# Storing Cashculator files in Dropbox causes crash

**URL:** <https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596>\
**Category:** Cashculator\
**Tags:** bug\
**Created:** [July 3, 2025, 5:47am UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596 "2025-07-03T05:47:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/bayindirh/32/201_2.png) [@bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/bayindirh)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 5:47am UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/1 "2025-07-03T05:47:48Z")

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Hello,

I’m experiencing this bug for a while. Last night it popped up in my mind that maybe storing the file in Dropbox is causing the problem, so I moved the file to iCloud and the problem went away. Strange, indeed.

Below are the details of the bug,

Cheers,

H.

* * *

**Bug:** Cashculator crashes if the file is saved in Dropbox and changes made to recurring payment.  
**Affected operating system(s):** macOS Sequoia 15.5  
**Affected version(s):** Cashculator 2.7 (and below)

### Reproduction Steps

1. Create a recurring plan in expenses. Planned or Actual doesn’t matter.
2. Save your file and exit.
3. Open Cashculator.
4. Make changes to same recurring plan.
5. Change details window pops up…
6. _Crash._

### Expected Behavior

1. Create a recurring plan in expenses. Planned or Actual doesn’t matter.
2. Save your file and exit.
3. Open Cashculator.
4. Make changes to same recurring plan.
5. Change details window pops up.
6. Finish details of the change.
7. Press OK.
8. Window closes.
9. You save your file and continue your day.

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**Author:** ![Jacob](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/jacob/32/13_2.png) [@Jacob](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/Jacob)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 3:16am UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/2 "2025-07-05T03:16:47Z")

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I’ll take a look. Strange that it happens with Dropbox. Did you ever open the same file on the Macs at the same time?

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**Author:** ![Jacob](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/jacob/32/13_2.png) [@Jacob](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/Jacob)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/3 "2025-07-05T23:03:39Z")

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@bayindirh I couldn’t reproduce it with Dropbox and my document. I wonder what’s different in your case.

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**Author:** ![bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/bayindirh/32/201_2.png) [@bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/bayindirh)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 11:53am UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/4 "2025-07-07T11:53:08Z")

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Hi @Jacob,

Sorry for my late reply. It’s not possible for me to open the file in two Macs at the same time 😉 . I’ll try to reproduce problem with a video, and send you the logs afterwards.

Cheers.

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**Author:** ![bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/bayindirh/32/201_2.png) [@bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/bayindirh)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 8:37am UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/5 "2025-07-17T08:37:15Z")

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Sorry @Jacob, I still didn’t have the time to recreate the crash with a fresh file, but I have noticed another anomaly.

See, I have moved my file to iCloud after Dropbox created some problems. Now, if the file is in iCloud, I get a dialog saying that the file is modified outside the application and how should Cashculator proceed.

I think the multi-file nature of `.cashdb` packages create consistency and integrity problems when they are stored on real-time syncing folders since both services try to do their magic on per-file basis. At the end of the day, a `.cashdb` package is a directory with a specific structure.

BTW, having this behavior OK in my case. I’ll just store the file locally on my Mac.

I’ll still do my promised screencast with a new file and post it here, but wanted to add new information I have gathered.

Cheers,  
H.

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**Author:** ![bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/bayindirh/32/201_2.png) [@bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/bayindirh)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 10:06am UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/6 "2025-07-17T10:06:01Z")

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Another update about crash:

It _only_ happens if the Cashculator window is maximized full screen (as on its own desktop). Otherwise it doesn’t crash. It’s not related to Dropbox, but being fullscreen.

Sorry for the confusing report. I discover this as I dig.

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**Author:** ![Jacob](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/jacob/32/13_2.png) [@Jacob](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/Jacob)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 11:41pm UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/7 "2025-07-17T23:41:45Z")

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Oh, that’s a good lead with the full-screen. Can you send me the crash report? You can find it in the Console app, under Crash Reports in the sidebar. Select one, press Command-R to reveal the file and send it to me. Either attach here or email it to [support@apparentsoft.com](mailto:support@apparentsoft.com). Also, do you know what action triggers the crash in full-screen mode?

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**Author:** ![bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/bayindirh/32/201_2.png) [@bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/bayindirh)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/8 "2025-08-01T11:50:34Z")

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Hi Jacob,

As I dug the problem, it got a bit weirder. Also, looks like some of my observations were _wrong_. Sorry about that. I’ll try to recap and collect everything under this post.

1. Reproducing the problem requires Cashculator being full-screen (as in having its own desktop).
2. The crash is not a full-blown crash. Cashculator “closes” the file, hence there’s no crash log.
3. The bug sometimes fails to reproduce if you open the same file w/o quitting Cashculator, but sometimes it just reproduces successfully.

Is there any in-software logs I can dig and provide you more insight? This is one of the more stranger bugs I have encountered and is plainly confusing.

Sorry for taking this long.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jacob](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/jacob/32/13_2.png) [@Jacob](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/Jacob)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2025, 3:28am UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/9 "2025-08-03T03:28:15Z")

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Hi. No, there are no specific logs that Cashculator itself produces. You can open the macOS Console app and search for “Cashculator” (better if you filter so that it’s the process and not “any” Cashculator) and see if anything stands out, but these console logs are not very friendly and can have a lot of noise in them.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/bayindirh/32/201_2.png) [@bayindirh](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/bayindirh)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 9:04pm UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/10 "2025-09-09T21:04:30Z")

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Hi Jacob,

Thanks for the info. I’ll try to reliably reproduce the problem and write a better report. There’s no point in wasting your time with an unreliable and inaccurate bug reports.

The issue is interesting though. I can tell that with my developer hat.

Thanks for developing Cashculator and all the hard work.

Cheers!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jacob](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/user_avatar/discourse.apparentsoft.com/jacob/32/13_2.png) [@Jacob](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/u/Jacob)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://discourse.apparentsoft.com/t/storing-cashculator-files-in-dropbox-causes-crash/596/11 "2025-09-10T15:53:42Z")

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Thank you for understanding!