How can I use Dropbox Backup to backup a folder located on my machine?

[brucekaiser]

The Dropbox Backup overview says:

"Dropbox Backup lets you back up any file or folder on your computer or device to the cloud. ".

But the PC backup only allows specific folders to be selected.

How to I backup the folder "c:\ImportantFolder"?

What am I missing?

Thanks.

[Jay]

Hi @brucekaiser, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Currently, only specific system folders can be backed up to the site, namely those in the Home folder, as mentioned here.

It won't be possible to backup folders from any other location on your machine.

If you have any further queries, feel free to message back.

[buzalli]

What if the folder I want to backup is in another drive?

[Walter]

As Jay mentioned this won't be possible at this time @buzalli 

You can alternatively copy or move the folder you'd like to backup into your Dropbox folder and have it sync normally. 

[brucekaiser]

Thanks for the response.  It seems to me that the team should drop the continued reference to "all the folders in the Home folder".   The topic you referenced above, again says 

• Select any folder within your computer’s home folder to back up, including subfolders. You’re no longer limited to folders like "Documents", "Desktop", and "Downloads"

But the dialog box shown specifically limits options to Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Videos.   I for one (and apparently others) have much more in our Home folder than these subdirectories (which may just be the default list).  See part of my Home folder here.

Also, it refers to subfolders.   I have not found a way to select a sub-folder rather than the main folder (for example: Pictures\Folder1).  Am I misinterpreting this part as well?

Thanks for the attention.  I like Dropbox Backup.

Bruce

[Nancy · Accepted solution]

Hi Bruce! If you’re only allowed to back up these specific folders, then you may not be using the updated version of Dropbox Backup just yet. 

Can you please follow these steps and let me know what happens?

[brucekaiser]

Hi Nancy.  I followed your steps and it corrected the folder issue on one of my laptops.  The "select folders" dialog box shows all folders under c:\users\bruce, except AppData and Dropbox, which was not surprising.

As a matter of record, I also have two USB External Drives.   When they were set up, they also allowed all folders to be selected or not.

I have another issue with two PCs being backed up to the same account.  I will open another discussion for this.  Thanks.

[brucekaiser]

Hi Nancy. Please help. As I replied earlier, I followed your suggestions above and it completely corrected the issue on one of my laptops (PC#1). However, on PC #2, it did not. I chatted with support yesterday and today some things have reverted on PC#1 as well. Please look at these screenshots.
For the past week, PC1 was fine. The 12 folders available were this:

However, PC2 has always looked like this, which seems to me that this is still an older version, even though I followed the same instructions.

After a chat session with support yesterday, I now see that PC#1 is now reverted to the old version as well.


1. Is there a definitive way to tell which version of Dropbox Backup I am using on each PC? If I highlight the App icon, I see "Dropbox 203.4.4857 Up to date".
2. How do I get yesterday's PC1 version back onto PC#1?
3. How do I get yesterday's PC1 version onto PC#2?

Note  (last screenshot) that PC#1 has never been completely set up, so it appears at the bottom of the Backups screen under "Add a backup". PC#2 has been set up once, so it appears at the top of the Backups screen under "Dropbox Backups". I don't know if this difference is important.

Thanks.

[Nancy]

Thanks for letting me know, Bruce! Can you also share the ticket number from your support convo? I'd like to check it as well before guiding you further.

[brucekaiser]

Here is the ticket number:  Ticket #24024539

BTW, is there a reference number for a thread in the Community chat?  I have only seen URL links when someone needs to reference a past chat or some other past chat.  Thanks.