Ok, so are you saying that I could sync my files from my external drive to dropbox and use smart sync to not let them be backed up on my computer. But they will remain on my external drive?
\nNo. Unless you move the Dropbox folder to your external drive, which isn't suggested, there's no way to sync files with your external drive.
\nWhat I was saying is that if the Dropbox folder is on your laptop, and you use Selective Sync on a folder, it will be removed from the Dropbox folder and not your external drive. Dropbox can only interact with the Dropbox folder.
\nIn this scenario with Dropbox on your laptop and your files on the external drive, any folders you want stored on Dropbox would need to be MANUALLY copied to the Dropbox folder, allowed to sync completely, and then you could remove them from the Dropbox folder using Selective Sync so they only remain online. Again, this is a MANUAL process where you will need to be vigilant about copying files to and from Dropbox as needed so everything is up to date.
\nAgain, Dropbox will not do what you want it to do with your configuration. It's simply not designed for it. No cloud storage service that I know of will work the way you want it to.
","body@stripHtml({\"removeProcessingText\":true,\"removeSpoilerMarkup\":true,\"removeTocMarkup\":true,\"truncateLength\":200})@stringLength":"208","postTime":"2018-10-26T23:53:23.631-07:00","lastPublishTime":"2018-10-26T23:53:23.631-07:00","images":{"__typename":"AssociatedImageConnection","edges":[],"totalCount":0,"pageInfo":{"__typename":"PageInfo","hasNextPage":false,"endCursor":null,"hasPreviousPage":false,"startCursor":null}},"attachments":{"__typename":"AttachmentConnection","pageInfo":{"__typename":"PageInfo","hasNextPage":false,"endCursor":null,"hasPreviousPage":false,"startCursor":null},"edges":[]},"solution":true,"metrics":{"__typename":"MessageMetrics","views":20470},"placeholder":false,"originalMessageForPlaceholder":null,"videos":{"__typename":"VideoConnection","edges":[],"totalCount":0,"pageInfo":{"__typename":"PageInfo","hasNextPage":false,"endCursor":null,"hasPreviousPage":false,"startCursor":null}},"isEscalated":null,"entityType":"FORUM_REPLY","eventPath":"category:101001000/category:English/community:mxpez29397board:101001016/message:305453/message:305766","customFields":[],"readOnly":true,"editFrozen":false,"body@stringLength":"1513","rawBody":"\nwrote:
\nOk, so are you saying that I could sync my files from my external drive to dropbox and use smart sync to not let them be backed up on my computer. But they will remain on my external drive?
\n
No. Unless you move the Dropbox folder to your external drive, which isn't suggested, there's no way to sync files with your external drive.
\nWhat I was saying is that if the Dropbox folder is on your laptop, and you use Selective Sync on a folder, it will be removed from the Dropbox folder and not your external drive. Dropbox can only interact with the Dropbox folder.
\nIn this scenario with Dropbox on your laptop and your files on the external drive, any folders you want stored on Dropbox would need to be MANUALLY copied to the Dropbox folder, allowed to sync completely, and then you could remove them from the Dropbox folder using Selective Sync so they only remain online. Again, this is a MANUAL process where you will need to be vigilant about copying files to and from Dropbox as needed so everything is up to date.
\nAgain, Dropbox will not do what you want it to do with your configuration. It's simply not designed for it. No cloud storage service that I know of will work the way you want it to.
