Backing Up Your Media Files With Smart Copy

Use the Smart Copy option to copy your media files from your computer to your storage device. If your videos don’t have thumbnails, Smart Copy will automatically create them for you.

Copy Media to Your Storage Drive

You can copy your files from your user folder on your computer to your storage drive with a few clicks or you can copy specific folders by creating a customized plan.

Copy all of your files

This method is available if you have not created a custom plan. If you have created a custom plan, you can create a plan that copies all of your media by following the steps in Copy selected files and accepting the default settings.

1. On the Home page, click Smart Copy.
2. On the Smart Copy page, click Copy now.
   You do not see Copy now if you have already created a backup plan.

Seagate Dashboard copies all personal files in your user folder, except those from the My Documents folder on a PC or the Documents folder on a Mac, and continuously copies files as soon as they change or are added to your computer.

Copy selected files

1. On the Home page, click Smart Copy.
2. On the Smart Copy page, click Copy now or Custom smart copy.
   By default, Smart Copy automatically selects your Music, Photos, and Videos folder for your smart copy. The Documents folder is not selected.
3. Select the folders you want to copy:
   1. Personal folders. Modify standard folder content.
   2. Specific folder. Select specific folders and files.
4. (Optional) Click Advanced Options (you must select the Specific folder tab to see this option) to set filters and select whether or not you want to generate video thumbnails.
5. Click Continue.
6. Select a storage drive.
   If you are copying to a network attached storage drive, you can back up to the Public folder or sign in, and then click Advance options and type a folder name as the destination folder.
7. Click Start copy.
   Seagate Dashboard copies your selected folders and continuously copies files as soon as they change or are added to your computer.
   
     Note: For a Smart Copy plan to run continuously, your computer must be on, the Seagate Dashboard must be running, and your storage drive must be connected to your network and detected by the Dashboard.

Change a Smart Copy Plan

You can change which folders and file types to copy to your storage drive.

1. On the Home page, click Smart Copy.
2. On the Smart Copy page, click  to the right of the plan you want to change.
3. Select the folders you want to copy.
4. Choose the type of files to copy by selecting filters and decide whether or not you want video thumbnails.
5. Click Continue.
6. Select a storage drive.
   If you are copying to a network attached storage drive, you can back up to the Public folder or sign in, and then click Advance options and type a folder name as the destination folder.
7. Click Start copy.

Pause a Smart Copy Plan

• On the Home page, click Smart Copy.
• On the Smart Copy page, click on the plan you want to pause.

Delete a Smart Copy Plan

• On the Home page, click Smart Copy.
• On the Smart Copy page, click  and select Delete.
  A confirmation window opens.
• To delete the files copied by this plan to your Seagate Central drive, select the box next to Delete sync up files.
• Click Delete.