Troubleshooting Continuous Prompt to Install Box Tools (MacOS)

Overview of Problem

When using macOS, you are repeatedly prompted to install Box Tools, even though the application is already installed on your computer. This may also cause Device Trust checks to fail. This issue prevents you from using Box Edit to open files directly from the Box web app and is typically caused by local network or security settings that block the communication between your browser and the Box Tools application.

When attempting to open a file on your desktop through Box Edit on MacOS, you may receive the following prompt:

In addition, if your company requires Device Trust checks, you may see this prompt:

If you are working in Safari, the Box Tools extension may be greyed out. Clicking on the extension icon will display a prompt requesting access to app.box.com:

Process for Resolution

Follow these steps to verify your Box Tools installation and computer settings to resolve the communication issue.

1. Verify the Box Tools Installation and Processes

   1. Go to ~Library/Application Support/Box/Box Edit folder.
   2. Confirm that you see the following apps:
      • Box Device Trust.app
      • Box Edit.app
      • Box Local Com Server.app
      • Box Tools Custom Apps.app
        
   3. If Box Tools is not installed, please download and install it.
      • If you see more than one instance, use the Box Tools uninstaller script to remove all versions, then perform a fresh installation. 
   4. Open the Activity Monitor application.
      1. In the search bar, type Box.
      2. Confirm that two processes are running: Box Edit and Box Local Com Server. 
      3. If these processes are not running, ensure Box Tools is configured to launch on startup and restart your computer.
         

2. Check Safari Browser Settings

   If you are using Safari, you must enable the extension and grant it permission to communicate with Box.

   1. From the menu bar, go to Safari > Settings.
   2. Click the Extensions tab.
   3. Ensure the checkbox next to Box Tools is enabled. 
      
   4. Click the Websites tab.
   5. In the left-hand pane, under General, click Box Tools.
   6. Find app.box.com in the list of configured websites and set its permission to Allow. 
      

3. Check firewall and other network security

   • Box Tools v4 requires the ability to communicate with its Box Local Com Server by making requests to 127.0.0.1:17223 (or 127.0.0.1:17224 if port 17223 is occupied) over HTTP.
     • An exception may need to be added to any firewalls, proxies, anti-virus or security products, and browser extensions that could potentially modify this request to http://127.0.0.1.
     • The ability to communicate to 127.0.0.1 over HTTP is acceptable by the following w3c standard.
   • See Configuring a Firewall for Box Applications and Services for complete list of domains/hostnames that need to be allow-listed for Box and its applications, integrations, and components to work correctly.

Outcome

Once these steps are completed, the prompt to install Box Tools will no longer appear. You will be able to successfully open and edit files from the Box web app using the applications on your desktop, and Device Trust checks will complete as expected.

Alternatives

• Try a different browser: Use a different supported browser (such as Chrome or Firefox) to see if the issue is specific to Safari.
• Test on a different network: Connect to an alternate network (such as a mobile hotspot) to determine if a network-specific configuration is causing the issue.

If you continue to experience any of the symptoms listed above, enable debug logging, reproduce the error, collect and submit Box Tools Logs and open a support ticket at support.box.com for further assistance.

Further Reading

• Installing and Using Box Tools
• How to Check if Box Tools is Installed and Running
• Large Scale Deployments: Box Tools