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Forum Discussion
Backing up and syncing from external HD to the Dropbox folder issues
Hello,
I am getting mixed information from the Dropbox helpdesk and could use some help.
I’m a photographer. I have 6.5Tb of photos stored on my External Drobo hard drive. I work from that harddrive on my laptop in Lightroom. I want to keep on doing that but I 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.
So I want to back up 6.5 Tb of files from my external Drobo Harddrive to dropbox. I want it to sync automatically and I want to keep the files on my external and in dropbox. But not on my laptop. And the external isn’t always connected to the computer.
So I started the trial for the advanced business plan and was backing up files. Problem is that the files also get stored on to my computer… 6.5Tb…
I asked to de helpdesk before I started and explained exactly what I need and someone told me that the business plan would be great for me. And now someone else says that it isn’t possible the way I want it.
Am I the only photographer who wants to keep his files safe and doesn’t want them stored on line only?
Thanks, Daniel
Danman wrote:
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?
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.
What 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.
In 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.
Again, 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.
Hello,
I was having same issue but I am not photographer, but need to upload aroun 1.5TB and doens´t have ssd enought to bring all data to my laptop and than upload and sync to dropbox. So after read almost every reply that you have I decide to give try and it works. I am not saying that this is the sollution for you problem and I complete understand you and your needs. Simple I HDD external with large amout of that and everytime you plug in a computer, he check what photos are new and upload them all. Simple, at least should be simple.
So I will explain in short words what I did to solve my problem. First My problem was backup to dropbox more than 1TB (more space that I have in my ssd). I have Business account with 5TB, so I create folder by dropbox website. Wait until finishes some other larges sync and when the folder appers on my desktop with the green icon that was perfect sync I click in that folder and choose the "smar sync" - > "online only", in a emplty folder. After couple of minutes start the test and sync by upload from website to that folder couple of large folders with plenty of files... Couple of hours latter my ssd didn´t storage anything and all files "virtual" are shown on that folder.
So maybe this can solve part of your problems and I don´t know if you change or increase some files in same folder, if, after you drag and drop this folder on the same place before, if the dropbox will check all files and only sync the new ones.
I can give you tip on "good sync" app that maybe can be used as you need to. You by some amazon storage like website data or similar and this app can check and sync folder, external drive, with ftp drive, secure ftp, webDav type of storage. Everytime you plug your external, you ask the app to check your external drive with your online storage and he will do it without any headache without even the files or folders with more the 256 charecters he didnt ask you or stop you because of that. You can customize almost everything, time schedule do sync, example during the night...If external drive was attached and mouted to the computer, everything should be fine.
I hope some of my words can help you on that.
Cheers
Monica
- Jane
Dropbox Staff
I 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.
I want it to sync automatically and I want to keep the files on my external and in dropbox.
Problem is that the files also get stored on to my computer… 6.5Tb…Last but not least, I 've been able to locate your open correspondence with my colleague on our system & I could see that they're awaiting your reply. I've made sure to include a copy of your comments here, in case you'd like to continue discussing your options via that channel.
I am getting mixed information from the Dropbox helpdesk and could use some help.
Hello Jane,
Thanks for your reply.
My colleague- Jay- has created this resource that could be helpful if you'd like to back up your files to your account online. Once all your files are synced online as expected, you’ll be able to share them using our website.
Correct me if I misunderstand it but Isn't that a way to create an on line back up only? Like I said: I want to keep the files on my external drive and have them synced to dropbox.
Following, you can also move the Dropbox folder to your external hard drive Daniel, though it would be worth noting that SD cards, or any device considered "Removable media" by your operating system, are not supported locations for the Dropbox folder. Dropbox works best when hosted on your computer's main internal drive, or on a physically connected external hard drive.
Like I said: I have all my files on an external Drobo HD. This is a removable device and I mentioned that it is not always connected to my laptop. I want to work from my external drive when at home and have it sync to Dropbox. And when not at home, on an assignment, I obviously don’t take my Drobo external drive (it’s a big thing). Then I want to work from dropbox on line and have it sync when I reconnect the External drive.
So obviously I can’t move the dropbox folder to the external drive.
I’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?
Yes, I did check out selective sync. But like I said: I want to keep the files on my external drive and not be on line only. Your colleague mentioned that when using smart or selective sync my files will deleted from my external drive and be on line only. I don’t want that.
I mentioned this several times in my talk with your colleague.
Last but not least, I ve been able to locate your open correspondence with my colleague on our system & I could see that they're awaiting your reply. I've made sure to include a copy of your comments here, in case you'd like to continue discussing your options via that channel.
Yes, it’s open because he finally responded (after I sent an extra email asking him to respond) when I was asleep. I am in a different time zone, in The Netherlands. Have you read the correspondence? He is constantly coming up with solutions he has mentioned before but don’t work. It’s like he isn’t reading what I have been writing and what the real issue is. And he says it can’t be done but others say it can be done. This is pretty confusing….
And my first contact with Dropbox, who said he was my contact and I should always connect with him with questions doesn’t respond at all anymore. He’s the one who said that there would be no problem at all for me using dropbox the way I want. He suggested the advanced business plan…
I hope that my suggestions make matters a bit more clear to you, though I’m always here if you’d like me to explain any of the above in a bit more depth. Thanks!
I'm sorry, it hasn't made it more clear for me yet. I definitely would like to learn more and hear a definitive answer to my questions.
For some reason it feels like I am asking something strange. Am I the only photographer that wants to keep his files safe and be able to access them on line when working on location?
I mean obviously people who have 6.5Tb (and that’s why I need the unlimited business plan) don’t have it stored on their computer. So it’s on an external drive. All my photography friends work the same. So I can’t put the dropbox folder there, because it’s removable.
And I would be completely crazy if I delete all my files from my External drive and have them on line only. It seems logical to keep them in several places. And there is no way that a wifi connection can keep up with the speed of a Thunderbolt connection when I work from my External Drive. I need the speed but when working on location, it’s ok. It’s logical to do with a bit less then.
Please help!
Kind Regards, Daniel
- Rich
Super User II
Danman wrote:
Correct me if I misunderstand it but Isn't that a way to create an on line back up only?
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.
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.
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.
Ultimately, 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.
The 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.
