Backup Server to Dropbox for Small Business and Personal Use

Backing up your data is a must for small businesses and individuals alike. You can't afford to lose important files, so it's essential to have a reliable backup system in place.

Dropbox is a popular choice for cloud storage, offering 2GB of free storage space to start. This can be a great option for small businesses and individuals who need to store and share files securely.

Having a backup server to Dropbox can provide peace of mind, knowing that your files are safe and easily accessible. With Dropbox's automatic syncing feature, you can access your files from anywhere, on any device.

Data loss can happen frequently, especially with SaaS platforms like Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Box, and others.

Human error and malware attacks are a significant cybersecurity risk, causing business-critical data loss without any chance of recovery.

Dropbox's native restore options are time-bound, destructive, and cumbersome, making it difficult to recover deleted files.

Data regulatory laws like GDPR and HIPAA mandate demonstrable recoverability, making it crucial to have a backup solution in place.

Here are some common SaaS backup solutions:

Dropbox's recovery window is only 60 days, after which files are permanently deleted, highlighting the importance of having a backup solution in place.

Backing up your website is essential, whether it's a small WordPress site or an eCommerce store. A backup is a copy of your website that includes important files, folders, databases, site content, themes, plugins, and other information.

Storing backups on your computer's hard disk or website server can be risky, as you'll lose all your backups if your hard disk fails or the website server gets compromised.

Using cloud storage services like Dropbox is a good practice, as it allows you to store and back up files to the cloud. You can access, save, and share these files from anywhere.

The Duplicator plugin makes it easy to create WordPress backups and save them in Dropbox. It's a beginner-friendly plugin that helps you back up, migrate, and clone your website.

To connect your WordPress site to Dropbox, you'll need to install and activate the Duplicator Pro plugin. Then, you'll need to enter your license key and connect your Dropbox account.

Creating a backup of your WordPress website and saving it to Dropbox is a straightforward process. You can name your backup package, select a template, and choose which part of your site to back up.

The 3-2-1 rule recommends having three copies of your data, stored in two locations, one of them off-site. You can comply with this rule by adding another backup target, independent of your Cloud backup, such as local network storage (NAS / SAN).

Here's a summary of the steps to back up your website to Dropbox:

Restoring your site from a Dropbox backup is a straightforward process. You'll need to access your Dropbox account, navigate to the Duplicator Pro folder, and select the zip file containing your backup.

To start the restore process, go to your WordPress dashboard and head to Duplicator Pro » ImportBackups. Click the 'Select File' button to upload the zip file from your computer.

Once the file is uploaded, scroll down to view the package details and click the 'Continue' button. You'll then see an overview of your package, including the number of posts, pages, media files, plugins, and more that are in the backup.

You'll need to choose an 'Install Type' for your package, selecting the 'Restore single site' option. Next, review the 'Validation' checkpoints to ensure the system is ready to install the backup.

If there are any warnings or notices, resolve them before restoring the backup. After the extraction is finished, you'll see the install results, and you'll need to click the 'Admin Login' button to finalize the installation.

Some things to keep in mind when restoring your site: if your original server's hardware is intact, you can restore it to the same server with a fresh hard drive. However, if you're restoring to a different server, you'll need to install Windows on the target server first.

Here are some things that FullBack Server Pro won't be able to recover automatically:

Adding cloud storage as a destination is simple, and you can start by selecting the "Cloud" type when creating a new backup set/media set.

You'll need to sign in to Dropbox with your email address and password, and don't worry, Retrospect uses the OAuth secure protocol, so your credentials are safe.

Retrospect will only have access to a specific folder, Apps > Retrospect Backup, inside your Dropbox account, and never be able to view files outside of it.

After signing in, Dropbox will issue a temporary authorization code, which you'll need to enter into Retrospect to complete the setup process.

We recommend using AES-256 encryption for security, and it's a good idea to take advantage of this feature to protect your data.

Adding Cloud Storage is a straightforward process. You simply create a new backup set/media set and select "Cloud" as the type.

To add Dropbox as a cloud storage destination, sign in with your Dropbox email address and password. Retrospect uses the OAuth secure protocol, so only Dropbox sees these credentials.

You'll be prompted to allow Retrospect access to a specific folder in your Dropbox account. Click "Allow" to proceed.

Dropbox will issue a temporary authorization code, which you'll need to enter into Retrospect. This code expires shortly after it's issued for security reasons.

Enter the authorization code into Retrospect, click Next, and finish configuring your backup set. We recommend using AES-256 encryption for added security.

Excluding Retrospect from Sync is a crucial step in managing your cloud storage. You'll need to exclude Retrospect's backup files from the synchronization process.

Dropbox will synchronize every file in your account by default, so it's essential to use the "Selective Sync" feature. This feature allows you to choose which files and folders you want to sync.

To exclude Retrospect from sync, you'll need to use Dropbox's "Selective Sync" feature on each computer your Dropbox account is synced with. This ensures that Retrospect's backup files aren't accidentally synced.