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Forum Discussion
Spotlight Search Doesn't Link to Files in Dropbox in macOS 13 Ventura
After upgrading to macOS Ventura, I was prompted to upgrade to "Dropbox for macOS 12". I proceeded with that, it moved my Dropbox folder to ~/Library/CloudStorage and confirmed all was successful. Now when using Spotlight to search (I often type something like 'drawings folder' to open a folder called Drawings) the results in Spotlight show the Dropbox app icon beside the name of the item I want (rather than a Finder icon for folder or file). Hitting Enter or clicking on the result switches to Finder and does nothing, or sometimes will open the Applications folder and show the Dropbox app. It's not linking me to the actual file in ~/Library/CloudStorage.
I have done the following and the problem is not solved:
- Restarted
- Ensured all files are available for offline access
- Rebuilt the spotlight index
- Unlinked Dropbox from this Mac, did a complete clean install of dropbox, performed the upgrade to v159.4.5870 and synced just one folder to begin
Nothing works. Any suggestions??
- That’s the same problem I had. I solved it by doing a complete clean install of dropbox. You may not need to do all of this, but to be safe, in Dropbox settings Selective Sync uncheck all of your folders and wait for them to be removed from your Mac. Once that’s done, unlink your Mac from Dropbox preferences. You should see the Dropbox getting started screen. Quit Dropbox and move the app to the Trash. Remove all dropbox files from ~/Library being careful to look at the path name. Only remove things that are within a Dropbox parent folder. Look in library application support, and library preferences. Empty the Trash. Restart your Mac. Reinstall Dropbox from dropbox.com. Once reinstalled, to make things faster sync only one small folder and wait for the prompt that new Dropbox for macOS 12 is available. You should see the message within a few minutes of reinstalling Dropbox. Allow it to upgrade and migrate your files to the new location. Once that’s done you can then sync all your folders. Let your Mac index itself and the problem should be solved.
I started a support ticket yesterday with a detailed explanation and also pointed the support team to this thread.
Today I got an email from support saying, "Thank you for alerting us to this problem. Dropbox engineers are aware of the problem and are working on a solution."
Sure hope it doesn't take long for them to fix. This bug is causing me to lose anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes each and every day with the insane productivity slowdowns it is causing me. I'm really close to canceling my Dropbox subscription of more than 10 years and finding another solution.
- Be sure it will take time. They are working on that since December…
I have the same issue. Tried a complete uninstall, deleted the folders, reinstalled. Same issue.
Spotlight will find the file but cannot open it.
colinkj wrote:
I started a support ticket yesterday with a detailed explanation and also pointed the support team to this thread.
Today I got an email from support saying, "Thank you for alerting us to this problem. Dropbox engineers are aware of the problem and are working on a solution."
Sure hope it doesn't take long for them to fix. This bug is causing me to lose anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes each and every day with the insane productivity slowdowns it is causing me. I'm really close to canceling my Dropbox subscription of more than 10 years and finding another solution.
This is the very same email I received from the support several weeks ago.Obviously other people here who previously submitted similar support tickets have got the same email.
It is a copy/paste email...
So I started writing this post, saying 'this worked for me... ' [see below]. I finished writing, then just to be sure, tried a few final tests (having already tested successfully on 5-6 files and a few different folders). Lo and behold, something happened in the background and whatever had been fixed, is now broken again.
I'm no software engineer, but from the sequence of what I did (and what worked when, then didn't), this does not seem to be an Apple issue per se, but a Dropbox issue (and I believe one that the current implementation of sync is responsible for, as it seems like it was only after I saw Dropbox sync'ing some recent files that spotlight reverted to its former non-functioning state).
I'm back to square one, but instead of saying F-it and deleting the whole post, I'm posting in hopes this helps someone figure out how to restore this basic and crucial functionality.
#longtimelistenerfirsttimecaller
-------------
Original post:
Apologies if this solution has already been suggested, but this worked for me:
- quit Dropbox app
- removed Dropbox from mac login items
- restarted mac (confirmed that Dropbox app is not running)
- rebuilt spotlight index for Dropbox location [per https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT201716 ]
- (I waited ~ 5 minutes to let the index start rebuilding)
- with no Dropbox app running, tested spotlight to search and open files and folders that are in Dropbox subfolders (it worked, including for the exact files that weren't working pre-workaround)
- restarted the Dropbox app
- re-tested spotlight file and folder search and open... and it still worked!
