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On Mac Unable to backup an external drive. No pop-up.

I'm on Mac, and I need to backup my external drive. and I can't find a way for the dropbox app to "see" the external drive!

1) when I first setup that drive, there was an auto massage from Dropbox if I want to add it to back up. I clicked No, as I was still setting setting up that drive.

2) Now I need to back that drive to Dropbox, But I can't find a way to do that , I is not showing in the app. [picture bellow].

3) how and where to change the settings so dropbox will see the drive and it will be available for backup? [I tried renaming the drive but it didn't help.

Screenshot 2023-08-01 at 10.24.31.png

thanks a lot

Akash

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Megan

Hi @AkashJewels, thanks for posting here today!

Can I ask the capacity and the usage of your external disk, along with the format of it please?

One more thing: can you clarify if the desktop app is running normally when you plug the external drive into the computer in question, and also let me know the version of the Dropbox app there?

Keep me posted!

AkashJewels

Thanks for getting back to me Megan

you: "Can I ask the capacity and the usage of your external disk, along with the format of it please?"

It a 4tb sun disk extreme ssd , of which 2tb are used for /Time Machine [which I don't need to backup to dropbox]. and 2tb on a separate partition are used for extra storage and I wish to back this one to dropbox [there is less then 500gb of data in there currently ]

You: "One more thing: can you clarify if the desktop app is running normally when you plug the external drive into the computer in question, and also let me know the version of the Dropbox app there?"

it s the new app [with the strange path] and yes it is running normally ...

the thing is, the first time I plugged this disk, dropbox asked if I wanted to back it up. I said not now, [as I wasn't sure what I need]. and now I don't get that massage again, and I don't see any place to add the disk!

Screenshot 2023-08-01 at 23.21.49.png

thanks a lot

Akash

Hannah

Hey @AkashJewels, thanks for this info.

If you go to your backups page, click on "Manage Backups" and then "Open backup settings", are you able to enable backup for this drive?

AkashJewels

No it simply takes me back to the same place in the desktop app and the drive is not showing there.

[I can see in there another different drive that I'm using at this moment for other purpose [I do not want to backup that other drive]

I currently have 2 external drives plugged in. the one that is showing is the one I don't need.

what else can be done?

Screenshot 2023-08-02 at 01.17.52.png

thanks a lot

Hannah

Can you unplug that drive, to see if that helps the other one appear, Akash?

AkashJewels

my initial post was abut only that one drive not showing [while it is the only one plugged !].

the 2nd drive is showing likely because it has be formatted [it's brand new from dropbox perspective] so it is showing.

what I'm asking please is instruction how to make dropbox forget the drive [the one that needs backup]. so it will re-include it as possible volume to backup !

how to make dropbox forget the drive ?

regarding unplugging the currently plugged drive, I can do it only after 8 hours, when it will finish transferring files. [that one is not ssd]

thanks a lot

asksh

Megan

Hi @AkashJewels, is the external drive formatted in HFS+ or APFS, as you're connecting it to a Mac device?

Next, we will need to try to enable the system warnings on your computer, in case these have been disabled. This could be the issue with the prompt that doesn't appear at all. So, I will need you to click on the small Dropbox icon on the taskbar.

And then, please click on your profile picture/initials at the top right of the window that appears. Next, click on Preferences, and from the tabs at the top, please select the ''Account'' tab.
Once you are in the Account tab, I need you to press Alt Key + H on your keyboard.