In my last post on this topic, I discussed how you could create a redundant synchronized version of all the important files on your mac via Microsoft’s OneDrive, Google Drive, and CloudHQ. In that post, I briefly mentioned that doing so not only increases your productivity, but it largely renders backups to things like Apple’s TimeMachine irrelevant.
- Mac Time Machine Dropbox
- Mac Time Machine Dropbox Login
- Can I Use Dropbox For Time Machine Backup
- Can You Use Dropbox For Time Machine
The main advantage of Time Machine backups is that you can keep them for a long time, if you have a large enough drive – I have Time Machine backups of my main Mac going back to 2017 – but you lose old backups if your disk image becomes corrupted. Access files remotely. You can also use your NAS to access your files remotely.
- If you are a Mac user, then you probably know that macOS comes bundled with a critically acclaimed backup program called Time Machine. This is great, but out-of-the-box Time Machine only backs up your data to an external physical drive or a local NAS system that supports the Time Machine protocols.
- Time Machine is a free built-in backup software which copies Mac disk contents to external storage. When it runs first, the Time Machine makes a full backup and performs incremental backups after that. After the backup was done it is possible to restore individual files, applications or entire storage to a previous version.
In this post, I want to put a finer point on that statement, by discussing how I set up my new mac without restoring from a TimeMachine backup or using Migration Assistant.
This post is less an argument against backing up the traditional way, and more a point on how our relationship to OSs and software is changing.
As stated in my post on synchronizing your Document to OneDrive, I was up and running pretty much the moment I turned my new Mac on and downloaded the OneDrive app. Even before that, I had access to all my Document files via the web interface (which, of course, means I have access from any computer), and the MSFT online suite of apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) are beyond merely functional, and largely indistinguishable from their desktop counterpoints.1.
Once OneDrive was synchronized, I then had a local version of all my files. What was left was my other essential apps.
The below are the apps that I really can’t live without on my Laptop:
Rationale: I have so many abbreviations that speed up my typing that, if TE is not installed, my typing comes out looking like the ramblings of an insane person.
Mac Time Machine Dropbox
Installation Process: Download from their site. Enter my registration key, synchronize via Dropbox (see below).
Rationale: Every password and other pieces of log in info I have is kept here, and has been for many years. I can’t access much of anything without 1Password
Installation Process: Re-download from the App store, synchronize from iCloud (see below).
Rationale: Long my note-taking device of choice. Its interface is so dead simple, all you have to do is type. No saving, no creating new files, etc.
Installation Process: Download from their site. Synchronize via Simplenote; which is essentially an online version of NV (I use this on my iPad/iPhone/whenever I’m not on my own computer).
Rationale: As above, the distinction between Office’s desktop and online/app version of their products is nominal; however, the desktop/laptop versions have less latency (and a few more features). In a pinch, I could do without having these on my Mac, and get by fine. That day is certainly coming.
Installation Process: This is actually the one I was most worried about. Prior re-installs of Office led to all sorts of issues. No such problems this time. Downloaded the new versions, entered my user name and password, and was up and running.
Rationale: I love to cook, and this app – via its bookmarklet and really simple interface – makes it a joy to capture recipes from Sites, and then synchs with my iPad/iPhone (which I frequently use in the kitchen).
Installation Process: Download the app, enter my log in/password, and it automatically synched via its own Cloud Sync.
Rationale: My love affair of this Gmail organizer has sort of waned of late, because its search is just (still) horrid, and it seems to of late be having trouble synching as precisely as need be with Gmail (and if this doesn’t work, then why bother?). Still, as an efficient way to organize a mountain of email, it’s good.
Installation Process: Download from their site. It (sort of) synchs via Dropbox).
Rationale: Very much a network effect thing going on here. I use Dropbox because others use Dropbox. I’m not nearly as enamored of it as most, and really try to use it as little as possible (I still struggle with their transparent gambit of forcing me to upgrade by automatically sucking my photos in). That said, as above, many apps rely on Dropbox for synchronization, and unless and until they go some other route, I’m stuck with it.
