checkboxes, on Dropbox Desktop app for Mac

Sorry, this is going to be a little long, but I want to give you all the info you might need. Thanks in advance if you can figure out the problem

I'm on a 2023 Mac Mini M2 running OS 15.7.1 (Sequoia) and have been using Dropbox without issue until fairly recently.

Not that long ago, I used to be able to drag an .mp4 file (or any file) into the Dropbox folder in my Sidebar, wait a few seconds, right click on the file and select "get Dropbox link", then paste that link into an email I could send to my partners so they could download and view it.

I no longer have that option (see screenshot below). Also, I used to see those green checkboxes next to files in my Dropbox folder in my Finder's sidebar, but they're no longer there. The files are all showing Zero kb until I click to open or view, but that was never the case before. I have folders in Dropbox that I don't care to have on my computer. That's what I use it for, unless I want to upload a specific file I want to share for viewing or download by a partner. After searching for solutions, I've tried all of the following.

I've confirmed Privacy and Security Settings that Dropbox is toggled on with Full Access. I've done the same in Accessibility. I've Force Quit Finder. I've rebooted, I've uninstalled, then downloaded and reinstalled the Dropbox Desktop app, I've checked extensions and Privacy Settings again as instructed by the countless suggestions available via search, and they're all still on. In fact, I've tried toggling them off, then on again, then restarted my computer again.

What's worse is that if I select Share in the pull-down menu that I do see, my only options are a list of my most recent iMessage recipients, or a selection including Airdrop, Mail, Messages, Notes, Add To Photos, Freeform, Reminders, and Dropbox Transfer (which doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before).

The only good news I guess is that if I use Dropbox on the web, my Share button allows me to copy a link that I can email as I did before. Why that isn't available at the folder on my computer is a mystery.

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Accepted answers

raymondxyang

Thanks for the additional context - this is truly helpful. The folder you are looking at is the obsolete File Provider version of Dropbox folder. You can safely click on the "Delete "Dropbox"" button shown in your screenshot. This should bring back right-click options in your current in-use Dropbox folder (/Users/Don/Dropbox) (and you may need to manually drag that folder into "Favorites" section in the side bar after that.

All comments

Hannah

Hi there, @DG44, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Let's see what we can find.

First thing I'd like you to check is the sync status and version of the Dropbox app. You can do so by hovering over the small Dropbox icon in your menu bar.

Let me know if the icon isn't even there, because it sounds like your app might not be working as normal.

Also, is the app otherwise syncing? Meaning, if you add a test file in the Dropbox folder, for example, will it sync to your account on the web?

Let me know what you find and we'll go from there.

DG44

Thank you for the reply, Hannah. The version showing when I hover over the Dropbox icon is 243.4.6956 and says "up to date".

As for syncing, when I click the menubar Dropbox icon and the window pops up, it has a checkmark on the bottom where it also says "Your files are up to date". And yes, the file I tried yesterday did sync. I dragged a short text file from my Desktop to the Dropbox folder in my Mac's sidebar, and it shows up immediately on the web. In fact, I tried it first by just dragging it in, but it moved the file rather than copying it, so I undid that move and option-dragged into the folder and it copied it properly, leaving the original on my Desktop.

Megan

Hi @DG44, let me jump in here!

It might sound trivial, but have you also tried re-starting your device? Also, did you give Dropbox full disk access as outlined here?

Can you try to quit and relaunch the Dropbox app as the next step? Lastly, can you please follow these steps and let me know how it goes?

DG44

Hi Megan,

As noted in my original post...

I have no anti-virus software on my computer. Date and time are accurate. There are NO icons next to the files in the Dropbox folder. No files are locked. In fact, for the sake of this discussion, I am testing with only one 5kb text document. I option-dragged it from my Desktop into the Dropbox folder in my sidebar, and it shows up immediately in Dropbox on the web, but when I right-click the file in the Dropbox folder on my Mac, the menu shown above is the only menu I get.

Very frustrating.

