How to run Dropbox as a Windows Service with FireDaemon Pro.

Dropbox can be run as a Windows service using FireDaemon Pro. This allows you to start and run Dropbox automatically when Windows boots and before login. FireDaemon Pro also allows you to start multiple instances of Dropbox, monitoring them and automatically restarting those instances in the event they crash. FireDaemon Fusion can also be used to manage your Dropbox service, plus other Windows services via your web browser.

Step 1. Dropbox Setup Under FireDaemon Pro

1. Download Dropbox from here.
2. After its installed, run Dropbox and log into your Dropbox account or create a new Dropbox account.
3. Once logged in, edit the Preferences in Dropbox to your liking. In particular, on the settings tab uncheck "Start Dropbox on system startup".
4. Add and then delete a file in your Dropbox so the below dialog appears. Check "Don't ask me this again" and then click "Delete everywhere" button.
   

1. Dropbox will not show up in your taskbar, context menu or in session 0 when run as a Windows Service using FireDaemon Pro. If you need to edit settings, stop the FireDaemon Pro service and then start up the client manually. Then close the client and start the FireDaemon service again.
2. If you need download links to any of your files you will only be able to get them through the Dropbox website.

Step 2: Download and Install FireDaemon Pro

1. Download FireDaemon Pro installer
2. Double-click installer and follow the installation wizard to complete the installation.
3. For more information about installing FireDaemon, see the FireDaemon Pro Users Guide.

Step 4: Set Up Dropbox as a FireDaemon Pro Service

Double click the FireDaemon Pro icon on your desktop, then click on the New (i.e. +) button in the toolbar (or type Ctrl + N) to create a new service. Enter the information into the fields as you see below. Adjust the path names to suit your installation. Note the required parameters.

Next, click on the FireDaemon Pro Settings tab:

Enter appropriate values in the fields on the Settings tab as follows:

• (Required) Job Type: You must set job type to "Global Job".
• (Required) Logon Account: Enter the Windows account under which you entered your Dropbox login information.
• Password / Confirm Password:  Enter the logon account's password twice.
• (Optional) Interact with Desktop: This does nothing, Dropbox does not display anything on session 0.
• (Optional) Priority: To allocate more CPU time to the game server, select a higher scheduling priority in this field.
• (Optional) CPU Bindings: To run the application on a specific CPU, specify the appropriate CPU in this field.

Next, click in the Lifecycle tab. Set Shutdown By to Forceful Termination

Now click on the Environment tab.

This is where you enter the environment variable specific to your Dropbox instance:

QT_OPENGL software

Lastly, click the Save and Close (ie. the tick) button on the toolbar. If the service's Startup Type is set to Automatic or Automatic (Delayed-Start), it will start immediately.

Step 5: Verify that Dropbox is Running Correctly

Dropbox's status can easily be checked on the main FireDaemon Pro Services List - look for a Running Status value and a numeric Process ID (PID) value.