Rationale: Because I like music, and no one makes listening to/controlling of music better than Sonos.
Installation Process: Download from their site, open. All of my streaming sources and my networked music are there.
Others
That’s really it for installed apps. I use a handful of other Extensions for Chrome (not even worth mentioning, but, yes, I installed Chrome, and it synched my bookmarks, etc.), such as:
Evernote (I have the desktop version too; install by downloading/synch by entering your user name and password)
Instapaper for capturing articles (via its bookmarklet) that I want to read later on whatever device I’m on at any time.
That’s my set up.
It’s pretty free of kruft. I try to avoid hacking the menu bar, etc.
You’ll note that there’s no mention of a cloud based or TimeMachine backup set up. That’s because there’s no need for this. Music and photos are on external drives.
Photos get backed up periodically (and are now on their way to Apple’s “Cloud” – which I do not dig, and do not believe they will ever get right).
Music…beyond an increasingly few number of songs/albums that I can’t find on a streaming service, I just don’t care that much about the mess of files of music. I’ll keep the things I care about backed up, the rest…who cares?
Bottom Line
Essentially, the above argues for a Chrome/Web Book type of solution. That is, a computer with little to no hard drive or built in apps; just a web browser. We’re certainly heading that way. Microsoft, oddly, is leading us there (catching up to Google).
What this means is that the days of backing up Gigs of data and apps and music are sort of behind us. It also means that moving fairly seamlessly from computer to computer is a reality. It took me under 15 minutes to download, install, and synch all of the above.
This is a very different reality from restoring from a TimeMachine backup/Migration Assistant, and it’s really a nice change.
There are some definite important exceptions to this statement. For instance, among other things, it does not appear possible to create a Table of Content from Styles in the online version of Word↩
Computer backup lets you back up certain key folders on your computer, such as “Desktop”, “Documents”, and “Downloads”, to Dropbox.
After backup, those folders, and the files within them, are still accessible from the same place on your computer, while also backed up to Dropbox. Any changes or deletions you make to those folders from your computer, or in Dropbox, will be reflected in both places. You can access those folders, which are backed up under “My Mac [Your device name]” or “My PC [Your device name]”, from anywhere you use Dropbox, such as dropbox.com, the Dropbox mobile app, and the Dropbox desktop app on other computers. For Dropbox Business team members using the team folder structure with the purple member folder, their folders will be backed up in that purple folder.
Like any files stored in Dropbox, you can view version history on these files and restore previous versions.
How to set up computer backup
Before setting up computer backup, do the following:
- Close all open files and applications on your computer.
- Install the Dropbox desktop application, if you haven’t already.
- If you’ve paused syncing, resume it.
- Connect to internet.
- If any of the folders are already backed up to another cloud storage provider (like iCloud, OneDrive, or Google Backup and Sync), disable those backups and ensure your files are back in their original folders on your computer. (If you’re not sure how, consult that company’s help center).
To set up computer backup:
- Open your Dropbox desktop app preferences.
- Click the Backups tab.
- Click Set up.
- Note: If you’re on a Dropbox Business team and you don’t see this option, your admin may have chosen not to allow you to enable it.
- Check the folders you’d like to back up.
- If your work and personal accounts are connected, choose which Dropbox account you’d like to back up your folders to.
- Click Set up and follow the steps.
- Mac users: Click OK when prompted to give Dropbox permission to access your folders.
If any files fail to back up, a shortcut will be created in Dropbox called “Files on my computer” that will take you to their location on your computer.
Troubleshoot computer backup
If you experience errors during setup
If you get an error while setting up computer backup, try the following troubleshooting steps before attempting setup again:
- Close any files or applications that use data in the folders you’d like to back up.
- Disable any other cloud-storage-provider folders (like iCloud, OneDrive, or Google Backup and Sync) from the folders you’d like to back up and ensure your files are back in their original folders on your computer.
