backing up Dropbox to an external drive? RESOLVED

[joelfriedman]

I have many, many work files up on my Dropbox - teaching materials, my scores, etc. A little over 2 TB of files, too much to set all to live on either of my boot HDs. Most of the folders/files are set to be online only so they don't eat up my HD until I bring them down as needed for work. It all works well, and this way I can access them from both my desk top and laptop, from really anywhere, without worrying about file conflicts or multiple copies, etc.

Lately I've been thinking that I really should have a backup of all these files, not in the cloud, not on someone's service, but my own - on a hard drive, just in case. I've just started exploring this and it seems the DB doesn't allow either using TM or straight file copying to an external. There are apps like Cloudmounter etc. that are supposed to do this. Anyone on the list have experience with this? Is there a simple way? I'd hate to have to set EVERYTHING in DB to be downloaded onto my boot drive, copy it manually to an external, and then reset everything to be online. [Just side "paranoid" note: I've already run into Appstore commercial apps that are either Chinese or Russian that CLAIM to do this... Um, not sure I want to use them in our current world! ]

PS thinking about Cloudmounter

Thanks all!

[mikehalloran]

Dropbox really doesn’t want you to be able to do this. Your files stay in the Cloud since Monterey. If you have enough drive space, DB lets you store copies on your System drive automatically and these copies will back up to Time Machine like any other. You work on the copies and they will sync with the DB originals in the background when your internet is robust. This is automatic and how they want it to work.

It’s easy to back up those Cloud files to an external drive manually, however. Create a folder on your external, open the DB folder in the Cloud, select All files and drag them to that folder. Next time, do the same and when you get the Duplicate pop-up, Allow overwrite and check Apply to all. Easy peasy.

[joelfriedman]

Thanks Mike. So drag and drop *will* work even if the file(s) are in the cloud, or do I have to set to be local on the HD? And I guess having them copy/replace backs up newer versions, versus using CCC etc. to automate it? Just curious of what happens if file X is online, not off, when I drag. Might i end up with an empty file since the contents are up in DB and not local?

J


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[mikehalloran]

Thanks Mike. So drag and drop *will* work even if the file(s) are in the cloud, or do I have to set to be local on the HD? And I guess having them copy/replace backs up newer versions, versus using CCC etc. to automate it? Just curious of what happens if file X is online, not off, when I drag. Might i end up with an empty file since the contents are up in DB and not local?

J


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The only thing that CCC can do is automate Time Machine and Disk Utility. Period. It does save you the hassle of writing those scripts yourself, however so I don't say that the money is wasted as long as you understand what is and isn't possible.

Back to your question. Your files stay in the cloud. If you have all of them automatically downloaded to your Mac, then I don't understand the question—they back up to TM automatically unless you were to exclude them in Options.

If, however, you do not have copies on your System drive in order to save space, then dragging them from the cloud is the only way it can be done.

The Dropbox folder in Applications and Users/(user name)/ is an alias. Clicking on it should show a green check for every file in the cloud sync'd to your Mac and a cloud icon for every file that is cloud only (I changed one just for this graphic). If you were to lose your internet connection, you would not see the check or cloud but those copies are still on your System drive. They don't want you to know the path on your drive but I can find it.

Screenshot 2025-02-19 at 11.42.18 AM.png (164.16 KiB) Viewed 3995 times

If you are not seeing this, something is wrong and I can find the Support doc to fix it. When I accidentally upgraded to Sequoia 15.0 and hosed my system, Dropbox was one of those things that got all screwed up.

Dropbox is adamant that simlinks and aliases to/from external drives will not work and I have found that to be correct.

[mikehalloran]

The path is

~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox

or Users/(user name)/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox

You should also see an alias under Locations in your sidebar. Again, if not there, reboot first and if still not there, I'll post a link to Support.

