DONPERREAULT  I've been using Mac's since 1989 and over the years I have lost irreplaceable data on multiple occasions. So, I have learned to backup on a regular basis, maybe to the point of over doing it. Besides using my DroboPro I have 2 external drives that I switch out to back up my complete System & data. Been using SuperDuper for years w/o a hitch until a couple of weeks ago I got an error and wasn't in the mood to track it down. So I download Carbon Copy Cloner (it's free) and that worked, well it appeared to work.

Dave from Shirt Pocket contacted me and we worked out the problem. Long story short I switched back to SuperDuper and I have never been happier about my backups. However one of my backup drives was still backed up with CCC and here is were the problem started. I installed some beta software that I can't talk about because of a non disclosure agreement and it messed up my main System drive. I tried reverting my startup drive using the latest backup from CCC and when I reinstalled much of my data was missing. I spent several hours picking files from the DroboPro that CCC had deleted or replaced with older versions. I was totally frustrated, never mind chewing up most of my day.

SuperDuper Rules and don't let anyone tell you different.

Folks, SuperDuper are crackerjack developers who know what they are doing. Stick with SuperDuper you won't be disappointed.

My apologies to Bombich but his software is not reliable in my situation. I'd rather pay $27.00 for software that is going to come through for me when I need it.  
(Version 3.3)

MARKOH  I did an incremental backup but I booted from the backed up OS X a lot of the preferences to my applications were gone, including registration info. What did I do wrong? tia   
(Version 3.3)

THMGHTD  It's true... you only need to be burned once before you get serious -- real serious -- about backing up. I, too, use Time Machine as well as CCC.

Carbon Copy Cloner has made switching, troubleshooting, and backing up disks infinitely easier.

I absolutely rely on it.

And I love the new icon. So great; so unexpected.  
(Version 3.3)

ARVIDTP  Exactly - I use CCC to keep a bootable clone of my startup drive and up-to-date 2nd copies of my archive drives, then use Time Machine to backup all my active data drives as I work. The two softwares complement each other very nicely.

CCC if fantastic software - and getting better all the time. It has saved my hide a few times - once the day before a big performance (I do live computer music). Donated (and it was easy to find the button to remove the banners - thanks for trusting me with it!)  
(Version 3.3)

KNOWHOWE  @ CHAS_M Thanks for the advice. Wise words which I will act upon.  
(Version 3.3)

KNOWHOWE  I apologise if ths seems a stupid question but why would I need to use this if I'm using Time Machine to backup my HD? I'd really like to know so my stuff is as secure as I can make it. Thanks.  
(Version 3.3)

MISHA  Nice, new icon. And of course CCC is great as always.  
(Version 3.3)

ANDREAS  To get rid of the ads...

After donating, go to CCC's Help menu > "Donate" (don't worry - you won't be asked to donate again) > click "I paid".

Andreas  
(Version 3.3b5)

RKAMPER  Congratulations to Bombich for being the first to clone Snow Leopard properly. Now my clone has the same size as the source (a litte bit less as expected). My Superduper clone was 3.5 GB larger than the source. Great job! I will donate as soon as possible.  
(Version 3.3b5)

HAMPST  Just in case anyone is wondering, I have donated and the ads are still there. It's not really a big deal for me and I hesitate to complain too much about what is otherwise wonderful software.  
(Version 3.3b5)

THUS.SPAKE.Z  CCC is just fine but the banner ads are an abomination. I've no problem with OWC but I just can't stand ads with the software that I use.

How about making the ads disappear with a @10 donation? Hmm?  
(Version 3.3b5)

MSKOCKO  I've used CCC to image my high school computer lab for the past several years. This year the cloning choked on the last (45th) machine for some reason. Started over and it worked fine. Thanks to Mike Bombich!  
(Version 3.3b5)

FSCKTHEMEMBERSHIP!  I've made donations over the years to the developer especially during the early years of Mac OS X when the transition from Mac OS 9 was rough (i.e. restorable images, clone, etc. for the lab) but, the advertisements for OWC (I purchase from this company often) while cloning is less than professional.

Make it shareware, retail or opt-out of the banner ads...

Keep a simple program simple…do not create a CPU resource hog!  
(Version 3.2.1)

MITCH_DE  rsync problem fixed since latest 3.2.1 beta , thanks

all working now again and CCC is also fast for an full backuptool  
(Version 3.2.1)

MITCH_DE  I love CCC, but with newest version i cant get an compressed clone image anymore.

Always an error: rsync engine cant started.

This happended not with the last CCC and i changed nothing in my system.

??? some esellerate errors the problem ????

rsync: recv_generator: mkdir "/private/tmp/ccc_dmg_mount.qD2tLY/Users/ami/Library/Application Support/eSellerate/3313401949" failed: Operation not permitted (1) (51)

10:13:25 rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous errors) (code 23) at /Volumes/Home/Users/bombich/Development/Bombich_Software/rsync-3.0.5/main.c(1047) [sender=3.0.5] (51)

10:13:25 rsync: Synchronisation Engine konnte nicht gestartet werden., Error code: 51

10:13:25 Sync Engine warnings: (

"rsync: recv_generator: mkdir \"/private/tmp/ccc_dmg_mount.qD2tLY/Users/ami/Library/Application Support/eSellerate/3313401949\" failed: Operation not permitted (1)",

"*** Skipping any contents from this failed directory ***",

"rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous   
(Version 3.2)

MONKEYJUNKEY  I've been using CCC for about 1 1/2 years without any problems. It's been of great use to me when replacing harddisks in my MacBook or doing general backups BUT:

Since version 3.1.2 I'm getting error-messages after cloning my disk ("The Sync-Engine couldn't be started"). And v.3.1.3 does not adress this issue. I visited the forum. The error is known but the fix discribed there doesn't help me. I already got the right settings. And no matter if I do an incremental or a complete backup, I get the same error. I mailed the developer but didn't get ANY responce.

