Date: 29 March 24, 01:37 AM
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 Dropbox vs. Google Backup



scuzzy


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I have the free version of Dropbox, which I have been using for about 10 years. Thanks to various promotions at the time, I ended up with a total of 21.5 GB of free available space. Currently, I'm only using 12.6 GB for some of my most important files. The best thing about Dropbox is that they have mastered syncing files. Nobody does it better, and it has never failed me. The software is exceptionally well polished, and their online backup is clean and organized. The downside is the cost. Their cheapest plan starts at $9.99 monthly, if paid yearly ($119.88). Otherwise, it's $11.99 per month.

I also have a Google Backup plan, which is $29.99 yearly. However, I learned that you get what you pay for. Google's sync engine is nothing shy of horrible, and close to useless. The software comes across as written by amateurs, and it makes syncing folders that much harder. I won't go into details, but will summarize by stating it sucks. A lot.

BTW, I have tried Microsoft's OneDrive as well, and I simply don't like it. The short story is that Dropbox blows them out of the water as well. Part of the problem is that MS forces me to register and login Windows 10 to their servers for OneDrive to work.

After upgrading to a new SSD drive, I finally gave Google the boot after an aggravating and seemingly endless sync attempt between yesterday and today. Dropbox only took about 1 minute to sync. The files remain backed up, but the Google Backup software is currently disabled and will remain so. In short, I'm sick of it.

This Quora post summarizes my frustrations with Google quite well: Why is my Google Drive always syncing?

This quote nails it: "The REAL problem with Drive isn't the (web) UX or UI, which is quite polished - It is Google's backup and sync engine, in other words, the desktop integration. You have to experience it to believe it. And then you may need to rub your eyes and experience it again - it's that unbelievable."

My plan is to get a paid Dropbox plan, and then slowly start moving my files over. It will likely take a few months, as I will have to do most of my backups at the end of each month, after monitoring how much bandwidth I have remaining. Once completed, Google will get the permanent boot.

Bill


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MS has a long history of "forcing" people to do things their way, from this instance to the O/S issues over time. That''s part of the reason I'm still using win 7.
After you dump Google some of that cost will offset the Drop Box plan, it will just make the outlay seem smaller. 

But if Drop Box checks all the boxes it's worth the investment, IMO.
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scuzzy


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That's true. $120 - $30 = $90. That's one way of looking at it.

The bottom line is that nobody does it better than Dropbox. Heck, nobody even comes close.

buffalo2102


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I've created my own cloud backup on my home server using Owncloud.  I'm very wary of sharing my personal files and data with any third parties these days.

I do use Google Drive also as belt-and-braces but have moved away from using their sync client as it is pretty dire, I agree.  I use Stablebit CloudDrive.  That basically syncs stuff your PC with Google Drive and it's completely transparent - I don't even notice that it's happening.  Everything is securely encrypted too.  It's not free but I've found it worth it.

FYI, CloudDrive can also be used with DropBox, OneDrive and quite a few other cloud storage providers.
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scuzzy


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Thanks for the heads-up on Stablebit CloudDrive. I see they have a 30-day free trial, so will give it a whirl soon. Google storage is a good value, and if CloudDrive can fix my irritations with syncing then maybe it will be a good solution.

As for OwnCloud, I'm not sure how that would help in my situation. I'm already connected to my home server via Ethernet & WiFi, and it would not resolve having the added layer of off-site storage. Or am I missing something?

buffalo2102


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No, you are right, it wouldn't really help you.  I use Owncloud primarily but it does not have the off-site element - that's the only reason I still use Google Drive at all.
Windows 10 Pro x64. AMD Ryzen 7 3800X.  Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite.  16GB Team Group DDR4 @ 3800MHz. MSI Gaming X Trio RX 6800 XT.

scuzzy


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I downloaded and installed the StableBit CloudDrive software. I activated the 30-day trial, and then poked around at setting up a connection. It's just starting to come together in my head as to how it works. I initially thought that the virtual drive was only local, and now realize that it's in the cloud. In my case, it's with Google storage.

I'm currently on Google's 200GB plan, with over 1/2 of the allotted space already used. Trying to set a 200GB virtual drive was destined to fail, as I learned, since I would need at least that much in available space. After figuring that out, I created a 75GB virtual drive to allow me to experiment. I then used Window's computer manager to change the drive letter to something more of my liking. We'll see how it goes over the next few days.

I noticed that the virtual drive is network sharable, so I'll play around with that as well. I do like that the virtual drive is strongly encrypted, which means Google can't access the info.

Can I resize the virtual drive, or do I have to recreate it?
EDIT: I see that all I had to do was click on "Manage Drive". Duh.

buffalo2102


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I like that it looks and acts just like a local drive but your data is automatically securely encrypted in the cloud.  I've been using it for a year now and I can't recall having a single issue with it.  I could never go back to the Google sync client now.

Hope you enjoy it.
Windows 10 Pro x64. AMD Ryzen 7 3800X.  Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite.  16GB Team Group DDR4 @ 3800MHz. MSI Gaming X Trio RX 6800 XT.

scuzzy


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I upgraded my ISP to an unlimited plan yesterday, so I'll come up with a plan to transfer files over. As I move them from the unsecured side of Google Drive and into the virtual drive, I'll increase the virtual drive size to match. I also need to play around with network sharing to make sure that it will work as expected.

I just barely got started, but if CloudDrive meets my needs then I'll uninstall the Google Backup software all together, which is currently disabled. So far I'm impressed, and I appreciate the recommendation.


scuzzy


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UPDATE: I've been using CloudDrive over the last week, which is tied in to Google storage. I've uploaded quite a bit and I'm currently at 102GB of usage. The majority of files are music and photographs, with everything else remaining on Dropbox. I will continue to use the free trial over the next couple weeks before making a final decision, although at the moment things are looking good.

I see that transferring files to the CloudDrive image is noticeably slower than when transferring between physical drives. These are not files I will be editing on a regular basis, so I doubt it will be much of an issue. It's not like if they can upload to the cloud any faster anyway.

scuzzy


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Update again, but this time it's not good news. The short story is that some of this was my own misunderstanding of how CloudDrive works, or more specifically how it addresses the virtual drive.

I have a Google 200GB storage plan, so I adjusted the virtual drive to 150GB. I used it to store photos, videos, and music files. Seemingly all went well, until earlier today when I decided to copy some music files (from Google Drive) to my removable Samsung T5 portable SSD. That's when I realized that the files are not stored locally on my computer. I had to wait well over an hour while the files slowly downloaded, choking the internet in the process. I realized that without an internet connection I cannot access the files that "appear" to be stored locally. That's a problem-in-the-making for my laptop when I'm traveling on my motorcycle.

No big deal, really. Live and learn. I had another local storage of the remainder of the photos, etc., and decided that CloudDrive was not going to meet my needs. That's where my troubles began. I deleted the virtual drive, but despite multiple efforts I could not uninstall CloudDrive afterward. Nothing worked, not even reinstalling the program and rebooting multiple times. In total frustration, I restored a 2-week old image. Nothing was lost, as all of my files are stored on other physical drives (and Dropbox).

So I'm back where I started, and decided that Dropbox is the way to go. It has never failed me in some 10 years of use, so I may as well as stick with what works best for me.

Bill


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This sounds a lot like the search for the "perfect" carry piece.  We get "happy" with something but never would we pass up the next best and greatest.
In the end I have returned to the Shield, 9mm or .357 Sig.
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit

scuzzy


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