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Dropbox will no longer support OS X 10.5 or older starting May 18th

Dropbox has announced through an email to users on older versions of OS X that it will soon be discontinuing support for computers running Leopard or other older versions of the operating system. Users still running anything older than OS X 10.6 will need to upgrade in order to continue using future versions of the Dropbox app.

Users who don’t upgrade will still be able to use the web-based Dropbox manager, but will be automatically signed out of the Mac app. From that point forward, they will not be able to login back into the Mac client until they are on a newer version of OS X.

The changes will go into effect on May 18th, so users still have plenty of time to upgrade their software (or hardware, if necessary). The full email is included below:

Hi,

We noticed that you’re running the Dropbox desktop application (client) on an older operating system (OS X Tiger 10.4 or OS X Leopard 10.5). We’re writing to let you know that as of May 18th, Dropbox will no longer support these older versions of OS X.

Don’t worry — your files and photos aren’t going anywhere! But you’ll need to update your computer to OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later to access them through the Dropbox desktop app. Apple’s instructions on how to update your operating system can be found here.

If you don’t want to update your operating system, your files will still be available through the Dropbox website. However, on May 18th you’ll be signed out of your Dropbox account on your computer and the Dropbox desktop application will no longer be accessible.

We apologize for the inconvenience. For more information, please check out our Help Center.

Sincerely,

– The Dropbox Team

Thanks, Chris!

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Comments

  1. Edison Wrzosek - 9 years ago

    Good, time to start moving to the latest and greatest… OS X 10.5 was a venerable OS for the time, but now it’s way past its prime.

  2. Steve M. Cess - 9 years ago

    It’s 2015 people, isn’t time “to get with the program?” I STILL my ole’ eMac, the old Pro, and the black MacBook…… just to look at. Upgrade your self to a NEW Mac, it’s all good.

  3. dragonitedd - 9 years ago

    OS X 10.5………..”Let me tell you a story, long long long long long ago…” I can’t remember exactly, isn’t OS X 10.5 a story near iOS 1 or 2?…

  4. bobyey - 9 years ago

    So honest question, does it automatically place the “reblogged this on…..” in the comments when someone reblogs an article?

    So if it doesn’t I understand that this website is built on a blog architect, but why would anyone think that if I read this blog/website that I would start reading theirs because they copied this article?

  5. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    I can’t be the only the one surprised that it still supports it.

  6. Marilyn Bowman - 9 years ago

    my problem is that I have an older mac OS X that cannot be upgraded, and i don’t even care about Dropbox on that one as I rarely use that machine.
    But** I do use Dropbox on my current MacBookPro, OS X Yosemite.
    Do I need to do anything to preserve DB access on the current machine?
    1. e.g.? should i delete the DB app from the old machine – will that knock DB off my current machine?
    2. e.g. shd I pull off all the good files from the DB on my old machine? will that knock them off the cloud DB and thus remove them from my good current machine?
    ???

  7. Michal Mudd - 9 years ago

    My machine isn’t “ancient” and it’s still running fine with lots of memory, AND it was paid for by your tax dollars and mine!! It interfaces with some very expensive research machinery that can’t be upgraded or replaced and still does their job. Upgrading the OS isn’t possible and thanks to new rules, if I get another university computer it’s going to be a hand-me-down Dell that my university buys by the truckload and discards by the truckload within 3 years!! Again, your tax dollars at work!! Or I get to buy my own and it’s just not a good time since I didn’t quite win the latest Powerball!
    This move by Dropbox is planned obsolescence at its finest and most illogical. It’s affecting scientists, commercial printers, artists, and all kinds of people who may not be able to afford to buy a new mac every 3 yrs. Who will they come for next? Meanwhile. Dropbox still supports old Microsoft OS’s.

    • Robert Smith - 9 years ago

      TBH Michal, it seems to me your ire should really be directed elsewhere.

      Dropbox is dropping support for something that the first party vendor hasn’t supported in over half a decade.

      Blame Apple for not supporting your platform – Microsoft still supports me on hardware which is a decade old at this point.

  8. Luis Diaz - 9 years ago

    It sucks since my 2006 iMac is still working great. I tried upgrading it once to OS 10.6 and it completely became a slow-mo. This is my main computer and I’m a working artist so getting a new computer for the hell of it is really not my cup of tea. So good-bye cruel world.