So now I'm off to SuperDuper, which worked flawlessly. Having to leave CCC makes me sad, because I got used to it and really liked it, but getting zero support and having a version which doesn't work makes it difficult to stay...  
(Version 3.1.3)

PIRX  Does what it says, says what it does. Good stuff.  
(Version 3.1.3)

BOWLINGTON  I have moved on from Carbon Copy Cloner. I used it for a bit to satisfy my cloning needs back in the 2.x series of releases. After some issues and going to a shop that had used SuperDuper for cloning purposes, I veered away from CCC. However after a period of time where SuperDuper didn't seem to receive updates, I went back to the CCC 3.x chain of releases. That was until the 3.1.2 release (possibly 3.1.1) that changed the complete back end of the cloning system without notification (and apparently proper testing) that caused any volume with the incorrect "Ignore Ownership of this Volume" setting to not clone into a bootable state.

All forum posts to the CCC forums were met by rude answers from some forum hound that just blamed the users for not testing their clone. Something that is not possible in every cloning situation. Not to mention the developer said the issue would be addressed in 2 to 3 weeks with no major notification to users about this potential show stopping bug.

Use SuperDuper.  
(Version 3.1.3)

LIBCRYPT  I'm not sure why I gave CCC a second chance, but it failed spectacularly for the second time (in 3 years?) in an attempt to perform a very simple single-disk clone: The result was not only an unbootable disk, but an unbootable Mac. Avoid CCC at all costs.  
(Version 3.1.2)

PHILHARVE  I have used CCC for several years in preference to other commercially available and, perhaps, better known backup programs. Each version just gets better and better.

The latest version (3.1.2) is a big improvement. Previously CCC would would create a fresh backup each time it was asked to 'clone' my hard drive. The latest version is different. It normally takes about 2 hours to clone almost 80Gb but on the latest occasion it took barely 20 minutes. It seems that CCC can clone faster if an existing clone/backup already exists. I call this 'incremental cloning' because it is not unlike an incremental backup.

I like CCC because it produces a bootable copy of the source disk and this has proven invaluable when my internal hard drive is in need of routine maintenance. I boot from the clone and use the disk maintenance utilities on it to repair my internal hard drive. No fuss, no bother.  
(Version 3.1.2)

HODAGACZ  I love this program! Upgraded my MBP to a 250 GB drive...no problem.

Restored my tower from a backup when the drive ate itself...no problem.

Allows incremental backups for my 72 year old mother who is not very computer literate...no problem.

It's simple and reliable and keeps getting faster with each iteration. Get it. You may not need it now, but I'm sure you'll need it sometime!  
(Version 3.1.2)

DMNELSON  Bombich's Carbon Copy Cloner and NetRestore are by far the two most useful apps I use as a Mac admin and tech. Dead simple for basic cloning/imaging, but capable of being used for much more sophisticated applications if needed.   
(Version 3.1.2)

MAC4DREW  Anyone who claims this app erased their data is careless.

Seriously. There is a very clear option to erase data, followed by a warning box, followed by an authentication box that pops up before the program deletes anything. The only reason this program WOULD ever delete anything is if you use a disk with files on it for the Target drive. The program is extremely straightforward and logical.

This program just works. However, if you're the kind of person who clicks "OK" on dialog boxes without reading them, you may want to skip it.   
(Version 3.1.1)

PALEND  I heard great things about CCC and decided to try it out. First thing I noticed were the huge ads scrolling along the bottom. It was an eyesore but I can't complain too much since it's donationware.

However, my nightmare started when I started backing up onto an external hard drive. Instead of simply creating files for backup, it proceeded to DELETE the files already on the drive! I didn't realize this until it was too late. I lost countless hours of video, pictures and everything else on the shared hard drive. So instead of CCC saving my precious memories, it deleted them.

It was then I realized there was a tiny blurb in the software that states that any files not in the exact same location as on my original hard drive would be removed... This should be a MUCH LARGER warning and the warning should be EXPLICIT that all previous content will be deleted!   
(Version 3.1.1)

BONOBO  I just donated for a second time within the past 3 years (I think), because I'm very glad that Mike Bombich is continuing his work on CCC.

I especially love CCC's ability to automatically initiate a clone (i.e. ask me whether to clone or skip) whenever I connect a particular HD, this makes backups much more practical and I hope to convince many more of my clients more easily to do regular backups (and to donate as well ;) )  
(Version 3.1.1)

MISTERSQUID  I was really down on CCC for having let the program stagnate. Recently, the *other* standard third-party mac backup utility has been giving me some problems.

On two occasions, CCC. 3.0.x has pulled through. For now, I am keeping a close eye out on CCC, but the developer is earning my trust back.

If this keeps up, I will definitely make a material contribution to the effort.

CCC is definitely worth keeping an eye on.  
(Version 3.1)

A MAN  I have used Carbon Copy Cloner through several versions without without losing any data. I think the program is very easy to use and reliable, and the website is very helpful with lots of information on the various functions. The developer conducts himself with a lot of transparency, and I always respect that.

Version 3.1 has plenty of exciting improvements over 3.0. But there was a minor bug in the install process that required a simple workaround. Nothing a fairly savvy Mac user won't have likely encountered before, but I've posted the solution here...

http://manknowsmac.blogspot.com/2008/03/carbon-copy-cloner-31.html  
(Version 3.1)

IMJAFJ  I followed the instructions exactly and CCC erased the wrong drive, merely because it can't recognize spaces in drive names. Luckily I had used Super Duper prior.   
(Version 3.0.1)

DBRENZ  After i figured out how to set it to do a weekly backup when i wanted it to, it took about an hour and a half to sort of index the hard drive and copy it.

When the next scheduled backup came around it found out what was existing on the external and only copied the new stuff as it should. It's not as quick as Time Machine but is an excellent and free alternative.  
(Version 3.0.1)

MMAGLIARO  The hard drive in my Mac G4 Digital Audio 733 MHz was starting to go. Two files became unreadable (hard driver retried many times trying to open them, and then I got an error -36, which is an I/O error).

