Backing up from Dropbox to Time Machine

[Howard Brazee]

I use Dropbox for files that my wife and I need to share. But I want to be able to recover lost files that I have on Dropbox. (Or anyplace else).

Is there a way to automatically copy my Dropbox data to my iMac so that it gets backed up?

Or is there a better way to share directories of files between our iMacs?

 

[MacsBug]

In the dropbox Preferences under Sync select Offline Sync and then all of your dropbox files will sync to your Mac. Time Machine should then back up the files located in dropbox.

 

[Howard Brazee]

I looked for a way to set preferences for DropBox. If I run the DropBox app, I get an icon at the top of my Mac, but I don't see any preferences option.

 

[MacsBug]

Hi Howard,

Click on the icon in the menubar and then you should see your initials in an orange circle. Click that and then a dropdown menu will appear. Select Preferences.

 

[Howard Brazee]

I see the following:
Dropbox foder updates
How do you want to store new files?
Online-only
Available offline
Selective sync
Dropbox folder location

I had "Online-only" checked, but switched to "Available offline".

I discovered something odd. If I click on Dropbox in my finder, and then browse Time Machine backups, nothing happens.
But if I go through /Users/howardjbrazee/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox, finder looks the same, but I can open Time Machine.

 

[MacsBug]

yeah, in the newer OS's cloud storage is where cloud services are stored, but the OS makes it look like its a separate cloud drive.

 

[Howard Brazee]

I guess I already had backups, but didn't know it because I didn't know how to find them. If I click on iCloud Drive in finder, I can browse my Time Machine, but it is convoluted to do so with Dropbox.

Since my wife has a Mac just like mine, I could share a folder in my iCloud with her (I discovered this while working on this problem). Is there any advantage or disadvantage in sharing files in Dropbox or in a shared iCloud folder?

 

[MacsBug]

The disadvantage of using iCloud Drive is that you would need to both be signed into the same AppleID.
Dropbox allows 2 separate users to share folders. I have a friend that I do a lot of work with and we have a shared folder and an alias to the folder on my desktop. Anything that either him or I put in the folder automatically sync.

With the option of Selective Sync you can also decide which folders will sync. I have some I use for backup purposes that are online only, and my shared folders and a few others are set to offline sync.

 

[Howard Brazee]

I shared an iCloud folder with my wife today, and we are on two different iCloud accounts. I selected collaborate, and she moved files into it. I added Dropbox to my iPad, and tried to hers, but that's too many devices unless I pay $12/month.

 

[MacsBug]

What I do to avoid the 3 device limit is created 2 accounts and then share certain folders with the 2 accounts. Once you open your dropbox folder, you should be able to right click on a folder and share the folder.

 

[Howard Brazee]

What I do to avoid the 3 device limit is created 2 accounts and then share certain folders with the 2 accounts. Once you open your dropbox folder, you should be able to right click on a folder and share the folder.

OK, just as I discovered today I can do with iCloud. I've been sharing one Dropbox account with my wife forever, so now I need to move all of my files and folders I want to share into a shared folder in Dropbox or iCloud. I'm not seeing any advantage of one over the other.