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Can we have more folder options like custom folders or sub-folders to add to Computer Backup?

Can we have more folder options like custom folders or sub-folders to add to Computer Backup?

helenavelikaja
New member | Level 2

Right now, the automated backup option in Dropbox allows me to sync my Documents, Desktop and Downloads folders. By far the biggest - and most important - folder on my computer is the Music folder though. I can imagine for other people it's Pictures. Could we have a way to automatically backup those folders too?


To be really ambitious: would we be able to clone our computer on Dropbox? I used to have an Apple Time Machine that allowed you to do just that. If your computer broke down or was stolen, you could buy a new one, let it download the clone, including not just your documents but your applications and presets too, and you'd be good to go!

Please let Dropbox be the new Time Machine.

Latest Update
Emmet
Community Manager

This idea is currently being worked on by our internal team, and is already available for external drive backups. External Drive Backups are available to all of our users. You can find out more about computer backups in our Help Centre.

 

Screen Shot 2021-12-07 at 9.01.21 PM.png

 

Computer backup is currently being worked on by our teams. If you are interested in participating in beta testing new features to our backup solutions, you can find out how to opt in here

 
Status changed to: Accepted
148 Comments
Allicorn
Explorer | Level 4

Agreed! The backup feature feels fairly severely limited if I can't tell it what to back up.

 

Backing up just Desktop, Documents and Downloads is not very helpful.

 

Desktop - generally nothing but shortcut icons. Maybe some temporary current work.

 

Documents - a massively over-subscribed space where just about every program I ever install will create its own folders and files. Not a useful place for me to put my own work files in.

 

Downloads - a totally ephemeral, throw-away space.

 

Backing up _only_ these is probably a bit pointless for many users.

adammrob
Helpful | Level 5

Completely agree--if they would just allow Dropbox to sync arbirtrary folders, we could put this all to rest.  Not sure what the attachment is to the Dropbox folder anyway--generally, it's where OTHER people are sharing/putting files that sync to my computer, and where I put things I want to share with others.  If this were the only way to use this service, you wouldn't ever need the larger storage plans, like the one I've been paying you for years for, and can't even use since you removed the ability to sync files behind symlinks.

jimmyhii
New member | Level 2

Yes, please! I bought a dropbox plan, assuming you could backup whatever folder you want (this sounded basic enough), but I was sorely disappointed. Not only is it currently limited to those 3 folders, you can't even sync them if they're not in their default locations or if the dropbox folder isn't on the same drive!

 

Please allow full customization of which folders can be backed up, this will make the backup feature actually useful for a lot of people. 

techani
New member | Level 2

"Pictures" and "Music" are very personal folders that many people find valuable for backup. I think adding them to the "PC backup" feature can be very beneficial. It would also be very useful to add the ability to choose subfolders, as many of us have a specific folder in the "downloads" for junk/temporary downloads.

Chris Mendes
New member | Level 2

It would be ideal if the Backup feature also enabled backup of a photo library on a Mac just like it enables me to backup Desktop, Documents and Downloads. Can an extra option be added to simply tick a box and have Photo Library get backed up as well?

 

I just upgraded my plan primarily with a view to eliminating my Flickr account. I wanted to backup my photos from my Mac into Dropbox. I don't want to have to copy my phots into Camera Uploads or into some other Dropbox folder as it would mean moving it or copying it on my Mac. I can;t copy the files into Dropbox as I don't have the space on that hard drive.

 

 

Briskola
Helpful | Level 7

It would be very useful to have a backup of the Pictures folder (I have my HP printer scans and my screenshots) !!

Pirx
Helpful | Level 6

I would add that, not only do we need the ability to add other core user data folders like Pictures and Music, the system also needs to support having these folders relocated, as supported by standard Windows facilities. In the end what we need is the ability to back up folders in arbitrary filesystem locations.

illunyx
New member | Level 2

It's very frustrating that these are the only folder options I can backup on my computer.

 

For example, I'd be much more interested in backing up my 'Photos' folder - or at least having the option to choose which folders to backup rather than having them preselected for me. 

Ticinosthetics
New member | Level 2
chat copy:
last question about the Mac app: I hate that there is no way to sync folder outside dropbox, except the classic one (you implemented few months ago)
wish you could add a feature like mega.nz, where I can sync every type of folder
Sandeman
Explorer | Level 3

Dear Dropbox team, I don't understand why this topic is given so little attention. There was a trick to synchronize folders outside of the Dropbox folder. That was awesome. You got rid of that. That's why I went to "Google Drive". Now my joy that something is possible here again, but without access to ALL folders on the Mac, somehow unfinished. Kind regards, Alex

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