Not wanting to wait until it blew out completely, I got a replacement hard drive, and wanted to "clone" my other one on to it.

Popped in the new drive on the IDE cable, set the jumpers so it was a slave drive.

Rebooted, initted the new drive as "hdnew".

Started up CCC, told it to clone "hd" on to "hdnew", click okay, and THAT'S IT.

CCC did all the rest flawlessly. When it got to the two unreadable files, it retried a few times, then bailed on those and copied the rest of the drive.

Shut down, remove old drive, put new drive in its place, set jumpers to "master", reboot.

Shazam! The machine is exactly as it was before, with a new drive in it.

CCC does EXACTLY what you wish it would do.

There wasn't a single weirdness to how it ran. No hiccups, no crashes, no missing files. And the fact that it can clone off of drives that have bad block areas on it is a big plus.  
(Version 3.0.1)

PEHPSI.3  Still workin' great after using it for a few weeks, so happily made my donation.  
(Version 3.0.1)

G3CD  Used CCC 3.0.1 to backup a 10.5.1 installation. Target volume wasn't bootable and when I solved this by reinstalling OS X since I didn't want to wait 5 hrs for CCC to copy all the applications again, I found that most icons and labels were missing.

So, apart from "synchronising" everything for up to 2,5 hrs (even when the target disk is EMPTY!!!), CCC 3.0.1 seemingly failed to copy some permissions (hence not bootable), labels and icons. I couldn't find preferences for making a target disk bootable like in 2.3, maybe that's why. CCC 3.0.1 gives you the feeling it's going to take care of everything but doesn't give very good feedback. And at least in my case, it failed to do its job.

I like that CCC 3.0.1 is more responsive and shows the overall progress better, but I went back to CCC 2.3 for essential backups.  
(Version 3.0.1)

PEHPSI.3  Well I decided to give CCC a try for the first time, and I gotta say I'm quite impressed.

For me, there was no need to read the instructions because it was so simple to use, and within 5 minutes of downloading it I was cloning my main HD.

The clone went smooth, and boots fine from my external drive. The (new?) GUI is clean, easy to understand, and very Mac-like.

I'll be putting it through it's paces over the next week, and if I'm still as impressed with it, i'll gladly be making my donation..

Thanks.

iMac C2D 2.16

Leopard 10.5

LaCie D2 Extreme 250GB

CCC 3.0.1  
(Version 3.0.1)

MISTERSQUID  USERS BEWARE!

The development time between CCC 2.3 and 3.0 was over one year. As listed in comments below, the attitude of the developers is less than professional.

I was dependent a long time ago on CCC and when 10.3.9 definitely broke CCC, the developers did absolutely nothing to fix the software for over a year. Apparently CCC 3 does not even maintain the same feature set as its former version, despite that it is a full integer "upgrade."

My advice is to steer clear of CCC but keep an eye on this formerly wonderful piece of software. I highly recommend users not to rely on CCC until such a time that the developers behave as if they are providing a utility with the importance of *backup* software. This would require that they maintain their software in full working order for at least one year.

In the past they simply abandoned their users. Let's hope they've had a serious change of heart.  
(Version 3.0)

GPSTEIN1  Used a few times, overall, easy to use, backs up drive quickly.

But, not able to make encrypted, compressed disk image.

Waiting for next major upgrade.  
(Version 3.0)

S_ENGEL  Tried out CCC to backup my projects (36 GB) to the external backup drive. But what a surprise: CCC copied all 36 GB to the invisible folder ".volume" on my internal Mac drive, despite the fact that I chose the right source volme and the right target volume. I needed 3 hours to find out why my Mac drive now showed 39 GB of free space and not 75 GB. "WhatSize" was no help because it did not show the 36 invisble GB, so I had to check every single visible and invisble folder. After this experience I can say: Do NOT use CCC to backup!  
(Version 3.0)

FVDG  I can see my Windows/Boot camp disk as an source! Does it mean I can do I blocklevel copy of a Bootcamp partition? This would be great...  
(Version 3.0)

DOUG S.  For some reason I can't backup to a disk image on my external.

I've set up a schedule to backup to a disk image in a specific folder on my external, making an image of my entire main drive, but when I run it I get an error saying it's not available or the bath has changed.

It hasn't. What's up?  
(Version 3.0)

DOM21  Can someone please explain why selecting Check for updates *Never* keeps reverting to "once a day"? I discovered it because Little Snitch keeps saying CCC3.0 wants to connect to mew.bombich.com on TCP port 80 (http). Seems "Never" becomes "once a day" every relaunch.   
(Version 3.0)

MR.ASH  Disk image creation doesen't work anymore in v3.0 !

In the former beta v.3.0b5 this feature works without a problem. I always get filesystem errors or the disk cannot be found (witch is defenitly there and with enough free space on it).

Unfortunatly this version is no use for me :-(  
(Version 3.0)

DOUG S.  Can I backup to a disk image instead of an external drive? Or possibly a folder?  
(Version 3.0)

HYPERCENTS  ditto here. Got the same error message when trying to clone a Mac mini--whether my target was another mini or an image file. What this means?  
(Version 3.0b5)

ARTYTRAGER  I forgot to add to my previous comments that after downloading CCC 3.0b5 and trashing 2.3 I kept getting the following message when I attempted to transfer files to my external hard drive.

"CCC was unable to repair the permissions of its helper tool. Verify that CCC is located on a local disk (e.g. not a network share) and that thatmedia supports the setuid bit."

I HAVE NOT IDEA WHAT IT THIS MEANS.

In the previous version it automatically repaired permission before transferring data.  
(Version 3.0b5)

ARTYTRAGER  I own and have been using a LACIE,FireWire, USB and SCSI Hard Drive

Model 40gb, Serial No. 12104281.

I have been using it to back up all my programs, pictures and data on my Mac G-4 computer.

Recently I purchased and installed in my computer Mac OS 10.4.10.