[joelfriedman]

Hi Mike,

I get part of what you are saying. Yup, I know the green check vs cloud icon. Thankfully I have yet to have issues accessing my individual files or folders with DB, setting aside that I need an active internet connection so travel can present problems. The only time I've ever had an issue was when they changed their filing system about 6 months ago and it all freaked out for a week or so, Luckily I hadn't updated my desktop as they directed, and they resolved their issue. But... it occurs to me that all my fields are sitting there and I have no safety net *if* something were to happen to my files specifically or DB in general. Stuff happens, right (especially these days)?

As I work I swap things so they are on downloaded my desktop and/or laptop and then I either set them to cloud only or allow time to have their default do that. I also share various things with people. So it's a revolving game uploading/downloading files and very handy to have a single copy always available from either computer, while traveling, and being able to send and share with others.

I'm looking for the "idiot proof" (ahem, points at self) way of backing it all up. I followed your advice and bought a basic NAS system when my previous TM ext. HD died. Was a bit of PITA to set up, but it's working seamlessly. I'm not 100% certain if it IS backing up my DB, now that I think about it. I have it set to backup my internal boot drive and not my external sample drives, so I guess it IS including DB? But then only the files that are currently green checked at the time of the backup? I'm also going on what a bunch of people on the DB forum said that "you can't use TM with DB!"

I think for clarity I'd prefer to have 1 place that mirrored DB that didn't involve going to TM backups etc. and looking for things. Easier to get my mind around, to see the exact folder structure etc. and access something quickly. That points me towards buying a 5 TB external and dragging DB onto and letting it work away for a few days. This is why I was asking specifically if a file that is NOT green checked would copy to an external through simply dragging. They would be symlinks etc. then and NOT work. It seems I would have to make sure that every file was downloaded onto my internal hard drive to make sure it properly copied onto an external. I could do that by groups of folders, but it seems a really long, manual process ripe for forgetting something etc. But I guess once it's done then it's about overwriting. That's where the idea of "automating" it via CCC would be helpful.

Someone else mentioned that I should just get rid of DB altogether and put everything on a NAS using it as a server. I guess it does replace it, may own private DB, so to speak, and would be shareable with others, but I wish I had thought of that before buying a Synology DS224+ for TM. It's strictly TM backup. I suppose the investment would pay for itself by discontinuing my DB in a couple of years. Someone else mentioned "using Chronosync, Carbon Copy Cloner, Super Duper or similar to regularly keep what is in Dropbox duplicated to that external drive too."

I *DO* see both the icon in my side bar and tracked it down under library.

Why can't things be simple? I was supposed to be composing and here I am ranting about this instead...

[joelfriedman]

If I'm getting this right it might be simplest to upgrade my ancient copy of CCC for $38 and buy a Seagate 5TB external USB 3.0 drive FOR $120.

Laboriously copy it all over, set up CCC and let is run.

Thoughts?

[joelfriedman]

Hi All,

Successfully closing off this thread as I was able to get CCC to backup my critical DB files onto a pair of external drives. In this day and age you never know, I have a lot of very important files up there and not much of a safety net, so I decided to make to copies from the source. You never know when DOGE might take an interest, am I right?

It took a bit to do, I found that I had to set 3 huge and critical DB folders to "make available offline" and take the time to have them populate on my internal drive 1st and then it all went smoothly. Took quite a few hours. Yes, CCC is supposed to be able to handle this but it wasn't, DB was timing out in some cases, so I just went ahead and brought the files down. Perhaps it was the sheer volume of items. I also ran into an issue with "sparse files" that wouldn't backup. Ends up they were SD II files - edits - from a 2008 DP project. Luckily nothing I am worried about.

I will say that Rob from Bombich Software was terrific helping out.

Alls well that ends well.

Joel

[mikehalloran]

take the time to have them populate on my internal drive 1st and then it all went smoothly

Yep, that’s the only way that DB lets it happen. Populating the internal drive also lets those files be included in Time Machine and Backblaze etc.