I’d like to backup the entire contents of my large Dropbox account to an external hard drive. What is the best way to do this?Considerations:I have a complex web of folders and files, some of which are online-only and not. I’d like to keep the current setting of which are online-only and which are not. Syncing down in batches and copy-pasting onto the external is therefore not ideal.Backup methods like Time Machine don’t do much good with stub files like Dropbox’s online-only files.The size of my Dropbox contents exceeds the capacity of my local hard drive, so I can’t use it as a “middle-man”.There are apparently download limits on Dropbox web, so I don’t think I can just download it all directly to an external hard drive.One idea would be to make a new user on my Mac, sign into Dropbox, set the folder to the external HD, and sync everything down, but this seems risky and janky… Any ideas appreciated!

I have been a business Dropbox user for 6+ years. I find it absolutely absurd that DropBox cannot support a simple task such as being able to easily copy (we are talking about cutting and pasting!) MY Dropbox files from MY Dropbox online account or from my computer. That ludicrous to ask a user to copy their files in batches just to accomplish a simple task like this. I feel like DropBox is holding MY FILES hostage.

I am also looking to backup from my Dropbox account straight to an external hard drive.

Hi Hannah, thank you for your quick reply! I can't use the selective sync method for the reasons (1 & 3) stated in the original post. I can probably download in batches, but some folders are heavier than others, and I foresee a headache coming as to keeping track of what's been downloaded, reorganizing in the final place in the external hard drive, etc. This issue would be solved by 1 of the following potential features:Keep the download limit off Dropbox.com. However, allow a mass-download; simply breakup the files programmatically on Dropbox’s end into separate zip file of max size determined by you. Or download in split RAR files, max size determined by you.A feature of Dropbox Backup, but allowing the reverse: instead of backup from external, allowing backing up to external from Dropbox.Would DB be willing to consider one of these features Hannah ? I love Dropbox, but we all know it's a good idea to have backups in multiple places. With Selective Sync, and running my work/life out of my Dropbox folder, it makes it almost impossible to routinely back up to some other place (preferably physical).

Hi rferretti No solution yet. I also find it strange, considering a big part of DB’s value to customers lies in backups.

I have the same issue. Any resolutions yet?

Forum Discussion

rymanbugs

Helpful | Level 6

3 years ago

Backup from Dropbox to External HD

I’d like to backup the entire contents of my large Dropbox account to an external hard drive. What is the best way to do this?

Considerations:

I have a complex web of folders and files, some of which are online-only and not. I’d like to keep the current setting of which are online-only and which are not. Syncing down in batches and copy-pasting onto the external is therefore not ideal.
Backup methods like Time Machine don’t do much good with stub files like Dropbox’s online-only files.
The size of my Dropbox contents exceeds the capacity of my local hard drive, so I can’t use it as a “middle-man”.
There are apparently download limits on Dropbox web, so I don’t think I can just download it all directly to an external hard drive.
One idea would be to make a new user on my Mac, sign into Dropbox, set the folder to the external HD, and sync everything down, but this seems risky and janky…

Any ideas appreciated!

desktop

Download

25 Replies

Replies have been turned off for this discussion

Bourne Group
New member | Level 2
2 years ago
THANK YOU!!!!
I used the Cloud Mounter!
smekuria
New member | Level 2
2 years ago
I am also very surprised to find that I can't get my files out of Dropbox to travel with them on my backup drive. It is like they are in cloud prison and I have to work hard to get them out. There has to be a simpler way to access my own files for whose rent I pay a good amount of money to Dropbox!! Why should backup be a one way only street?
Hans Fidom
Explorer | Level 4
2 years ago
Hi Smekuria (and everyone else),

What I do is this: in Safari's preferences (general tab) I relocate the download folder temporarily to my external HD, then go to my online Dropbox, select the folder I like to be on my external HD and click in the ... menu related to that folder the option 'Download'.

Works for me: I now have a backup of my Dropbox folder on my external HD. It takes a bit of time, but it's easy and reliable.

Hans
joelfriedman
New member | Level 2
10 months ago
Hi all, just wanted an up-to-date summary on the topic. I'm on Mac 15.3.1 using DB. I share my files between a Mac Studio and MacBook Pro. I have 2+TB of files I want to backup to an external HD for safety. Thank you.
I can't use TimeMachine to do this...
I would have to download ALL my DB files to my internal boot drive and then manually copy them over to an external drive, which seems a bit insane
I could use a 3rd party something like Cloud Mounter. Is there a consensus? How does it work?
rymanbugs
Helpful | Level 6
5 months ago
I am currently in the midst of using a solution that seems to be working really well, so I thought I'd share here. It will require the use of open-source tool Maestral, and it may take multiple days to finish syncing, depending on the size of your Dropbox contents.
1. Learn about and download Maestral: https://maestral.app/download/
2. Open the GUI.
3. Get the token and connect it.
4. Connect your external hard drive and make a destination folder.
5. Choose that folder in Maestral, click the button, The menu bar menu should say "Setting up...". Hit close on the window.
6. Wait.
cc smekuria rferretti MarkyMark1 Johngcolejr michelle32 julianskipworth IT Operations 202 sl14 ssalenger joelfriedman

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Backup from Dropbox to External HD

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About View, download, and export

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