I was using the program Carbon Copy Clone version 2.3 for Mac to transfer the information and start having problems transferring the information. I up graded to CCC 3.0b5 and have the same problems.

I do not keep the External Hard Drive hooked up to the computer all the time and once a month I hook it up and attempt to synchronize all the information on my computer to the hard drive. Everything was going well it seems until I installed 10.4.10.

What happens is that the synchronization never completes and I get all sorts of messages that there are errors and I am constantly reminded or requested to put in the administrative password. What I think is that neither version is working with 10.4.10   
(Version 3.0b5)

DANCING BROOK  Warning, if you are considering using this application, beware of two things:

1) There is a list of caveats that the support folks suggest to follow, but you don't see until you go looking for them in the right places. In other words, if you just go ahead and clone following the basic directions, and then discover you have a problem, and then search for answers, you will be "treated" to a list of things you should have known you should have known before doing anything so stupid as to try to use Carbon Copy Clone.

2) In the support forums, if you ask any stupid questions, or have other problems that display your ignorance, you will be treated to the tag-team of "Andreas" and "Baltwo" who seem to think treating dumb users by expressing and displaying the mentality of a pair of WWE (used to be WWF) performers, including encouraging the same rude behavior from the audience, is the best way to deal with some users. Real "Pros" they are; kinda sorta like those other "Pros".  
(Version 3.0b5)

ERIC WOEHLER  Not working on Black MacBook (CCC3 b5):

2gigs RAM 80G HD OS 10.4.9

repeatedly get 'synch engine failed... reboot" msg with suggestion to look for help on CCC forums. other posts there w same msg

unable to get working despite repeated attempts (del plist etc)

looked at v2.3 (PPC in Rosetta mode) needed 'psynch' to be installed - reluctant to install w/out further info/advice/others' experiences...

NOT WORKING  
(Version 3.0b5)

MACCENTRIC  It seems this update lost a few features along the way, the biggest for me being the clone to image function. This allows me to clone multiple disks to a single drive. I guess you could use the clone to directory feature, I just liked having the ability to clone to an image (and I think neither Super Duper nor MimMac support this either).  
(Version 3.0b4)

BDOG  I have always loved this app and up until now I was still using the old version which worked great. It's nice to see an update. I just used this version to restore my data and it worked like a charm. Very nice added features.  
(Version 3.0b4)

THREEDEE912  You could report this to the developer...  
(Version 3.0b4)

JIM WEISBIN  Seems like they removed "sync", or am I wrong?  
(Version 3.0b4)

NEUTRALZONE  Carbon Copy Cloner used to be a great utility, until the one-two punch of SuperDuper and Intel Macs came along. A CCC devotee for years, I switched to SuperDuper some time ago.

I'm happy to see this new 3.0 beta of CCC. It looks like CCC is attempting to close the gap with SuperDuper's currently superior usability, feature set, and compatibility. When CCC 3 gets out of beta, Mac users will once again have two powerful options for intelligent disk cloning.  
(Version 3.0b4)

RYBU03051  I've been using CCC for years now and it is very reliable. Great Software.  
(Version 3.0b4)

GRID SPLICER  Back up went fast. CCC is a good app.

I had to watch out, though. The first time, CCC found a corrupt file it asked me about. That can happen. But when I pressed the Ignore-button, it just skipped my entire Apps folder and continued copying the rest of my drive. That process could not be stopped, as force quitting CCC did not stop the copying! I had to Log Out instead.

The second time everything went well, save for the folders in my User Home it made invisible. Why?  
(Version 2.3)

TRUNK  ACHTUNG!

Please be very careful if you own an intel mac and use this program!

I formatted a Firewire drive in GUID, and remounted the drive on my new macbook and began the Carbon Copy process ( Which works beautifully on PPC BTW).

12.8 Gigs through the process, and my Hard drive suffered a major I/O disaster, and just hung.

Upon inspection, my Firewire drive (M9- Mini Pod 300Gb) had major sector damage, the fork trees were destroyed and the drive continues to have major read/write errors when trying to reformat.

CCCloner is a great program, but DO NOT USE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES on an intel mac!

I guess apple has a good point in it's warning, but here's a REAL one. WATCH OUT!!!!!!  
(Version 2.3)

NEIL_M  Tiger compatibility

CCC 2.3 currently works on Tiger, however you must be running at least 10.4.2. I am still working on an upgrade that will introduce many long-awaited features. For now, clone away with version 2.3.

Intel-PowerPC Considerations

CCC 2.3 is not yet available as a Universal binary, however it does run via Rosetta on the new Intel Macs. A word of caution: Apple currently does not support booting an Intel Mac from an OS installation that came from a PowerPC Mac, and vice versa. Until Apple provides a Universal OS that is capable of booting both architectures, do not clone a PowerPC Mac to an Intel Mac or vice versa. User files, of course, can be copied between the two machines. If you get a new Intel Macintosh, consider using the Migration Assistant to transfer your data to the new machine  
(Version 2.3)

BRIAN KENDIG  I'd like to use psync so that I need only copy changed files each time, but the version of psync that CCC provides says it's incompatible with Panther - and therefore, I assume, also Tiger.

There's an 'unofficial patch version' of psync which claims to remove the incompatibility, but I don't like trusting my backups to an unofficial patch version.

I hope that CCC soon incorporates an official build of psync which works on Panther and Tiger.  
(Version 2.3)

CHRIS WALKER  I used CCC to copy all my work files from one HD to a new HD. However when I go to open such files as Indesign or PDF's their respective program come up with error messages saying the files are not the right type, or may have permission problems, or be open elsewhere. Other files such as Tiffs and PSDs are ok. I have checked and changed permission, along with everything else i can think of with no success. I now must delete the entire copy, and do it again using a simple finder copy - which doesn't destroy all my files. (silly me thought this program may do it better). Does anyone knows why this is?  
(Version 2.3)

S MCLAREN  After reading the reviews for CCC2.3 I was unsure as to how the program would perform..

Having now backed up my hard drive to an external firewire disc with no problems at all I am now satisfied that the program behaves as described.

