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Marc L.18's avatar
Marc L.18
Helpful | Level 5
5 months ago
Solved

Dropbox Backup migration to new computer using the same external drive

Hello, To avoid losing my data, I back it up to the cloud using Dropbox. I’m considering buying an M1 Mac mini to use as a server, so I can access my data from my MacBook Air and automate my backup...
desktop
Mac
sync
  • Walter's avatar
    Walter
    5 months ago

    Thanks for the clarifications Marc L.18 - much appreciated.

    In this case, your external drive would be considered as a new one and would be backed up anew.  

    You should be able to locate your backups in the backups page through the web on any device though. 

Marc L.18's avatar
Marc L.18
Helpful | Level 5
5 months ago

Thank you for your explanation.

Here’s a view of my current backup — what would you recommend in this case?

 

Walter's avatar
Walter
Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
5 months ago

You'll need to delete your old backup before creating your new one on your new computer to make  up storage space, Marc. Assuming that you'd like to have your external drive backed up to Dropbox again. 

  • Marc L.18's avatar
    Marc L.18
    Helpful | Level 5
    5 months ago

    Perfect, thank Walter​  you for your valuable help!

  • Walter's avatar
    Walter
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    5 months ago

    No worries, Marc - I'm just glad I could help.

    See you around the Community and have a lovely week ahead! 

  • Theresa's avatar
    Theresa
    Icon for Community Manager rankCommunity Manager
    5 months ago

    Hi Marc L.18​ and welcome back to the Dropbox Community. I'm glad to see that you're query has been answered. 

    I’m Theresa 👩‍💻, one of the Community Managers here. I’m often buzzing around the forum to lend a hand or spark new discussions.

    Just curious... are there any Dropbox settings or features you’ve found especially helpful lately? We love learning new tricks from savvy members like you!

    Catch you around,

    T 😸 (Dropbox Community Manager

  • Marc L.18's avatar
    Marc L.18
    Helpful | Level 5
    5 months ago

    Hi Theresa​  

    I think the Dropbox development teams are top-notch,  they manage to deliver simple, functional, and efficient solutions within the Apple ecosystem, which is no easy task.

    Personally, I mainly use the incremental backup feature, which allows me to have a cloud backup in addition to my external hard drive backups.

     

    My expectations:

     

    • Continue optimizing integration with macOS
    • Offer a 4TB plan for individual users, with competitive pricing

     

     

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