Using Dropbox without using the local hard drive

Question

Using Dropbox without using the local hard drive

I have over 600 gb of music files I want to back up off site. I thought Dropbox might work but it insists on transferring the music files from the external drive they're on to both Dropbox and my local hard drive, which doesn't have enough storage space for 600 gb. I don't want them on my laptop, but I do want them safely off site. Am I missing an option somewhere that allows me to do this? (I already tried the iCloud storage option and it did the same thing as Dropbox. Apple Support told me iCloud wouldn't do what I wanted it to do.)

Thanks in advance,

McG

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Nov 28, 2020 3:15 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

dialabrain

Level 10

125,705 points

Dec 1, 2020 12:17 PM in response to mitchell geller1

You're hearing crickets because cloud services are not meant to be storage. Your best bet is to get another drive large enough to copy over your files and if you feel the need, store it somewhere safe.

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Answer 2

Wilddrums

Level 5

4,274 points

Dec 1, 2020 12:22 PM in response to mitchell geller1

Keep in mind this is a user forum and a forum on macOS not DropBox.

There is a tool I use often called Google Search that leads quickly to: https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/selective-sync-overview.

WD

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Answer 3

Dec 8, 2020 11:28 AM in response to Wilddrums

Hi WD. Update, in case you're interested... Dropbox will allow Selective sync, but it will DELETE the folder from your drive -- external or not. Therefore, of course, you must have internet to access that folder. Doesn't help me at all, unfortunately. The workaround, tedious and time consuming, is to re-backup the folder on ANOTHER external drive and allow Dropbox to delete the other. What a pain. I suggested they allow an option for that.

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Answer 4

Dec 11, 2020 7:38 AM in response to BobTheFisherman

Making Dropbox work:

I copied the iTunes Media folder onto another external drive and changed the name to “iTunes Media folder (backup)” so Dropbox doesn’t screw me by seeing the original on my local (external) drive and deleting it! Aha, brilliant!

You have to download the Dropbox Desktop App and install. Then, configure both your Security and Privacy preferences as well as the Dropbox preferences to enable Smart Synch and choose the folder you want ONLY online. This will keep it from trying to load your 500 gb laptop with 600 gb of what it wants to call a Local file. Note: Smart Sync is only available to Dropbox customers on Plus, Family, Professional, or Business plans.

Since 600 gb of music files will require roughly a week to upload at my speed (10 mb up), Dropbox promises me that if there’s an internet connection interruption, it will pick up again where it left off.

Once your folder is uploaded, they tell me, it’ll be deleted from the local (external) drive. That’s okay, because I have the original to use like normal (on another external drive) and a backup offsite. (And obviously you don’t need a second drive if you have enough room on one drive to copy the folder and rename it, but I didn’t want to take any chances. Aha, brilliant again!)

Except….. part way through the upload the folder was tagged with a “Conflict” notice followed by no explanation and a halt on the upload.

Sigh. Additionally, upon further reading, it’s stated that when you want to use this folder it will be reloaded onto your computer — the one that doesn’t have space enough on it in the first place!

So…. (expletive) this whole deal. Dropbox will not work for me.

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