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Forum Discussion
Sync Dropbox to External Hard Drive
The Dropbox backup function allows backing up files from an external hard drive, but there is currently no function to sync a dropbox folder to an external hard drive. Could you please add such a function?
I am teaching a class and need to bring a flash drive to the classroom, which contains lecture notes, assignments, course files, etc. Every time when I update something on my desktop computer, I have to manually copy these updated files to the flash drive. This can be a quite tedious task. I purchased a third-party app to do this, which needs to be renewed every year. But can Dropbox develop such a function to make this easier? I believe I am not the only person with this need.
- Jay
Dropbox Staff
Hi Justin Jia, thanks for messaging the Community!
Are you referring to having the Dropbox folder stored on an external drive itself, or to have a Dropbox feature to move or copy files there?
This will help me to assist further!
Hi Jay, I hope to have a Dropbox feature that sync files from a Dropbox folder on my desktop computer to a flash drive.
For example, I have a dropbox folder named "xxx course" on my desktop computer, which contains all the materials for a course. Throughout the semester, I may update some files on my desktop computer (e.g., lecture slides). Then I want to sync this updated files to a corresponding folder on a flash drive and take the flash drive to the classroom. One option is to copy the entire folder from my desktop computer to the flash drive, but the folder is quite large. I hope to have an option to sync only the updated files from my dropbox folder on my desktop computer to the corresponding folder on the flash drive.
Thanks.
- Mark
Super User II
Hi Justin Jia
I very much doubt such a feature will ever happen (Dropbox was designed to replace flash drives), however, the place to request new features etc. is over here. Once you log it get people who also want it to happen to up vote it 🙂
Hi Mark ,
Thanks for your suggestion. But I entered this current post as a "new idea" at the link you mentioned.
I am sooo confused. I've been using Dropbox for years with my PC.
I have recently transferred a set of files to an EHD that are very important to me. Family History, Photos, Scrapbook Pages. I would like to be able to put these files in Dropbox so that I can access them on my phone when I'm at family events and such.
So here's my issue. I transferred these files to an EHD to conserve space on my PCs hard drive. I'm finding that if I upload these files to Dropbox (so that I can view them on a web browser or my phone, wherever I'm at) that they are syncing with my pcs hard drive. I also want these files to sync with Dropbox, so that if I add info to them from my pc that the changes will be available to me the next time I open them on my phone.
I've been trying to add them to dropbox for the last couple of days and the upload crashes. I think it's because there is not enough room on my pcs hard drive (because they keep syncing to the PCs hard drive). I want them only to sync to the EHD drive - not the PC drive.
If this can't be done - tell me that, if it can be done - please, please tell me how. I realize this has already been asked and answered somewhere but I can't find it. Thank you for your time!
- Hannah
Hey NickiZ, thanks for reaching out to us.
Indeed, when you move files to the Dropbox folder, they'll need to take up space on your hard drive, in order to sync to your account and connected devices.
You have a couple of options in your specific case.
You could use our backup feature, to basically back up your EHD to Dropbox, without moving the files to the Dropbox folder.
This will allow you to have a static copy of the files in your Dropbox and you can edit/update your files directly from the EHD and the edits will be backed up to your Dropbox.
Another thing you can do, would be to move the Dropbox folder itself to your EHD, however, it's not something we recommend, due to risk of file loss.
Let me know if you have any questions.
