If you encounter an error while installing or upgrading the Sync desktop app, it typically means there was a problem during the device registration process. These errors may appear as:
"Failed to provision device"
"Cannot validate this username and password. Internal error"
"Internal server error"
This can happen for a few different reasons. The following are four possible causes to check:
1. Incompatible drive format
If you're installing Sync or moving your Sync folder to an external or secondary drive, ensure the drive is formatted as NTFS.
CloudFiles is only supported on NTFS drives. Other formats, such as exFAT, are not compatible and will result in provisioning errors.
To check or reformat your drive, refer to your operating system’s disk management tools.
2. Temporary network/server issues
This error can also occur if there’s a temporary issue communicating with Sync's servers:
Wait 5–10 minutes and try again.
Make sure you're connected to the internet and that no firewalls or security software are blocking Sync.
- Check our status page by visiting status.sync.com to see if we’re experiencing any known outages or disruptions.
3. Incorrect credentials
An internal error may appear if your login credentials are incorrect:
Try signing into the Sync web panel manually to confirm your username and password are correct.
If you're unable to log in, try resetting your password.
4. Incorrect folder path selection
If you're choosing an existing Sync folder (e.g., E:/Sync) during installation, the app may attempt to nest a new Sync folder within it (e.g., E:/Sync/Sync), which causes a conflict.
Instead, select the top-level directory only (e.g., choose
E:/as the location).The app will create a new
Syncfolder within the directory you choose.
Still having trouble?
If the issue persists after following these steps, please contact our Support Team with details about what took place when the error occurred so this can be investigated further.