Dropbox as backup? - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II

09/08/2014 07:58:07 AM · #1

Hope someone can help me here.
I would like to use the 1 TB Dropbox deal to back up my images, no matter what computer I am using when importing the images from the camera.
I just don´t know how to accomplish it.

Here is my present setup/workflow:
- Ca. 250 GB of photos
- They reside on a compact portable HDD
- Use desktop computer as well as a laptop for viewing, importing, editing images
- Lightroom catalog is in dropbox folder, thus syncing both computers
- Backup is done using Cobian Backup from portable HDD > desktop HDD
- Use Windows 7

Probably the best way to go is to use mklink, which I haven´t completely figured out yet.
On the desktop computer C:\dropbox would have a "shortcut" to X:\images and sync that.

But how should I do it in the laptop dropbox folder? I already have a "shortcut" to the images on the desktop machine?

Short: Want to back up pics with dropbox, using two computers and one portable drive.

dtremain

Canon EOS 80D

09/08/2014 08:10:03 AM · #2

The dropbox folder on your pc is a "mirror" of the one in the cloud. Simply copy files from either computer to your dropbox folder. After a time (presuming the computers are on and connected, the files uploaded to dropbox will synch with the other computer(s), and you will be able to access the files from anywhere you can access dropbox from.
The synch happens automatically, so you don't have to do anything on the other computers, just the one you use to copy the file to the dropbox folder.
Dropbox does handle duplicate file name detection, so it will warn you about potential over-writes.
Keep in mind that the dropbox folder is like a folder on your local drive - if you modify the file in the dropbox folder and save it, its modified form is the one available on all computers. If you move a file out of the dropbox folder, all other computers/users will no longer have access to it.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

09/08/2014 05:35:52 PM · #3

Well, the problem is that there isn´t enough space on C-drive. That is why the image folder has to be on another HDD.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

09/08/2014 08:40:03 PM · #4

Originally posted by bogulo:

Well, the problem is that there isn´t enough space on C-drive. That is why the image folder has to be on another HDD.

You can tell Dropbox which folders from your cloud mirror you want to synchronize on your laptop. That way, you won't overflow the drive with 1 TB of images/data.

If you have something you want backed up from your laptop to the cloud, you can use the same trick to create a junction to that folder and put it in the dropbox folder hierarchy. Then it will appear on your desktop as well as the cloud.

This is a great way to create junctions on Windows. It adds a select and drop link entry on the context menu:

//schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/linkshellextension.html

What I do to place a folder in multiple locations is to use drop it as a "junction". A junction appears to all apps as if the folder is REALLY there.

Message edited by author 2014-09-08 20:43:09.

ecroce

Nikon D850

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

09/09/2014 04:44:39 PM · #5

Just my little experience with Dropbox... It is very slow to upload.
If you are planning to move all 250GB on it at once you will be waiting for a while.
I mostly use it for text, small jpg files or just few large photo files at once.

09/09/2014 05:50:42 PM · #6

Thanks for the reply... I´ll have to digest it a little bit ;-)

Originally posted by Neil:

Originally posted by bogulo:
Well, the problem is that there isn´t enough space on C-drive. That is why the image folder has to be on another HDD.

You can tell Dropbox which folders from your cloud mirror you want to synchronize on your laptop. That way, you won't overflow the drive with 1 TB of images/data.

If you have something you want backed up from your laptop to the cloud, you can use the same trick to create a junction to that folder and put it in the dropbox folder hierarchy. Then it will appear on your desktop as well as the cloud.

This is a great way to create junctions on Windows. It adds a select and drop link entry on the context menu:

//schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/linkshellextension.html

What I do to place a folder in multiple locations is to use drop it as a "junction". A junction appears to all apps as if the folder is REALLY there.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 IF EX DG HSM for Canon

09/09/2014 06:00:22 PM · #7

Originally posted by Neil:

Is MKLINK = junction ?
Basically I want the laptop dropbox to not sync the folder to C, but per junction to an external HDD folder...?

coronamv

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

09/09/2014 06:25:15 PM · #8

IMO a better option if you are looking to offsite backup anything is to purchase a hosting plan with unlimited space and ftp your files up to said location. Personally I have 8 TB of internal storage in my main system and a 4tb external that goes to the safety deposit box once a month to be swapped out with its twin. This way I have offsite storage in case of fire or tornado.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

09/09/2014 07:14:32 PM · #9

Originally posted by bogulo:

Originally posted by Neil:
You can tell Dropbox which folders from your cloud mirror you want to synchronize on your laptop. That way, you won't overflow the drive with 1 TB of images/data.

If you have something you want backed up from your laptop to the cloud, you can use the same trick to create a junction to that folder and put it in the dropbox folder hierarchy. Then it will appear on your desktop as well as the cloud.

Is MKLINK = junction ?
Basically I want the laptop dropbox to not sync the folder to C, but per junction to an external HDD folder...?

mklink is a Microsoft tool that can make junctions from the command line. /j is the option when using it to create a junction.

For example:

mklink /j c:\myvirtualfolder g:\therealfolder

The explorer plugin/utility I pointed to is easier to use IMHO.

A symbolic directory link mklink /d would behave similarly as far as your need is concerned. But I always use junctions.

BUT: you should know that Dropbox can be configured to use a drive other than C. Including an external drive. However, if you have a removable drive...you should be careful with dropbox. And in that case you should not use a junction. You run the risk that if the drive were removed, Dropbox could see the folder as empty...and then perform a sync by deleting the files on the server. If the drive is external, but is always connected and on, then that's fine.

Regarding the suggestion of using a virtual hosting plan to do your backups, a warning: most prohibit using the space for backups. I don't use it as such, but I was called out by a hosting company once who thought my FTP site was a backup.

And regarding the comment that Dropbox is slow, it is slow to upload for sure. But most of that is probably limits on your upload speed. My RR connection is very limited...I get something on the order of <100KBs. I've tried various other backup solutions, and they are all slow when your connection is slow.

You might also look into some of the online backup companies, like Carbonite...which is cheap. But in more than a year, it still hadn't backed up my whole photo collection (again, somewhat connection based). I tried some of the others as well.