Is it possible use Dropbox as my OSX Time machine backup drive?
Dropbox themselves say it's not possible. The link unfortunately went offline.
Time Machine uses a special way of "pointing" files to each other, which means that every snapshot of your system as available in Time Machine is not the same on the disk. For example, a file you created a month ago will not be duplicated in your current backup, but there's a "pointer" to the old file in another folder.
Dropbox however doesn't offer a way to represent these file links in their system. That means you can only upload actual files to their service, and not those links.
As a consequence, you can't recreate the file system layout of a Time Machine drive in the Dropbox when pulling it from another Mac or looking at it online, even though your Mac would appear to create the backup just fine.
If you want to spend money on online backup services that fit well with OS X, check:
- DollyDrive, which seems specialized to Time Machine
- BackBlaze
- Carbonite
- JungleDisk
Yes, here is my guide
Backup to the cloud
You first need to create a disk image in disk utility, first open disk utility, then click new image, fill in the details
Save as: The name of the image
Choose your cloud service as saving location ex dropbox, jottacloud
Name: The name of the disk
Size: Click the dropdown and select custom, choose a size, Note that your cloud service need to be able to hold it
Format: Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Encryption: If you want to lock it that you need a password to open it choose 128 or 256 bit encryption higher bit more secure, but slower
Partitions: Choose hard disk
Image format: Choose read/write disk image
Click create
Wait until it is done
Wait until it is fully uploaded to the cloud, this may take a wile, you have to upload the size of the image
Check on your cloud service’s website to see that it is there
Unmount/Eject the disk
Double-click the image
Select the drive there you choose witch drive to use with time machine or your backup program
Backup to this drive To restore
Set up your mac
Download the image from the cloud
Double-click the image
Open migrate assistant and continue
If you need to boot from the drive or the restore process above do not work
Download the image from the cloud
Double-click the image to mount the disk
Open disk utility
Click the image’s disk to the box to the left Note, do not click the image, but the disk underneath
Click restore in the tab
Source: Drag the image’s disk to the box Note, do not drag the image, but the disk underneath
Destination: Drag an external hard drive to the box Note, do not drag the top part, but one of the partitions underneath
Click restore Note, the external hard drive will be erased
When done: Open migrate assistant, your backup program or boot from it and continue Note, The name of the drive will changed
Truls Zhong Konstali