- Allow edit permissions on all files and folders you’d like to back up.
- Learn how to allow permission on Windows.
- Learn how to allow permissions on Mac.
- If you’re using a Mac, make sure you allow access to files and folders in your security and privacy settings.
- Note: You must have admin permissions on your computer to change permissions.
- If the folders you’d like to back up aren’t in their original, default locations, move them back.
- If the Dropbox folder and the folders you’d like to back up aren’t on the same hard drive, move them to the same hard drive. For example, if your folders are on an external hard drive, and the Dropbox folder is on your computer’s hard drive, move them to the same hard drive.
If you don’t see your files after turning on computer backup
Any files that failed to backup to Dropbox will be in a folder called “Files on my computer” instead.
Mac users: If you don’t see your files in Finder after backup, force quit Finder and relaunch it.
Mac Time Machine Dropbox Login
If you have issues with an application after turning on computer backup
Restart the application. In particular, we recommend restarting:
- Firefox
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Money
- Microsoft Outlook
- Safari
- If you’re on Windows and using Microsoft Edge, your Microsoft Edge downloads won’t sync to your “Downloads” folder in Dropbox with this feature. To sync your Microsoft Edge downloads to Dropbox anyway, manually change where your Microsoft Edge files download to Dropbox.
If your files aren’t syncing as expected
Make sure the Dropbox desktop application is installed on your computer.
Learn how to check syncing status, prioritize which files sync first, or prevent some files from syncing.
If you can’t move, delete, rename, or share your folders after backup
After backup, you can’t move, delete, or rename the top-level folders you’ve backed up (like “Desktop”, “Documents”, and “Downloads”, or “My Mac” and “My PC”). However, you can move, delete, and rename the files within them. You won’t be able to share those folders in Dropbox by inviting people to them via email, but you can still share those folders with a link and share any files or folders within them.
Turn off computer backup
Notes:
- You must have the Dropbox desktop application installed to turn off computer backup. If you already uninstalled the desktop application, reinstall the desktop application to turn off computer backup.
- Deleting the files or folders in “My PC”or “My Mac” will delete those files from both Dropbox and your computer.
- If you no longer have access to the device, you can turn off computer backup by unlinking the device from your Dropbox account.
To turn off computer backup:
Can I Use Dropbox For Time Machine Backup
- Open your Dropbox desktop app preferences.
- Click the Backups tab.
- Click Manage backup.
- Uncheck the folders you’d like to stop backing up to Dropbox or uncheck My Mac/My PC to turn off backup for all folders at once.
- Click Save.
- Choose Keep content in folders on this PC/Mac or Leave content in Dropbox.
- If you choose Keep content in folders on this PC/Mac, the files and folders you stopped backing up can be found in their original folders on your computer.
- If you choose Leave content in Dropbox, new files you add to those folders will save to their original folders on your computer, but the files and folders you previously backed up to Dropbox with computer backup will remain in your Dropbox account. On your computer, they’ll be accessible by shortcuts, in their original folders, called “My files in Dropbox”.
- Note: If you see Set Up instead, it means computer backup is already off.
- Click Stop backup.
- Click Close.
Admins: Choose if your team can use computer backup
Admins can choose whether or not team members can enable computer backup.
If an admin chooses not to allow team members to enable computer backup, team members won’t see the option to enable it in their account. Computer backup won’t be disabled for team members who are already using it and it isn’t disabled for team members who already enabled it on their accounts before they joined the team. To check which team members have already enabled it, admins can search the admin insights dashboard for “Enabled/disabled backup for computer”.
Can You Use Dropbox For Time Machine
To choose if your team can use computer backup:
- Sign in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
- Click Admin Console.
- Click Settings.
- Click Backups.
- Under Allow your team to enable computer backup, toggle to On or Off.
- Note: It may take up to an hour for the change to take effect.