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internetblue's avatar
internetblue
Explorer | Level 4
2 years ago

Backup external hard drive on multiple computers

I just started using Backup with my external HDD which has 3+ terabytes on it. I started the process on my main computer but since this is going to take a long time (I can’t keep my hard drive plugge...
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Walter's avatar
Walter
Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
2 years ago

Hi there internetblue - thanks for using Dropbox and welcome to the Community!

 

I'm afraid it's not possible to resume the backup of an external drive on another computer apart from the one you originally initiated the backup. Thanks for your feedback on this - I've passed it on to the team for their consideration.

 

As for restoring your backed up files and/or folders, you can have a look here.

 

I hope this helps!

  • internetblue's avatar
    internetblue
    Explorer | Level 4
    2 years ago

    Hey thanks for the reply, Walter! So the desktop app will take care of the large download size of greater than 3 terabytes? 

    Regarding the external hard drive issue, if I have a different computer in the future, which is very likely, will I then be unable to continue backing up my large external drive without starting over? Uploading 3 terabytes to Dropbox's servers takes almost a week...

    • Nancy's avatar
      Nancy
      Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
      2 years ago

      Hey internetblue, sorry to jump in here.

       

      In case you connect your external drive to another device, then a new back up folder will be created. The original back up folder will only update if the external drive is connected to the same device used to initiate the backup.

       

      However, if your external drive is organized with subfolders, you can perhaps only back up the updated ones.

      • internetblue's avatar
        internetblue
        Explorer | Level 4
        2 years ago
        Can you please elaborate on that/give an example? What do you mean that I would only be able to “backup up the updated ones”?

        Also, I read on one of the forum posts that you can’t change the level folder hierarchy. Is that true? Does changing a folder at the highest level of file hierarchy destroy the backup? Can you elaborate on that too? I just want to understand it better.
  • MelanieDJ's avatar
    MelanieDJ
    New member | Level 2
    3 months ago

    This is really a shortfall in capability!  I have a drive I use across multiple PCs and it's very frustrating that it won't update from any of them.  Worse, it will create multiple copies.  Love Dropbox in general, but this needs a solution.

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