DG44

I don't ask much of Dropbox, which is why I'm generally satisfied with the Basic plan. When it worked the way it did, it was great for my purposes. The big downside of that (and please don't take this the wrong way) is that I'm limited to support only from the Community. While I do appreciate that, I'm sure you understand that it's a little frustrating to have to wait nearly all day for a reply that suggests I do what Ive already done.

raymondxyang

Is there other Dropbox instance or other storage folder appears in your Finder app's "Locations" section and has a "Delete" option on the top-right corner (see below for example)? If so click and delete it (to tell MacOS to unlink the obsolete storage location).

DG44

No, there are no other folders or drives in Locations that show any mention of being Unlinked. I will say, though, that when this issue first started and the Dropbox folder was in Locations, it did give me that Unlinked Dropbox note, with the option to Delete Dropbox there. I was hesitant at the point to Delete anything, though. That was when I Quit it, Uninstalled, re-downloaded and re-installed Dropbox. It was either right before or right after that when I dragged the Dropbox folder from Locations to Favorites, because that's where I always had it (and liked it). I did search before doing so and I'm pretty sure it said the Dropbox folder could be in either Locations or Favorites.

BTW, I opted out of the File Provider option because I wanted to use Dropbox exclusively as its own separate "place", and didn't want to duplicate what was on my External drive. Again, that was the way I had used it previously and like using it.

raymondxyang

Understand the frustration and also truly appreciate the detailed context given for troubleshooting.

We'll try to reproduce this locally (opting out FP, put Dropbox locations in Favorites) and figure out the root reason and fix.

DG44

And I appreciate all of your help in this. One more thing that might help: Attached is a screenshot of my Dropbox in the menu bar Preferences –> Sync. You'll see the Dropbox folder is in Users/Don/Dropbox. I found a reference that the default location should be:

Default Location: Due to Apple's mandatory File Provider API, the default folder must be in ~/Library/CloudStorage and appears under Locations.

Adding to Favorites: You can manually drag your current Dropbox folder from its location into the "Favorites" section of the Finder sidebar for quicker access, as noted in this taptu.com article and this Dropbox community thread.

Even though I'm not using the File Provider option in Dropbox, does the folder have to be in that ~/Library/CloudStorage Location?

DG44

sorry, forgot the screenshot.

raymondxyang

Even though I'm not using the File Provider option in Dropbox, does the folder have to be in that ~/Library/CloudStorage Location?

No - in this case the folder doesn't have to be in ~/Library/CloudStorage. The location in your screenshot looks proper for a non-file provider Dropbox folder.

DG44

Just an update. This istill a problem. I replied via email , but will inlude what I wrote here:

One more little tidbit I noticed that may not have anything to do with anything, but I thought worth mentioning. In doing a little ore research, I opened my Finder Settings, and when I look at boxes to check to appear in the Sidebar, Dropbox is not in the list of favorites. However, Cloud Storage is listed in Locations and the box had a line in it, not a checkbox. I ticked the checkbox and Dropbox appeared in the sidebar under Locations. When I look at the folders there, they give me the full menu I was expecting to see. BUT...I also get that "This is an Unlinked Dropbox" with an option to Delete Dropbox. I'm also seeing the clouds appearing next to those folders in there. I hope i didn't screw something up.

Hannah

Hi again, @DG44, and thanks for the update.

Would you mind sending us some screenshots showing what you mentioned above, so we can have a visual?

DG44

I don't know if these will tell you anything, but here you go. Odd that the single text file doesn't give me the options that folder do. And single files within those folders also do. For the heck of it, I also moved the txt file into a folder that gives me all the menu options, but when I did, the file itself didn't give me all the options.

raymondxyang

DG44

Wow. It was as simple as that!? As you can see in the attached screenshot, that simple fix appears to have done the trick. Thanks! I'll have to reacquaint myself with the meaning of the icons (solid green arrow, outline green arrow, cloud, etc.) but I'm sure I can find that info easily enough.

As an added bonus, the Dropbox folder is already in Favorites with the normal Dropbox icon, rther than residing in Locations.

Thanks again, for seeing this through.

DG44

Oops. Forgot the screenshot again. Here you go.

raymondxyang

Glad it worked out! And also thanks for the updates so we know how to further assist people in similar situation