(except, then it didn't...)
- dp75
You can revert it.
Uncheck all your folders in selective sync (dropbox settings)
Wait and check they are gone from computer
Unlink your Mac/log out in Dropbox app
Delete the Dropbox app.
Download Dropbox from their website again
Install like normally.
IGNORE THE UPDATE NOTIFICATION MENTIONED A COUPLE POSTS EARLIER
Works fine!Could somebody confirm, that reinstalling STILL works? I did it 2 months ago, did ignore update notification and I am happy user again. My version shows a number 169.4.5684. But if I understand right, some users complain, they are not able anymore to revert, because Dropbox installs already a newest broken version directly?
After uninstalling Dropbox, following the instructions above to reinstall and allow reindexing without success... I found something that worked!
SOLUTION:
You can get Spotlight to re-index specifically the ~Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox folder
In Finder, navigate to ~Library/CloudStorage/ so you have the Dropbox folder visible
Open the System Settings --> Siri & Spotlight pane
At the bottom of the pane, select "Spotlight Privacy..."
In the window that allows you to "Prevent Spotlight from searching these locations." drag the Dropbox folder into this view to EXCLUDE it from search. Click 'Done'.
Go back into the "Spotlight Privacy..." window, select Dropbox and hit the '-' button to remove the Dropbox folder from the EXCLUDED list.
After you click 'done' it should re-index the Dropbox folder and allow you to open files from the spotlight window -- at least it did for me!
This worked for me!
This problem happened to me too. The Dropbox upgrade has been nothing but trouble.
It's more simple to try the opposite. Keep Dropbox files synced on Mac. Open System preferences/spotlight. Drag and drop the HD/SSD where Dropbox files are to Privacy. Restart the machine. Open system preferences again and delete the volume from Privacy prefs. Mac will rebuild the spotlight. Take a coffee because it's take time. After rebuild, Mac OS will find files inside Dropbox folder correctly.
Did this solve the other issue - where in the past you could user finder to search a subfolder on dropbox and it would only search that folder. Now 'dropbox' can't be search directly and only via "this mac" in Finder - and that searches all folders. If you have a key word search that hits thousands of files across the entire mac vs 4-5 hits in the right subfolder - its a BIG deal in time wasted.
Any thoughts on this particular curve ball dropbox and apple have provided?
(I've done all the re-indexing etc etc - this is a problem with dropbox folder structure being in /cloudstorage I fear...
Thanks!
- Megan
Dropbox Staff
Hi jat1971, thanks for taking the time to post here!
In regards to this search curve-ball as you mentioned, can you clarify the Dropbox version that you're using on your end?
You can find it, by locating your little Dropbox icon on your menu bar, next to your WiFi and hovering your mouse over it. Also, if you have any screenshots, feel free to attach them here, so we can have visual too.
Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there!
Hi 171.4.6182
I tried to send this to dropbox yesterday - but the incident/case was now closed.
It says it all. This lack of coordination with Apple is just not good enough...
Thanks
Jamie
Hi Justin
Have to come back to you and say that the functionality of Finder with dropbox is just not possible to live with, and unless dropbox solve the issue I am going to have to ask for my fees back and I will migrate my team over to another service.
This is nothing to do with indexing etc. As things stand you can not go into a specific folder in dropbox and search using finder. The only function that has appeared is being able to search the entire mac hardrive. Like many I have millions of files, and folder structures to locate thousands of files with similar names and content key words. I need to be able to search a specific folder - otherwise I have wasted days accumulating key files into folders and then can not quickly find the file in question.
I've read lots online and the dropbox response has been in general a joke. At this time you don't have a product that works with mac computers and should be refunding clients. The only solution is to offer a way to move the location of dropbox back to its old location so that its treated like a real folder by finder OR solve the compatiblity issue with Apples new file system.
I can not lose hours per week trying to find things. Please escalate this as a formal complaint and a request for compensation and a refund.
Thanks
Jamie
Actually you only have to go to settings, then Siri and Spotlight.
On the bottom right corner there's a button called Spotlight Privacy. There an empty list should appear and you have to ad Macintosh Hd, you'll find it clicking on the folder that's on the top of the window.
Then you select it and ad it. After that you have to go there again and take it out with the "-" button. I know it sounds weird but after that you're done.
NOTE: Try to do it at the end of your day and let you computer on and connected so it doesn't runs out of battery if it's a MacBook.
