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Backing Up External Hard Drive

I use my laptop to DJ. I have an 256GB internal drive, however my library of audio files is over 1TB. I currently have my audio library stored on an external hard drive and have a 2nd one as a backup. I would like to copy my entire library to a folder on Dropbox and use Smart Sync to store them online only - copying files to my local drive when I want to "spin" them. I constantly add more files to the library, but would only back up to Drop Box monthly.

I have read some other articles and I understand that DropBox is not intended to be a backup solution. In my daily working on my radio show and live sets, I find it cumbersome to constantly be hooking up my hard drive to run through songs and think accessing it through DropBox would be a good solution (In the past, I could fit my entire library on a second internal hard drive - but as my library has grown, and my new computer's internal storage has shrunk, I am unable to work like this now)

Thanks in advance

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Hannah

Hi @g_mateus, thanks for posting!

To store your files in Dropbox and use them the way you described, I'd suggest you manually add them to your Dropbox folder, perhaps in batches, allow each batch to sync and then use Smart sync to make the files online-only.

Let me know if you have any questions about the process!

bsoki

@Hannah, is there an automated way to do it, like many other cloud storage providers have?

Hannah

Hey @bsoki, thanks for your comment here!

Are you talking about an automated way to add files to Dropbox?

If so, you can only do it manually. We do have an automatic computer backup feature as well, though, if you want to check that out.

If you need anything else, let me know!

bsoki

@Hannah, I'm talking about an automated way of doing the "batch adding and waiting til sync" technique. I've checked the computer backup feature, but it works only for predefined folders, not for any folders, which makes it useless for the purpose of backing up external hard drives.

Mark

@bsoki I'm afraid there is no automated way of doing this, no.

bsoki

@Mark, that's unfortunate. Especially considering statements such as:

- "Easily access and share your work from any computer, mobile device, or web browser"

- "Back up any file or folder: No matter the file or folder you’re trying to back up — from photos and videos to large CAD files... "

- "Back up any file—anywhere, anytime"

- "Secure and simple cloud file backup"

and others right on the Dropbox front page or one click away from it. I think that's false advertising as so far I have spent in total 4-5 hours trying to back up my files.

Solutions I have explored:

- Symbolic links: would be the easiest, but don't work since Dropbox disabled them recently.

- API: limited to 25000 calls a month (I have more files than that) and is cumbersome and slow.

- Website: Takes hours just to get the list of all the files, then takes 10+ seconds to upload each file, regardless of its size. Browser is unusable during that time.

- Moving the Dropbox folder onto the external drive and moving all the files I need into the Dropbox folder: Sort-of works, but leaves the original folder and the rest of Dropbox features unusable since I don't want to have the drive connected all the time.

The last one seems promising, but I'll have to see how I can make the rest of Dropbox useful again, which means more of my time spent on this "simple cloud file backup" task.

I really don't believe that Dropbox software engineers cannot find a way to add an "upload files/folders" feature. If it's really so, then just give us optional SFTP access for uploading files.

Mark

In terms of moving Dropbox to an external drive I cannot recommend you dont do this enough... there is a huge risk of data loss. If the drive disconnects or doesnt connect quick enough Dropbox can delete data - once the drive does connect it doesnt 'readd the files' it does delete them. There are safeguards in place but these are not infallible as posts here show.

bsoki

@Mark, thank you for the warning. By delete the data, you mean delete it both from cloud and from the drive itself?

bsoki

So I think I've managed to do it by installing dropbox on a virtual machine, attaching the external drive to it and putting the Dropbox folder on the external drive. Create a new folder on the dropbox.com website, in the main tree. The folder will appears in your Dropbox folder and you move everything from your drive in that folder.

Then you wait until Dropbox uploads all your files to the server. After that, quit Dropbox app, move everything out of the Dropbox folder on the external drive and uninstall Dropbox and delete the Dropbox folder.

This way you can use Selective sync on your regular workstations to hide the backed up folder or set Smart sync to have it online only.

I guess this is what constitutes "Easily backing up any file or folder" in 2021 for Dropbox.

For comparison, in any other paid cloud storage service I have used, you just select the folders on the drive in the app and click Upload. 🤡

cranerr

When I downloaded my files from the Dropbox website to my external hard drive, the file sizes are different. I opened each folder on Dropbox and they are empty, which is true. I opened up the EHD folders and they are empty also. I'm just wondering why such a size difference in empty folders. Are there hidden files?

Megan

Hi @cranerr, let's jump into this!

Which size do you see on the downloaded content, versus on the website? Can you send me a few screenshots, so I can have a visual on this?

Keep me posted!

cranerr

It contains confidential information or I would upload screenshots.

All of the files are the same in these folders. As an example, one folder on the Dropbox website has 1.69 MB, the Dropbox Desktop (the icon in the toolbar of my browser) has 4.9 MB and my external hard drive has 1.8 (close to the website). The Desktop size is way off.

Megan

Hey @cranerr, do you use the Backup feature by any chance?

What is your app's syncing status while we speak?

If there's a way that you can blur or hide any personal info, and send me the screenshots, I would be most grateful!

cranerr

@Megan Here are the screenshots. No, I am not using backup and yes, it is syncing.

Screen Shot 2022-08-03 at 10.02.50 PM.png

Megan

Hi @cranerr, thank you so much!

Can you also check and let me know for the app's syncing status, please?

Also, in the right folder (the one you download to your external hard drive) do you simply download the folder from the website?

cranerr

@Megan Yes the app is syncing. I download the folder from the website. It goes into a folder on my desktop and I copy and paste the files from the desktop folder to the external hard drive.

Hannah

Sorry to jump in here, @cranerr, but what is the Dropbox application's exact sync status? You can see that if you hover your mouse over the Dropbox icon in your menu bar.

Do you see any sync issues, if you click on the Dropbox icon, then on your initials/profile pic and then "view sync issues"?

And also, do you perhaps have any files in the local folder in your Dropbox folder that you have set to not sync maybe?

Or are all folders empty (in all locations)?

cranerr

@Hannah There are no sync issues. Also, I don't know how to turn off sync for my files in my local folder, so that is probably not the case. All the folders aren't empty. If all the files were empty then there would be a bigger problem.

cranerr

@Hannah See my other post. There are two subfolders in this folder. One is empty and the other is not.

Nancy

Hey @cranerr, sorry for jumping in.

Can you let me know what’s the exact syncing status of the Dropbox app (up to date/syncing etc)?

Also, what is the app version that you see when hovering over the Dropbox icon?

cranerr

It says up to date and the version is 154.4.5363

Hey @cranerr, sorry for jumping in.

Can you let me know what’s the exact syncing status of the Dropbox app (up to date/syncing etc)?

Also, what is the app version that you see when hovering over the Dropbox icon?

Walter

Hey @cranerr, thanks for extra details there - much appreciated.

May we reach out via email to have a further look internally at this point?

cranerr

Yes, please

cranerr

@Walter Yes, please email me at [personal information removed per the Community's Guidelines] I need to get this resolved as soon as possible.

Megan

Hey @cranerr, I just sent you an email!

Reply back to me, and we'll take it from there.

Cheers!