","kudosSumWeight":1,"repliesCount":8,"timeToRead":1,"currentRevision":{"__ref":"Revision:revision:305766_1"},"latestVersion":null,"visibilityScope":"PUBLIC","messagePolicies":{"__typename":"MessagePolicies","canModerateSpamMessage":{"__typename":"PolicyResult","failureReason":{"__typename":"FailureReason","message":"error.lithium.policies.feature.moderation_spam.action.moderate_entity.allowed.accessDenied","key":"error.lithium.policies.feature.moderation_spam.action.moderate_entity.allowed.accessDenied","args":[]}}},"body@stripHtml({\"removeProcessingText\":false,\"removeSpoilerMarkup\":false,\"removeTocMarkup\":false,\"truncateLength\":200})@stringLength":"208"},"ModerationData:moderation_data:305597":{"__typename":"ModerationData","id":"moderation_data:305597","status":"APPROVED","rejectReason":null,"isReportedAbuse":false,"rejectUser":null,"rejectTime":null,"rejectActorType":null},"ModerationData:moderation_data:305512":{"__typename":"ModerationData","id":"moderation_data:305512","status":"APPROVED","rejectReason":null,"isReportedAbuse":false,"rejectUser":null,"rejectTime":null,"rejectActorType":null},"User:user:330246":{"__typename":"User","id":"user:330246","login":"Jane","uid":330246,"deleted":false,"avatar":{"__typename":"UserAvatar","url":"https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/s/mxpez29397/images/dS0zMzAyNDYtNjA5OGkyNTA4MEQ2QjA4QTk0RjQ3"},"rank":{"__ref":"Rank:rank:26"},"email":"","messagesCount":8220,"biography":null,"topicsCount":4,"kudosReceivedCount":906,"kudosGivenCount":1491,"kudosWeight":1,"registrationData":{"__typename":"RegistrationData","status":null,"registrationTime":"2016-12-02T02:31:15.308-08:00","confirmEmailStatus":null},"followersCount":null,"solutionsCount":1659},"AssociatedImage:{\"url\":\"https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/s/mxpez29397/images/cmstMjYtZVNRZzFo\"}":{"__typename":"AssociatedImage","url":"https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/s/mxpez29397/images/cmstMjYtZVNRZzFo","height":17,"width":20,"mimeType":"image/png"},"Rank:rank:26":{"__typename":"Rank","id":"rank:26","position":5,"name":"Dropbox Staff","color":"0061FE","icon":{"__ref":"AssociatedImage:{\"url\":\"https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/s/mxpez29397/images/cmstMjYtZVNRZzFo\"}"},"rankStyle":"TEXT"},"ForumReplyMessage:message:305512":{"__typename":"ForumReplyMessage","id":"message:305512","revisionNum":4,"uid":305512,"depth":1,"hasGivenKudo":false,"subscribed":false,"board":{"__ref":"Forum:board:101001016"},"conversation":{"__ref":"Conversation:conversation:305453"},"subject":"Re: Backing up and syncing from external HD to the Dropbox folder issues","readOnly":true,"editFrozen":false,"moderationData":{"__ref":"ModerationData:moderation_data:305512"},"body":"Hey Daniel (@Danman), I’d happily follow-up on your inquiry & clarify matters for you as much as I can, thanks for your detailed post!
\n\n\nI want my files to back up and sync on line and I would like to be able to work from dropbox when I am not at home, and don't have access to my External drive.
\n
\n
\nI want it to sync automatically and I want to keep the files on my external and in dropbox.
\n
\nI’m wondering whether you’ve had a chance to check out our Selective Sync & Smart Sync features to save up some space & keep only the files you really need available across your devices. Can you have a look here & let me know whether that’s what you’re looking for?
Problem is that the files also get stored on to my computer… 6.5Tb…
\n
\nI am getting mixed information from the Dropbox helpdesk and could use some help.
\n
Hey Daniel (@Danman), I’d happily follow-up on your inquiry & clarify matters for you as much as I can, thanks for your detailed post!
\n\n\nI want my files to back up and sync on line and I would like to be able to work from dropbox when I am not at home, and don't have access to my External drive.
\n
\n
\nI want it to sync automatically and I want to keep the files on my external and in dropbox.
\n
\nI’m wondering whether you’ve had a chance to check out our Selective Sync & Smart Sync features to save up some space & keep only the files you really need available across your devices. Can you have a look here & let me know whether that’s what you’re looking for?
Problem is that the files also get stored on to my computer… 6.5Tb…
\n
\nI am getting mixed information from the Dropbox helpdesk and could use some help.
\n
\n
Danman wrote:
\nCorrect me if I misunderstand it but Isn't that a way to create an on line back up only?
\n
Not in the way you're intending, because Dropbox is not a backup service. The entire point of Dropbox is to sync the local copy of your files (in the Dropbox folder on your comptuer) with your account online an any other comptuers linked to your account. Yes, Dropbox has some backup-like feature, but it is a file synchroniation service; not a backup service.
\n\n
This is a removable device and I mentioned that it is not always connected to my laptop.
