My Experience with Dropbox (Syncing) and Monterey 12.3.1
It appears Apple was about to force me to upgrade from 12.2.1 to 12.3.1 due to the security upgrades in 12.3.1
I had been concerned about Dropbox changes (moving the files to a different directory, etc.) but I decided to upgrade today vs. having Apple do it for me.
This is MY experience, if yours is different, post here.
I use Dropbox Folder, so the dropbox location is hardcoded ( /users/[user]/Dropbox )
I was prepared to change to Shared Folder, and enter what I've read is the new location ( ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox )
Obviously I had all hidden folders showing as I would probably have to look around for files.
So, I upgraded. And I guess waiting was good, because everything "just worked" (yes, online only files didn't, but that doesn't relate to this discussion).
Either neither Dropbox/OpenDrive moved the files, or they did fantastic symlinks, as I couldn't even locate the Library/CloudStorage area.
So, they may have already fixed what Moneydance users would be concerned with, or they'll break it later, or maybe I'm "grandfathered in" to the old method. I honestly don't know, as the internet has seemed very quiet on this subject since end of January.
So - so far, so good.
Your experiences?
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1 Posted by dtd on 11 Apr, 2022 11:58 PM
I posted to a couple of threads on this subject; if you want to reply, here would probably be a good place to amalgamate more experiences.
2 Posted by boreham on 12 Apr, 2022 06:19 AM
dtd, my experience is the same as yours. Nothing has changed and everything still works as before even though I am using masOS 12.3 and Dropbox betas.
However some people in the Dropbox beta forums ARE reporting that their default Dropbox folder is now located in ~/Library/CloudStorage. (Eg https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-desktop-client-builds/Beta-...)
Something similar happened when Dropbox rolled out the beta Apple Silicon version Dropbox...some people got it and some didn't.
Like you setting up Dropbox Folder syncing in MD does not require navigating to the Dropbox location, Maybe MD assumes the default location....which is why I started the thread. Maybe it will all be transparent to us end users and may be it wont.
3 Posted by peter3 on 12 Apr, 2022 07:24 AM
My M1 Silicon machine is running Monterey 12.3.1
I have been using the latest version of the Dropbox Silicon version and, initially, carried out a complete reinstall of MD and Dropbox expecting it appear in Library/CloudStorage but found it in Users/User/Dropbox and no problems have been encountered.
I also use OneDrive for dealing with some other apps and that resides happily in Library/CloudStorage.
4 Posted by boreham on 12 Apr, 2022 07:43 AM
Thanks Peter, so same as dtd and me.
I am sure it is coming to Dropbox as well, but how and when is unclear. Dropbox have an appalling record of supporting Macs and when they finally do something (like native Silicon version) it is late and rollout patchy.
There are many other posts in the Dropbox beta forums from people who are finding their Dropbox folder in ~/Library/CloudStorage/
5 Posted by peter3 on 12 Apr, 2022 08:59 AM
Just out of interest, when I reinstalled MD on my M1 iMac, after updating to Dropbox Silicon, I just left it to install what it wanted and where it wanted to achieve Dropbox Folder synching.
I have another, non Silicon, iMac which is running Catalina. I carried out a default reinstallation of MD on that after installing the latest version of Dropbox. It resulted in a Dropbox foilder in Library and no CloudStorage folder.
I half expected issues but both synched instantly and perfecly.
6 Posted by v3hanson on 15 Apr, 2022 03:05 PM
well - i tool the risk and updated my laptop to 12.3.1 and everything works great for syncing - however my home iMac stopped syncing when i went to 12.3 and still doesn't sync with office mac - so laptop works great by not home one - i too use drop box folder sync - what i want to do now is completely remove money dance from home computer including any imbedded syncing information - and then reinstall on that machine and sync fresh - i recall from a year or two ago that in addition to merely uninstalling the app, i need to go into certain locations and carefully remove some other bits of info - does anyone know what i am referring to (i am on money dance 2022.2)
7 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 15 Apr, 2022 03:10 PM
Removing and reinstalling is not the right to do it if you want To get sync working.
