External hard drive won't back up on Mac desktop app

[xuser06]

I am currently not able to get any external hard drive to backup to Dropbox backup.

I have previously backed one up successfully, but then that backup got corrupted and had to be deleted.

I even picked up a new Western Digital external drive to start fresh.

I have followed all instructions here:

https://help.dropbox.com/organize/how-to-use-dropbox-backup

I have the box ticked in preferences to "Show setup notifications when new external drives are plugged in."

Yet this notification (which I have seen before), won't show up with existing or the new drive.

The Mac Dropbox Backup app (on MacBook Pro, Venture 13.1) it will recognize that the drive is there.
But when I click to back up it just spins and never actually backs up any files.

No files or backup show up online, and the desktop client doesn't show that it is backing up files either.

I see the drive with the "back up Drive" option below.
But when I do it just spins (second screenshot) and nothing ever happens.

 

[xuser06]

Hi @Nancy ,

I am still having this issue, I can't get Dropbox to actually backup my old (I've had it for a while) or new (just bought it to test this) external drive.

My latest response was to you about the formatting of the computer and drive, and I never heard back.

I reach out in the forum again because the other thread I had was open for 2+ months, and I wasn't getting any help and then the ticket kept getting closed.  I'd ask for it to get reopened, then I wouldn't receive any help and it would get closed yet again.  

[Nancy]

I totally understand. From what I can see on my end, you still have an open ticket regarding this, so can you please check your email address once again and try to reply back to our support agent? 

Please let me know when you’ve done so, so that I can also leave them an internal message with our convo.

[xuser06]

Hi @Nancy, I have replied to the email thread with the support agent.

Thanks for the help on your end.

[Nancy]

It was my pleasure, @xuser06!

[tetonman]

Did this get fixed? If so, how? I am having the same issue with nearly identical information. 

[Nancy]

Hey @tetonman! Can you let me know of the differences you have with the OP? I’ll be able to further help this way.

[tetonman]

I have an external drive that I had Dropbox backup from 2022 to now. In February of this year I got a new computer and it stopped backing my drive up. I see the drive on the Backups window on the desktop app and it has the green check with "Done" next to it but it hasn't backed it up. My computer recognizes the drive and so does Dropbox but it doesn't begin the backup sequence.

The drive is partitioned and the only part I am backing up is a 700 GB Photos Library.

Computer - M3 MacBook Pro - OS 14.3
External - WD My passport 1 TB -  APFS

Thanks!

[Jay]

HI @tetonman, if you're using a new computer, then it isn't possible to continue using the same backup as before, since you're on a different machine.

You'll need to create a new backup with this external drive to your Dropbox account.