If your Dropbox folder is on the external drive, then this can be a dangerous scenario. If the drive is disconnected while Dropbox is running, or Dropbox is started while the drive is disconnected, there's a remote chance, under the right circumstances, that Dropbox could see this as a deletion of your files and sync that deletion to your account online. For this reason, it's highly recommended that Dropbox not sync to an external drive.
\n\n
Your colleague mentioned that when using smart or selective sync my files will deleted from my external drive and be on line only.
They'll be deleted from the Dropbox folder on your computer. If you keep the files separate (a copy on your external drive, the Dropbox folder on your computer using Selective Sync or Smart Sync), then you'll still have your files on the drive, they won't be on your computer (Dropbox folder) and will be in your account online. But, this isn't a scenario where files will sync. This would be a manual copy from your drive to the Dropbox folder, wait for them to sync, then remove them using Selective Sync or Smart Sync.
\nUltimately, what you're asking for isn't something Dropbox can, or is intended to, provide. You could find worakarounds such as the example above where you're manually copying files back and forth so you can use it as a backup, but that's not how it's supposed to work and would be clunky at best.
\nThe intent of Dropbox is that the Dropbox folder is on your local drive, syncing files in your account as you use them, with larges folders removed using Selective Sync or marking files or folders as Online-only using Smart Sync.
","body@stripHtml({\"removeProcessingText\":false,\"removeSpoilerMarkup\":false,\"removeTocMarkup\":false,\"truncateLength\":200})@stringLength":"208","kudosSumWeight":2,"postTime":"2018-10-26T05:14:43.257-07:00","lastPublishTime":"2018-10-26T05:16:41.657-07:00","metrics":{"__typename":"MessageMetrics","views":20478},"visibilityScope":"PUBLIC","placeholder":false,"originalMessageForPlaceholder":null,"isEscalated":null,"solution":false,"entityType":"FORUM_REPLY","eventPath":"category:101001000/category:English/community:mxpez29397board:101001016/message:305453/message:305603","replies":{"__typename":"MessageConnection","pageInfo":{"__typename":"PageInfo","hasNextPage":false,"endCursor":null,"hasPreviousPage":false,"startCursor":null},"edges":[{"__typename":"MessageEdge","cursor":"MjUuMnwyLjF8aXwzfDUyOjF8aW50LDMwNTYxMCwzMDU2MTA","node":{"__ref":"ForumReplyMessage:message:305610"}}]},"customFields":[],"attachments":{"__typename":"AttachmentConnection","edges":[],"pageInfo":{"__typename":"PageInfo","hasNextPage":false,"endCursor":null,"hasPreviousPage":false,"startCursor":null}},"editFrozen":false,"body@stringLength":"2577","rawBody":"\nwrote:
\nCorrect me if I misunderstand it but Isn't that a way to create an on line back up only?
\n
Not in the way you're intending, because Dropbox is not a backup service. The entire point of Dropbox is to sync the local copy of your files (in the Dropbox folder on your comptuer) with your account online an any other comptuers linked to your account. Yes, Dropbox has some backup-like feature, but it is a file synchroniation service; not a backup service.
\n\n
This is a removable device and I mentioned that it is not always connected to my laptop.
If your Dropbox folder is on the external drive, then this can be a dangerous scenario. If the drive is disconnected while Dropbox is running, or Dropbox is started while the drive is disconnected, there's a remote chance, under the right circumstances, that Dropbox could see this as a deletion of your files and sync that deletion to your account online. For this reason, it's highly recommended that Dropbox not sync to an external drive.
\n\n
Your colleague mentioned that when using smart or selective sync my files will deleted from my external drive and be on line only.
They'll be deleted from the Dropbox folder on your computer. If you keep the files separate (a copy on your external drive, the Dropbox folder on your computer using Selective Sync or Smart Sync), then you'll still have your files on the drive, they won't be on your computer (Dropbox folder) and will be in your account online. But, this isn't a scenario where files will sync. This would be a manual copy from your drive to the Dropbox folder, wait for them to sync, then remove them using Selective Sync or Smart Sync.
\nUltimately, what you're asking for isn't something Dropbox can, or is intended to, provide. You could find worakarounds such as the example above where you're manually copying files back and forth so you can use it as a backup, but that's not how it's supposed to work and would be clunky at best.
\nThe intent of Dropbox is that the Dropbox folder is on your local drive, syncing files in your account as you use them, with larges folders removed using Selective Sync or marking files or folders as Online-only using Smart Sync.
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