System notes: 1Ghz PowerPC G4, 512MB ram Panther 10.3.9.

CCC made a fully bootable external disc, with no problems running Ical, or Itunes from this drive and it was easy.

Loads of help around, just look for it on the web if you are stuck.

Thank you Mr B for putting out this very useful software.  
(Version 2.3)

MACERIC  Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!

After a failed attempt to copy the contents and settings of a MacMini to another exact Mini using Apple's Setup Assistant and firewire, I tried Carbon Copy Cloner.

There were many issues with Setup Assistant, especially regarding the registration of some applications and plug-ins. Carbon Copy Cloner made and exact match, with the only thing necessary being reactivation of QuarkXPress and a missing hard drive icon.

My only request would be the ability to work with non-local disks. Otherwise, a great app.  
(Version 2.3)

RAYMOND  Too buggy for a back-up utility.

Too many inconsistent runs. Some run fine, some have authentication issues, some have oddball error messages.

Not my back-ups.  
(Version 2.3)

GILBERT   Fantastic. Clients hard drive was failing.

Was able to transfer entire drive and save the day,

Thanks Im waiting for the update to the new OS.  
(Version 2.3)

MICHAEL  Hi, I did as advised, I made a backup of my Powerbook 17" HD in Pseudo, naturally, CCC ran and did it all fine. Synchronized source to target didnt want to download for Tiger, but what the heck. I now am writing this after the machine rebooted from the System backup.

Nice, innit? So, calm down, verybody,

developer too, a million kudos to you! Good app!

All the best...  
(Version 2.3)

JOHN  I've used CCC starting with 10.2.4 or so and found it easy, stable and an incredible value.

I'm now running 10.4.1 and after I followed the "Tiger Balm" recommendations on the CCC website, had no trouble making a clone of my PB12's internal drive. I haven't yet taken the time to figure out why it won't boot though. The data's backed up just fine, but I'd like to be able to boot from it too. Alas, the extra hoops to jump thru for Tiger make CCC kinda klunky to use for now.

I tried SuperDuper, but found it annoying. Particularly the way it will only let you try it out by totally wiping your destination drive (or pay to register so you can just do an incremental backup). Since I already had about 50G of data on it, I didn't want to invest the time required to start from scratch just to see if I like SD. Particularly since CCC had already backed everything up just fine for FREE.

I found something about deleting the volinfo.database file to make SD clones bootable, so I'm going to try that with CCC to see if it helps. Interestingly, some say that you need to wipe the destination drive first for CCC to make a bootable clone in Tiger. Guess I'll wait to see what the developer comes up with and boot from DVD if I do have a meltdown on my internal before then. At least I have the data.

As for the permissions issues some people have had with CCC, maybe using Get Info to set Ignore Permissions On This Volume would fix it? (6/6/2005, Version: 2.3)   
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  Downloaded it. Opened it. Great. Choose Source. Choose Destination. Great.

Authenticate.

Total Hang. Force Quit.

Repeat, Authenticate.

Hang again.

Repeat again. Hang.

Great.  
(Version 2.3)

SJK  In response to the previous poster:

First, I paid for and successfully used CCC for a couple years. However, CCC relies on ditto which has known bugs. That alone, plus several other reasons, is why SuperDuper! is now the superior "volume cloner" for my systems.  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  This *was* the best application available for creating bootable backups/clones/copies available. I used it weekly to migrate users from one machine to another. Alas, for the first time since I began using it over three years ago, it no longer works for me. As described below, it freezes when trying to clone a volume containing Tiger (10.4). Hopefully we'll see an update soon! In the meantime, there is no better application if you are running anything earlier than 10.4.  
(Version 2.3)

TOMJWRIGHT  CCC does not work in Tiger. It locks up when attempting to enter the user password in order to begin operation. Force Quit is required to dismiss the window.  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  if I create a bootable back up with CCC on a external FW HD and I have already some files on the HD of other stuff, does CCC erase these files or leave them alone?  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  I have a question, will CCC work with Tiger. So far

I have had no trouble with the application.

It works flawlessly.

Joe   
(Version 2.3)

MACLOVE  Hi everybody who, wants to use this Software.

Its wonderful!

It works very stability, easy to use and give you the chance to make a new partition with all your data and programs without any problems.

For me: I don´t know what to do, without it!   
(Version 2.3)

WER  CCC is an amazing application. No, no, it is not amazing, it is a masterpiece. It makes OS X easier to clone than OS 9 or (the Hell with it) Windows. Value 10/5 !!! It is a must have.  
(Version 2.3)

ABE FLOWER  I've used CarbonCopyCloner since its birth, and I've loved it all the way. It's improved considerably, but it's always been good. CCC is a reliable, stable applications with just the features that most backups require, no more and no less. Very user-friendly (which I appreciate, being a frequent UNIX user), as well.  
(Version 2.3)

JOE PORLETTO  I backed CCC'd my drive, but when I check the sizes at root level the clone had 1gb less data. I booted from the clone and all seems fine, but where'd that 1gb of data go? Any ideas?  
(Version 2.3)

ARTHUR C. CLONE  I flummoxed up my iBook's installation of 10.3.7 while I was at MWSF, which resulted in several apps not being able to connect to the internet (be careful how you play with 'sudo pico'!), but I did not worry about it because I knew that back home I had/have a FireWire HD with a perfectly functioning clone of my iBook's HD.

So, soon as I got back home I cloned the clone from my external FireWire HD to my internal HD and, no surprise, all is well again.

CarbonCopyCloner is great. End of story.  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  Is it me... or that this program just halfway works properly...... Right now I'm on my cloned HD.. Everything seems to work...... that is.... until you open up iTunes or something and see that the permissions in system log refers to permission error.

For some reason everything seems to be owned by the system, and read only. Does anyone else half this problem.. I'm thinking about re-cloning my HD or trying a lower ranked program that mentions that it copies original file permissions... This program just doesn't seem to do that.  
(Version 2.3)

LUXURYLUKE  Despite the bit of interface ambiguity for this program, the actual work it does after you comprehend how it's working is just fab. Mike has done a great job.

