This is an updated post for some things have changed as of Windows Server 2008 R2. This solution is currently installed on Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.
What you need: The file srvany.exe from the Windows Server Rresource Kit.
1. Install Dropbox (I used version 1.0.10)
2. Choose preferences and uncheck “Show desktop notifications” and “Start Dropbox on system startup”
3. Exit Dropbox by clicking exit in the context menu that shows when right clicking icon in task bar
4. Copy the file srvany.exe to a folder under “C:\Program Files\Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit”
5. Execute at command prompt (you might need to run command prompt as administrator):
sc create Dropbox binPath= "C:\Program Files\Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit\srvany.exe" DisplayName= "Dropbox Service"
If the service was created successfully, you will recieve message:
[SC] CreateService SUCCESS
Next is to change the user for witch the newly added service “Dropbox Service” runs under. Change this to Administrator.
6. Choose properties on Dropbox service.
7. Click on tab “Log On”
8. Click “This account”, and select Admimistrator. Set appropriate password.
9. Set startup type to “Automatic”
10. Click Apply and OK
If this is the first time you have done this procedure for the administrator user, you will get an notification saying that the “Administrator user has been granted log on as service rights”. DO NOT START SERVICE AT THIS TIME.
Next is to setup some registry settings for the service
11. Start > Run > regedit
12. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dropbox
13. Create a new key “Parameters”
14. Add a new string value “Application”, (type REG_SZ). Set the value to the path to the dropbox.exe binary. Find the location by right clicking on the Dropbox icon on the desktop. Simply copy the path from there.
15. Close Registry Editor
16. Go back to Services, and start the Dropbox service
This should be everything.
Thanks for the post.
In addition to your steps, i had to also copy the files from C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\Dropbox to C:\Windows\SysWOW64\config\systemprofile\AppData\Roaming\Dropbox
without that step, new folders created on the server would sync to dropbox, but files created on another synced computer would not make it to the server running dropbox as a service.
I am a window file server admin, what is the purpose of installing dropbox as a service on winodw server? does it allow domain user access their home drive as dropbox through internet or domain users who have privilage on the share folder can update one’s dropbox?
The purpose is to allow you as an administrator to place important files in the Dropbox folder, and have them securly backed up to the Dropbox cloud. I personally use this as a backup solution for my servers. It will not work to have the users Dropbox accounts connected a login, as the Dropbox service is installed once on the server, using the login profile you specify on installation.
Hi I have problem with syncing the files everyday i have to logon to the server and wait for it to sync the files if i installed dropbox as services will it overcome the problem i think this is the solution to run dropbox all the time but just making sure.
Thanks
Yes, the problem is that when you log off your server, the Dropbox program is terminated. This results in your files not being synced. If you run it as a service, it is always running, and your files get synced
Thank you very much admin.
Hi, I would like my users to be able to save in my dropbox folder. Is this possible through this set-up? Please advise. Thank you!
Hi Vanessa!
Do you mean that you would like to have a share on the server, that other users access and save files to?
Awesome, I can confirm this works with Skydrives client also.
Hi, I have followed every step from this tutorial successfully, but the Dropbox service won’t start at all. As it is starting, it says that it can not find the specified file. I’m pretty sure that the path is OK.
The only difference from this tutorial is that I’m not using Administrator as the user, I’m using Junior that is a Domain Admin.
What am I doing wrong???
As long as the user “Junior” has local administrative rights, that should not matter. Are you sure that all paths are correct. Assuming you are running Windows Server 2008 R2?