Firstly, install Dropbox app on home computer, log it in, and verify you can see the Dropbox .moneydancesync (hidden) folder.
Shut down MD
On laptop (which is working ok). Toolbox extension. Enable hacker mode. Hacker menu. Click force push / refresh sync. Wait. Restart MD.
Launch MD on home computer. File/new/open sync dataset. Select the one you just created. Wait…. Restart MD.
See if that works. Report back either way.
8 Posted by v3hanson on 15 Apr, 2022 03:24 PM
stuart - i appreciate this advice by you may recall i tried that first thing when i had the problem - (actually i did it from master computer which is at the office - not the laptop which is one of the secondary) and it had no impact -
9 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 15 Apr, 2022 03:30 PM
OK, so on the laptop. Install dropbox and ensure it's working. Can you see the:
/Users/xxx/Dropbox/.moneydancesync folder? (CMD-SHIFT-. that's a period/dot) to view hidden files? You should see a looooong name folder.....? If your dropbox location has moved.. Try File/New Open Sync folder, select shared folder and navigate to the new location?
10 Posted by v3hanson on 15 Apr, 2022 04:07 PM
stuart thanks for bearing with me - my laptop *(which is not the master) syncs fine with the master which is office mac - the sync file on the laptop is exactly where you directed me - it is my home mac that stopped syncing - i am not at home so i can not check what location it is trying to sync with (my laptop is here at office) - i will check at lunch
11 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 15 Apr, 2022 05:06 PM
Ok. So follow my last instructions on the non working home computer
12 Posted by v3hanson on 15 Apr, 2022 06:12 PM
got home - drop box money dance sync folder is where it should be - sync password is correct - says finished writing sync data when i open one of the three accounts - but othing syncs - as i have mentioned before i can enter a transaction on the home computer and it will show up on the other two - so it is doing some kind of syncing - but changes on the other two are not syncing to the home computer - which is why i thought i would just removed everything on home mac and start over from scratch as if i was installing money dance on a fourth computer
13 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 15 Apr, 2022 06:53 PM
And on the home computer have you tried file/new/open sync’d folder?
14 Posted by v3hanson on 15 Apr, 2022 08:36 PM
Yes - nothing shows - just blank bc I have already syncd to those three accounts before - it seems to think it’s syncing just fine - all the data in each account is there is except changes last three weeks or - it just doesn’t update new changes
15 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 15 Apr, 2022 08:38 PM
What do you mean by ‘ Yes - nothing shows - just blank bc’? What actually happens when you do the file/new/open sync’d copy? What actually shows?
16 Posted by v3hanson on 16 Apr, 2022 05:12 PM
again sorry to keep bothering - let me use different language - i have three different sets of accounts i interact with - so each group of accounts (each group may have a dozen accounts) has its own group name - each money dance on each computer opens with all three sets of accounts accessible (each has own password when i go to file open and see the two that are not already active) - everything is great with seeing the files - the home computer has not been updating any of the three sets since end of march - but if i enter a transaction on the home money dance program in any of the accounts - it immediately updates on the other two - it just will not receive transactions on the other two - so the office is the master - the laptop when i go to file - > sync> folder sync > it opens to a white space that shows the three sets of accounts - when i do the same of the home computer that space that should show all three is blank - as if no accounts are there
17 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 16 Apr, 2022 05:23 PM
Very odd that it’s the same problem on all three datasets. I have no technical basis for saying this, but recently a user used toolbox to promote their non syncing secondary dataset to a primary dataset and it fired into life. Might be worth a try (after a backup).
18 Posted by v3hanson on 16 Apr, 2022 05:25 PM
oh - the problem isn’t the same - two work just fine - the laptop updates perfectly with the master with every change - it is only the home one that is not updating
19 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 16 Apr, 2022 05:33 PM
What I mean is that I think you said you have three different (file/open) datasets. And that these all work fine between the other two machines, yet on the home machine, all three datasets experience the same sync issue?