I think it's important to note that, when you CCC a drive, and then try to boot off of the clone, you need to remember that there may be lots of hard/absolute links in software and preferences that still reference the original drive name. Before you boot into that clone, zero out the old drive and clone it back.

Or, if you just want to boot off of the clone, double check all of the programs on your new System. I find this is the problem when your target drive name is different than the source drive name. Hope this helps/makes sense.  
(Version 2.3)

ITJUSTWORKS  I had occassion today to again use this app and it worked perfectly. Not only worked perfectly, it cleared up some issues on my FireWire HD.

I had recently applied the OS X 10.3.7 Combo updater to my FireWire HD and after that my iBook would not play the startup chime when I would boot from the FireWire HD. Also, I could not run DiskWarrior (legal, store-bought) from my FireWire HD to check my internal iBook HD. Now, after cloning my internal HD (My internal HD has 10.3.7 installed on it, glitch-free) to the FireWire HD, these two issues have cleared up completely.

Just a great app, totally reliable in the dozens of times I have used it over the years. Very easy to use as well.  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  I decided to ignore the advice of an earlier poster and try this on a computer I was sending in to Apple for repair. After all, it seems to work fine for most people. Everything went fine with the backup.

That is until I received the unit back and tried to restore the drive. It seemed to restore OK, but then gave me about six permission errors when the restored drive booted. I clicked OK (the only option) each time, and then the Finder loaded. The computer wouldn't open most apps and crashed repeatedly.

Repairing permissions did not fix the problems.

This is DANGEROUS TRASHWARE. I wish I could rate it ZERO.   
(Version 2.3)

BLUERIDGE  HELP!!!

I installed this to try it out, then trashed it along with the prefs. It keeps running every night and I have no idea how to stop it or deinstall it. I can't find any prefs or items related to this program, and there is nothing on the developers website on how to deinstall this.  
(Version 2.3)

RICH  Hit a weird problem after replacing my Powerbook HD. I'd run /fsck -yf as single user, and done permissions repair before cloning onto the new disk. Booting from the new disk, some fonts were disabled, which made Terminal, Address Book not run properly. A copy of Clock from 10.2 didn't show its analog face. Mail used weird fonts. Re-enabling the disabled fonts with FontBook fixed everything. No other problems. Nice app.

To reassure people: My brother did the same delicate operation a month ago and had no trouble. I'm always the one to get problems :-) People at work use it regularly on G5s. Never a problem for them. Only difference between me and them is this: I upgraded from Jaguar, rather than use a clean install of Panther.  
(Version 2.3)

NORKA GARCIA  Thank You!!!! I am a computer teacher and when a computer crashes I have to wait weeks before a tech comes out to fix it. With Carbon Copy I was able to clone a good computer onto my iPod and then start up the crashed computer from the ipod and copy the hard drive. Not only did a copy the OS but also all the student applications. Thank you so much! This software works. You made my day! I am happy and my students are happy also!  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  This program is not for the unitiated. Read the Bombich forum (its not long) before you decide to run it. Its irrelevant whether the problems are caused by Panther, firewire chipsets or the product. At issue is does it work, if it does not, how much of a problem will it cause you and, what support will you get from the developers.

I used the term "unitiated". But even for those of us who are reasonably conversant, some of the "problems" surfaced on the forum are not problems but a lack of knowledge about what is happening during a clone operation. The result is bad advice (from people who should know better) that can lead to even more issues.  
(Version 2.3)

PETER DANCKWERTS  Easy to use and very handy. My internal HD ran out of space and I copied everything to a bootable Firewire partition. When I bought a new HD, I copied everything back.

The only thing which didn't work first time was Snapz Pro which just needed the password re-entering.

  
(Version 2.3)

TAINSCOUGH  CCC has _SERIOUS_PROBLEMS_ that you may not notice right away! Let me say that I read and followed the documentation to a T. I repaired permissions, checked the drives for errors, and ran the program as root.

Often you don't know that CCC has screwed up your disk until you discover at some point that it has completely screwed up your file permissions. I had problems with this crapware months ago, and thought I FINALLY had everything fixed. Then I went to use iSync and it crashed on launch. After wasting a couple hours with it I found this link on Apple's web site:

http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?13@72.1AiKahGsz2C.4@.68978489/0

I went to the folders in questions, and guess what--CCC had done the same thing to MY files. I fully expect to continue to find problems down the road.

I WOULD NOT USE THIS APPLICATION TO BACK UP MISSION CRITICAL DATA. It simply is not reliable. Sure it works for a lot of people. BUT CCC DOES NOT MAKE RELIABLE BACKUPS FOR EVERYONE. Do you want to take the risk that the next person that gets screwed is YOU?

SuperDuper is more reliable (and has better ratings). http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/13803  
(Version 2.3)

PIANOPHILE  Works with OS X up to and including 10.3.5, and does make stable, bootable clones. Always erase the destination drive before cloning to it and you will have no problems with booting your image. highly recommended software.  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  It works witho Mac OS X - 10.3.5  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  This software has never failed me and I've used it since it was first released and with many different Macs, cloning from/to SCSI and ATA and FireWire hard drives, internal and external. The only problem here is with the wetware some users are stuck with.  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  Be very careful with this s/w. I have had several problems and after reading the arrogant, dismissive remarks that their tech support writes in their forum I would not even bother contacting them.

Try superduper instead.  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  I hope this review saves a few people some headaches. This might be OK for backing up a data disk, but DO NOT use it and expect that you have created a bootable backup!

Sorry, guys, but I've tried this under a variety of conditions on different drives and partitions, and it has never ONCE made a copy that actually restored a stable, bootable drive. (I used it in the past, with similar results--but thought I would give it another try since it has been updated several times since then.)

Let me say that I read and followed the documentation to a T. I repaired permissions, checked the drives for errors, and ran the program as root.

