External drive auto backup

[Helen J.3]

Can anyone please advise how I set up external drive auto backup? I originally saw the box pop up, asking if I wanted Dropbox to automatically back up the drive, but I clicked No. Now I've changed my mind, how do I set this up? Thanks in advance.

[Naughty Nigel]

As I understand it, DropBox can only synchronise files in the main Windows libraries (My Documents, etc), and the DropBox folder must be located on the same drive as these libraries, (usually the System Drive). 

I run a Windows 2016 file server which has separate physical drives for my data. I really wouldn't want to keep everything on the System Drive even if that was physically possible. This way if the System drive fails I can swap it in a few minutes without losing a single file. However, I cannot get DropBox to synchronise the contents of my secondary drives, (D:\ F:\ S:\ and so forth).

I have created new libraries pointing at secondary and network drives, but DropBox cannot see these and will not synchronise them. I am told by support that if I move my DropBox folder to (say) D:\ drive I can then synchronise with that drive,  but that rather defeats the object, and will double the space taken on that drive. 

What we need is a utility to synchronise independent drives with DropBox wherever the DropBox folder is located on the machine, and not relying on Windows Libraries. 

[Jay]

This idea is going to need a bit more support.

We've updated the status to encourage more users to back you up!

[Walter]

Hey @Helen J.3 - thanks for posting on our Community!

You should be able to adjust your external drive backup settings through the app's preferences, under the Backups tab. 

Let me know if you have anything else to ask!

[Helen J.3]

Thankss for your reply. I have tried this, but the only folders showing in Backups > Set up > are... Desktop / Documents / Downloads / Music / Pictures / Movies. My external drive isn't showing. Any further advice, please?

Thanks, Helen  

[Megan]

Hey there, @Helen J.3, happy Thursday! 

Can I ask the type of your external drive? 

Keep in mind that this feature works with NTFS drives on Windows and APFS or HFS+ on Macs.

Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there.

[91281]

Same issue here, the drive is AFPS (Mac). I selected no when I first plugged the drive in but use-case has now changed but there doesn't appear to be an option to add it. 

The backup tab gives five options: This Mac, External Drive Backups, Photos, Devices, Screenshots.

- This Mac allows for user files (desktop, downloads, etc.) 
- External Drive Backups is just a tick box (tried selecting/de-selecting tickbox, ejecting/connecting ext
- The others don't seem relevant

Am I missing something?

[Megan]

Hey there, @91281, how are you today? 

Can you share with me the usage and the capacity of your drive? 

Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there. 

[Helen J.3]

Hi Megan

Thanks for your reply to my enquiry recently. I have another related query...

I bought a new MacBook Pro and when I first plugged in my external drive (the same one as I referred to in my original enquiry), a box popped up asking if I wanted Dropbox to automatically back up my drive!

So it seems the backup feature is compatible, it's just that if you opt out when that box first pops up, there doesn't seem to be a way to switch it on again, as the drive doesn't appear in the Backups tab in settings.  

Is there another way to set it to back up automatically, after initially selecting not to do so?

The drive is a Sandisk Extreme SSD 1TB.

Thanks, Helen

[91281]

Hi Megan,

A bunch of drives - I have an internal 1TB SSD through an external SATA/USB cable, a Sandisk Extreme 500GB and a Western Digital External 2.5" @ 1TB.

Two of them are pretty full the other mostly empty.

Is that the kind of info you need from me?