20 Posted by v3hanson on 16 Apr, 2022 06:09 PM
Yes - this is why I thought if I remove all moneydance traces from home computer and reinstall I may find the sync files work - don’t see any harm in that - I just cant recall how to get everything off
21 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 16 Apr, 2022 06:35 PM
I’m personally very doubtful. But in simple terms.
Uninstall the app
Delete the .moneydance folder (in users)
Delete the .moneydancesync subfolders in Dropbox; but note this will replicate the deletion and you will delete sync everywhere. So I wouldn’t do this.
Before doing this I would just try promoting one of the Home datasets to primary and see what happens.
22 Posted by v3hanson on 18 Apr, 2022 02:50 AM
Stuart - as you predicted - now i have a home moneydance with no data sets - i do think this all goes back to updating operating system on that machine before the current one came out - it is like it is looking for the sync file in the wrong place - because it is showing no databases - i am completely stumped - have no idea what to do next - thank you for your help and advice
23 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 18 Apr, 2022 06:31 AM
What does ‘ with no data sets.. ‘ mean?
Which steps did you follow?
Is syncing still working on the other machines?
What’s in Dropbox .moneydancesync folder?
What actually happens/what do you see?
24 Posted by v3hanson on 18 Apr, 2022 08:50 PM
question - is there a way to engage you professionally (ie pay for your services) - i am really in a ditch - used your toolbox to reset sync and started over - main computer is fine - i changed the passphrase - and used dropbox connection (which laptop was using to sync with the master) now when i try to sync the laptop it shows the old passphrase and i can not change it - you and i could go back and forth but i thought getting you on the phone could really save time
25 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 18 Apr, 2022 09:12 PM
.
26 Posted by v3hanson on 18 Apr, 2022 09:18 PM
done
27 Posted by boreham on 20 Apr, 2022 05:33 AM
Just to come back to the OP about the effect of the revised Dropbox location, now that Apple have blocked Kernel extensions in 12.3. (Note Dropbox still works in 12.3 in the old ~/Dropbox location but does not have cloud only capability.)
I forced Dropbox to start using the new ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox location by signing out, uninstalling, reinstalling latest Dropbox beta and signing in again.
My .moneydancesync folder was then in the new location, ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox
Then I opened File >Syncing on the Primary computer and changed the Sync method to "Shared Folder" and selected the .moneydancesync folder in its new location.
See Screenshot
Then I did the same on the secondary computer. (I was surprised I could do this as past experience is that you can't change sync method on the secondary....I was concerned enough to run Toolbox on both computers to check Primary and Secondary on both).
After doing the above, everything works fine. Syncing both ways.
Then I looked at Moneydance on iPad and iPhone, and was surprised that they were also syncing. I guess this is because they use a different method unaffected by the re-location of the .moneydance folder.
Do you think the above is all correct?
If so either the app or the instructions need to change to tell users to use the Shared Folder method as above, not Dropbox Folder method.
28 Posted by dtd on 20 Apr, 2022 07:10 AM
Thanks. Great info.
29 Posted by boreham on 20 Apr, 2022 08:56 AM
What I did was exactly what Maddy said in the other thread (https://infinitekind.tenderapp.com/discussions/general-questions/12...). I hadn't understood her reply properly at the time.
30 Posted by peter3 on 20 Apr, 2022 10:52 AM
'Then I did the same on the secondary computer. (I was surprised I could do this as past experience is that you can't change sync method on the secondary....I was concerned enough to run Toolbox on both computers to check Primary and Secondary on both).'
Hi
I'm thinking of carrying out the same procedure with my primary Silicon iMac but wondered about the secondary computer side of things.
My secondary computer is an iMac running Cataline and I wondered how, or where, you ended up with the DropBox folder on that device?