I have several partitions on my drive. Recently I had to send my machine in for repair (not a HD-related problem). I made backups of the two bootable partitions with CCC. I restored both when the machine came back.

The first booted up, but it had so many errors, everything was unstable. (The error messages referred to multiple system resources not being installed correctly. Permission problems? Who knows...)

The second did not boot at all; it just hangs on startup.

At least I didn't lose any files--but EVERY APPLICATION has to be reinstalled from scratch ON BOTH DISKS. Fixing the apps that use data files (mail, iphoto, itunes, address book, etc.) is going to cost many hours of time and headache.

I WOULD NOT USE THIS APPLICATION TO BACK UP MISSION CRITICAL DATA. It simply is not reliable. If you want to ignore this advice, YOU MUST BE SURE TO CHECK EVERY SINGLE BACKUP TO SEE THAT IT WILL RESTORE A BOOTABLE DRIVE--but I think you might be better off just buying something else...  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  Only shows 4 lines of your error, after that its just cut off. This becomes a problem when the source of the error is deep in the filesystem, you'll use more than 4 lines just in the files pathname alone. So no idea what errors I'm getting. Plus when it gets an error, it gives up on the whole directory all the way back to the directory 1 level deep. Doesn't just skip the one file it has trouble with. Plus you can't leave it alone since these errors come out of no where, so there's no telling when you'll get an error and the program will just stop until you click it away. Plus its progress bar is so useless, it might as well not even exist. But the program does seem to sometimes copy some of the files alright.  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  I have never been able to get this to work! I have tried many times to clone my TiBook's hard drive by connecting it via FW to 3 different powermacs over the last 6 months or so and every time CCC just lock sup when trying to clone my Applications folder. Very annoying. Everyone says it's great. But I'll have to pass thanks.  
(Version 2.3)

WOW, NICE.  Just cloned my iBook's HD to my OWC Mercury Elite external FireWire HD (a GREAT product!!), about 30 gigabytes of data.

Could not have been easier. Perfect results, checked the external HD after the cloning (used Disk Utility and DiskWarrior), no errors.  
(Version 2.3)

REY MO  If you ever have the job of cloning a Windows XP hard disk, you'll quickly develop a deep appreciation for the Mac OS and for Carbon Copy Cloner. There's a program called Casper XP which does the same for an XP hard drive and costs an outrageous $45 to use. In the end, it doesn't even perform as flawlessly or as quickly as CCC. CCC is simply the best program of its kind and a steal for the $5 requested by developer Mike Bombich.

I just cloned my 40GB HD (OS 10.3.3) onto a new 160GB partition on another drive. I booted to the new drive and its like nothing changed, except for the oodles of free space. Easily the best $5 I've spent in a long time.   
(Version 2.3)

MAC ON A MAC  I have two hard drives. One acts as a back-up to the other.

Up-grading to 10.3.2 went without difficulty on the primary drive.

I have used Carbon Copy Cloner to transfer the new system software to the back-up drive. When I boot from the back-up drive, the OS will not accept my password.

I have used the Panther discs to up-grade the software on the back-up drive, choosing the "Create Old System folder" option to avoid permission hastles. When booting from the back-up drive, the OS will not accept my password.

I'm the only user and the administrator of my computer.  
(Version 2.3)

J!  After I used CCCloner to put a 10.2 system on a new drive and Updated it to Panther.

At the firtst startup Panther wouldn't see any Software Updates... but after a fresh reboot they showed up :-)

Any way a really nice aplication :-)   
(Version 2.3)

MARC GRAY  Truly elegant simplicity with broad functionality. Completely stable. I would not use anything else for my backups to an external FW HD

Highly recommended.  
(Version 2.3)

PAUL INGRAHAM  Extremely useful and reliable little application. Support this developer.  
(Version 2.3)

CRACKHEAD  Carbon Copy Cloner is THE back up app for OSX. Wozniakian. simple, yet powerful. Woz would have added to Apple's core OS. CCC is the BOMBich.  
(Version 2.3)

SHINZA.COM  On our Xserve, CCC 2.3 mistakenly identified Mac OS X Server 10.2.6 as Panther, saying that synchronization features will not work until psync is updated.  
(Version 2.3)

HEALER  Ganz hervorragend! So muss Software sein - ist jeden Cent wert. Gratulation!  
(Version 2.3)

CHAS_M  I rely on this product as the cornerstone of my backup strategy. Send Mike Bombich the five bucks already -- he's more than earned it!  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  This has been a staple in my toolkit for ages now - since 10.1.5. This fills in a gap apple left wide open (shame on apple!) - for me, running an office of 40 macs, I *need* a way of copying basic builds from machine to machine and this has *never* let me down. So easy to use, so well thought out. Thank you!  
(Version 2.3)

GIZ  Great application. Had a couple of strange messages with the last version but that seems to be fixed in 2.3. Fantastic app.  
(Version 2.3)

KOBASHI.COM  Fantastic! Never let's me down.

Thanks from Scott Ballard: Kobashi.com  
(Version 2.2)

MARK BIGHAM  Excellent product. Quick (40 G in less than an hour) and easy, although whether the program was to run Disk Permission Repairs (or I was) was a little unclear, and whether the sync program had to be installed also perplexed me. But this is my limitation, not Mike's. I am using 10.2.6. and although CCC made a perfect, bootable clone, I was unable to repartition my internal HD because Disk Utility claimed that my internal OSX Boot was in use. Went to Mike's Website, read a doc and I think the problem lies in my "homedirectory", and that I need to move my dir to a seperate partition. Was unable to go to the Bombich Forums. So, does anyone out there have some insight in to this matter?

mahgib22@hotmail.com  
(Version 2.2)

DRKILMER  Backed up my startup disk to an external VST30GB drive. The first two tries, it hung up and did not finish. The third time, I reformatted the external drive with Apple Disk Utility and tried again ... worked just fine.   
(Version 2.2)

