How to Backup Dropbox to External Drive [2 Tested Ways]
What Is Dropbox Backup?
Dropbox is a brilliant cloud backup software that allows users to store data on computers and access it conveniently as long as the Internet is available. It offers an easy way to automatically back up files and folders on your computer or external hard drives, providing a cloud backup solution that can back up a file or a folder directly to your Dropbox folders.
Dropbox is a secure cloud storage space for files, but for a physical backup, it's recommended to also save the files to an external hard drive.
Advantages of Backing up Dropbox to External Hard Drive
While Dropbox has its merits as a cloud storage service, leaving your files solely on it can be a risky business. However, making a Dropbox backup to an external drive offers some advantages.
- An external hard drive can help prevent hackers. Backing up Dropbox to an external hard drive is a good option for having a local copy of important files. This provides an additional layer of security and ensures that your files are safe even if Dropbox's servers are compromised.
- An external hard drive can be a second copy of your data on Dropbox. One of Dropbox's limitations is that users only have 2GB of free cloud storage space, often forcing them to delete files to free up more space. In contrast, an external hard drive provides a larger storage capacity, allowing users to back up their data without having to delete files.
- An external hard drive is more easily to restore data. Dropbox syncs local files with the cloud, but deleting files from the local storage drive will also delete them from the cloud, making it difficult to recover deleted files.
Backing up Dropbox to an external hard drive can provide a safeguard against data loss due to various reasons such as hardware failure, software corruption, or even a cyber attack. By doing so, you can ensure that your important files and data are preserved, and you can quickly recover them in case of any disaster.
2 Possible Ways to Backup Dropbox to External Hard Drive
You can learn two ways to back up Dropbox files to an external hard drive in the following contents. You can use any method according to your actual needs after reading.
- Solution 1. Back up Dropbox to External Hard Drive Using Dropbox Desktop App
- Solution 2. Back up Dropbox to External Hard Drive via Third-party Tool
Solution 1. Back up Dropbox to External Hard Drive Using Dropbox Desktop App
Dropbox offers a web app to upload or download files from Dropbox to a local hard drive, making it easy to back up Dropbox to an external hard drive on Windows or Mac. However, this process has two notable shortcomings:
- Internet connection. The device requires a stable internet connection to function properly.
- File size. Dropbox Web App applies to files of small size.
Fortunately, if you have already installed Dropbox on your computer, you can use the Dropbox desktop app to avoid issues like data loss or corruption, as it automatically syncs your files and provides a backup.
Step 1. Connect an external hard drive to the computer first.
Step 2. To move the Dropbox folder to a new location, first launch Dropbox, then navigate to Settings, followed by Preferences, then Sync, and finally click on Move.
Step 3. To move data from Dropbox to an external hard drive, select the external hard drive as a new location for storing data. This will allow you to transfer files from Dropbox to the external hard drive, effectively moving the data to the new location.
Solution 2. Back up Dropbox to External Hard Drive via Third-party Tool
With third-party backup software like Qiling Backup, it is also possible to back up Dropbox to an external hard drive.
Qiling Backup Home is an all-in-one backup tool that allows you to make file and folder backups and automatically backup files to external hard drives, making it easy to back up files without manual operation. This backup utility can also help you conform to the 3-2-1 backup rule, providing an extra layer of protection for your data.
The Dropbox folder is just like any other folder on your computer, so you can find the Dropbox files on your computer and use Qiling Backup Home to create backups of those files to an external hard drive.
Guide: How to back up the Dropbox folder to an external hard drive with a file backup tool
To back up a Dropbox folder to an external drive, start by connecting the external drive to your computer and ensuring it's formatted to be readable by your operating system. Next, navigate to the Dropbox folder you want to back up and select all the files and subfolders within it. Right-click on the selected files and choose the option to compress them into a ZIP file, or use a backup software to create a backup of the folder.
Step 1. Click "File backup" button to initiate a backup.
Step 2. On the left side, local and network files will be displayed, allowing you to extend the directory to select which files to back up.
Step 3. Select the location where you want to store the backup by following the on-screen instructions.
Step 4. To encrypt the backup with a password, click on "Options" in the "Backup Options" section, allowing for a range of customization options for the backup process.
To set up a backup schedule, go to "Backup Scheme" and choose to initiate a backup at a certain event, such as daily, weekly, or monthly. This allows you to automate your backups and ensure that your data is regularly saved and protected.
Step 5. You can save the backup to a local disk, Qiling's online service, or a NAS.
Step 6. Qiling Backup allows customers to back up their data to both a third-party cloud drive and Qiling's own cloud drive.
To back up data to a third-party cloud drive, select Local Drive, scroll down to add Cloud Device, add your account, and log in.
Step 7. To start a backup, click "Proceed" on the panel. Once the backup process is complete, it will be displayed as a card on the left side of the panel, and you can manage the backup job by clicking on it.
A Complementary Solution to Backing up Dropbox to External Drive
You can back up your Dropbox files to an external hard drive using either the Dropbox desktop app or Qiling Backup Home.
We recommend using Qiling Backup Home as a supplementary tool to back up Dropbox to an external hard drive. Additionally, it can perform various tasks, including restoring a system image to new hardware and serving as universal restore software for universal restores.
FAQs
1. Is it necessary to backup Dropbox?
Having reliable backups is crucial in any storage solution. Dropbox automatically backs up files on your account, but having a local backup can make it easier to recover files in case of an issue.
2. How do I backup my files to an external hard drive?
To backup a file or folder, connect an external hard drive to your computer, then click and drag the desired files to the external drive, creating a copy on both the computer and the external drive.
3. What type of device do you use for backing up files?
The hard disk drive is a popular data storage device for home and business users due to its portability and affordability. They come in various shapes and sizes with different storage capacities, making them a versatile option for users.
4. What happens if I uninstall Dropbox app?
Uninstalling the Dropbox desktop app does not delete files in the Dropbox folder, it simply stops syncing them to the online account. The folder remains on the hard drive like any other folder.
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