OVERDOZE  Very nice Tool, though a kernel panic occurs while copying the Applications-folder.  
(Version 2.2)

STICKMAN67  In OS 9, I had my HD partitioned in three, which suited the way I worked then. For OS X, and now with a second HD installed, I really only needed two partitions, but it was all to hard to think about all the burning CDs, fixing permissions, and all that junk required to make sure I could not only back up my first HD and repartition it, but also put the files back and be able to boot properly again (OS X can be feisty like that!). CCC made it all automatic. OK, it's not the fastest process, but it's faster and easier than the alternative (there's a file included with this download that tells you what you'd have to do if you tried this "manually"). A gem of a utility. One of the few "must haves" now on my Mac.  
(Version 2.2)

RLOO  Been using CCC for the past several months. Has worked fine with no problems, backing up my system and making by f/w drive bootable. Excellent shareware. Happy to donate to this great product.  
(Version 2.2)

DAVID UK  I needed to upgrade the hard disc in a powerbook. I obtained a firewire external case and a bigger hd, both from eBay. I downloaded & installed CCC2.1.6. I fitted the new drive in the powerbook and put the old one in the firewire case. I booted from the firewire drive, formatted the new drive, ran CCC without changing any default settings. Job done! Dead easy and quick. I'll certainly be paying for my copy.  
(Version 2.1.6)

BO SVENSSON  Great, that someone made an easy to use tool to clone os x disks. Since typical use is

to replace hard disk or computer - be alert when use. Mistakes can be painful. I see to great applications:

1) Replicate system via firewire to other system

2) Make system backup to disk image (to store e.g. on DVD or tape).

/Bo S  
(Version 2.1.6)

ANONYMOUS  Great program. It made a bootable cloned copy of my harddrive to an external firewire drive very quickly. When booted up from external firewire to check eveyrthing looked okay. Have since done sone sync backups and its working great. I just wish the instructions were more helpful, had to access the bombich forum to search and get some answers. Nevertheless, very happy with the assistance I received and the great program.  
(Version 2.1.6)

ANONYMOUS  After using CCC I donated much more than the $5 shareware suggestion. What can I say - this thing is phenomenal! Please support its author.  
(Version 2.1.6)

AMANITA  Excellent !!!

Keep up the good work Mike !!!

Thanks ;)  
(Version 2.1.6)

KMEAD  I had a bad catalog on my HD and couldn't fix it ( suspect due to a bad section on the disk). I faced having to rebuild my old set up on a new drive. I recalled reading about this software on MacNN, found it listed in the archive and downloaded it.

It worked great, 45 minutes later I had a identical drive with all files permissions and users intact and ready to go. No reinstall of anything. It can be used to mirror a drive or parts of a drive on demand/scheduled. It was a real time and sanity saver. A big thumbs up and thankyou!  
(Version 2.1.6b)

M.E.  Best of breed.

Oh CCC! Where would I be without you? Well, I guess I'd be hacking mountains of code into the terminal every time I need a clone of my hard drive! IMHO this application is a must-have for any Mac OS X user. It turns drive/partition cloning into a one-click process and makes our (Mac-) lives so much easier. The DiskCopy/ASR combo on OS9 has found a worthy successor in Mac OS X (especially when combined with Mike's NetRestore utility).

I paid!  
(Version 2.1.4)

DAVID P  This is a truly indispensible program for anyone who owns a Mac running OS X. Saves the day!

It has saved my posterior on several occasions now. I'd have to agree with the person that said that CCC has plugged a big whole in OS X. I also must wonder if the person who said that it damaged their hard drive already in fact had some damage there, or had damaged it by some abusive method.

Cudos to Mike Bombich! Well done!  
(Version 2.1.4)

CCC USER  Some folks on the CCC forum (http://65.69.94.113/forums/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=5015c8a009c9b73207c5d97998335f9c) are reporting problems cloning OS X 10.2.4 when the synchronization feature is turned on. But, like many bugs, it doesn't appear to be a universal problem.  
(Version 2.1.4)

SIMON  This is one hell of a great product. It gives us back the Mac's *unique* capability of cloning to another partition and booting from there as if nothing had happened. No other plattform can do this with such ease.

I encourage you all to donate to this guy. His Software rocks and he should be able to make a living of it. Countless people have used this app as a life saver. Thanks Mike!  
(Version 2.1.4)

SWEATY EDDIE  Worked perfectly to copy 10.2.3 on my QuickSilver dual 800. Thanks to the author for plugging a major hole in the OS X fabric -- the inability of the Finder to backup the OS itself.  
(Version 2.1.4)

RICHARD  Created a bootable Smartdisk Firelite 40 GB from my TiBook. The new features in 2.1.2 handled errors beautifully.  
(Version 2.1.2)

WOLF  I've used this a number of times and it worked flawlessly.  
(Version 2.1.2)

L008COM  Not only did it NOT make a bootable copy, but it damadged my boot drive and I had to reinstall everything from the ground up! AVOID THIS PROGRAM AT ALL COSTS!  
(Version 2.1.2)

MAX M  I used CCC to copy 10.2.3 to new 120GB drive. I copied everything from the 40GB to the 120GB. It took about 15 to 20 minutes. It worked just fine. Everything worked just like it did on the 40GB orig. drive. I think this is the greatest program ever written. Max  
(Version 2.1.2)

MACMARK  Absolutely indispensible in the back-up arsenal.   
(Version 2.1.2)

BRUCE WEST  Great application to ensure another way to provide system recovery and safety if needed. I have heard of problems cloning to a FireWire disk but I've done it repeatedly without any complications. Too easy to ignore!  
(Version 1.4)

ANONYMOUS  gostaria de obter uma copia do programa carbon copy  
(Version 1.4)

MAC007  I've used this on both internal and external drives and it does just what it says.   
(Version 1.2.2)

RICK PRAETZEL  After many attempts, I can not produce a clone on my Wallstreet (running 10.1.4 on Powerlogix Bluechip 466 with 512MB ram)

Rick  
(Version 1.2.1)