Carbon Copy Cloner
Carbon Copy Cloner
Advanced backup and file copying utility for macOS.
Carbon Copy Cloner overview
Carbon Copy Cloner is an advanced backup and file copying application for macOS. Looking for something better than Time Machine? With just a few clicks you can set up CCC to make hourly or daily backups of your Mac. CCC can build extensive file version history that you can use to restore older versions of files, and files that you might have accidentally deleted. CCC's read-only snapshots also give you excellent protection against malware and ransomware. CCC backups are compatible with Migration Assistant too, so you can use them to migrate data to a new Mac.
Beyond those backup basics, CCC offers extensive auditing and verification. Have you ever wondered what all of that disk activity was? Has some application run amok? The list of files that change in each backup event give you unprecedented insight into what's changing on your Mac each day. Need to copy the entire content of one volume to another? We can do that in just a few clicks. But suppose you're planning to erase the source when you're done migrating data to a new disk? We all trust our hardware, but maybe not that much! CCC can reverify files that were copied, so you can be 100% certain that your files are safely stored on the new destination.
That's just a peek at what CCC can do. CCC can:
- Create non-proprietary copies of your data, on locally-attached or network volumes
- Perform folder-to-folder copies
- Copy one external volume to another
- Apply advanced filters to define precisely what should be excluded from or included in a file copying task
- Verify, and re-verify later, the integrity of the files that were copied by CCC
- Schedule your backup tasks with greater flexibility (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, apply time limits based on the day of week or the hour of day)
- Configure backup/file copying tasks to run in response to a volume mount event, e.g. when you attach the backup disk to your Mac
- Configure backup/file copying tasks to run after a threshold of data has been modified on the source
- Get detailed insight into which files are changing on your Mac
- Examine the differences between your source and destination
- Preview changes to the destination before actually making them
- Proactively detect (and address on the destination) and deter "bit rot" on your source and destination hard drives
- Get insight into the performance and health of your hardware, now and over time
What’s new in version 6.1.7
Updated on Sep 08 2023
- Added support for temporarily downloading cloud-only files from services like Dropbox, OneDrive and GoogleDrive (any cloud-backed service that uses Apple's FileProvider interface). This includes support for downloading cloud-only content from iCloud as well, with some minor caveats due to Apple's use of a proprietary, non-FileProvider cloud-syncing service (oh, the irony!). Click "Advanced Settings" at the bottom of the CCC window and select the "File Copying Settings" tab to find the new setting. Note that this setting is disabled by default and limited to Macs running macOS 12.5 or later. If you want CCC to temporarily download your cloud-only files to make a local backup, be sure to enable the new setting in Advanced Settings > File Copying Settings.
- In 6.1.6 we added a new setting to "Use the menu dialog for task restart/shutdown requests" (available in the CCC Dashboard application). We enabled that setting by default, figuring it gives people a more graceful opportunity to cancel shutdown if they're in the middle of something, and no harm done if the user isn't at the system (the system performs the request after a 60-second countdown). But, apparently macOS doesn't present that dialog if the screen is locked, and doesn't perform the power management request either. The setting is still available, but now it will be disabled by default to restore the pre-6.1.6 behavior.
- Addressed an error that could occur when copying sparse files that have a negative physical file size (which is corruption of the file's filesystem entry on the source).
- Addressed a small issue affecting Quick Update tasks where some folders would errantly appear as "modified" in the Task Audit despite that they were not actually modified.
- Fixed a logic issue that was preventing the "Manage snapshots on 'Macintosh HD'" option from being presented for the startup disk (i.e. because the System volume is typically not mounted).
- Fixed an issue in which CCC would repeatedly (and unnecessarily) prompt for NAS credentials in cases where the username or host name contained a space character.
- The dynamic performance chart is now stopped when a task is paused, and resumed when the task is resumed.
- Fixed a false-positive stall report that can occur at the end of a task that is recording millions of transactions.
Information
App requirements
- Intel 64
- Apple Silicon
- macOS 10.15 or later
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User Ratings
Aug 11 2023
Version: 6.1.6
I have used CCC for a number of years. I have Version 4, however now when I attempt to use it says I have to pay to update to Version 6. I always thought it was a one time purpose for life. I only use CCC to back up some photographs that I keep on an external drive. My older version is all I need to perform what I need. Wondering if there is a way to have my older version to still work?
Jun 23 2023
Version: 6.1.6
Just asking? Why is CCC not cloning the boot drive to another drive like it did in the past; which make the target drive bootable? I am using Mac OS 13.4.1 Ventura.
Jun 2 2023
Version: 6.1.6
I've had CCC for a long time. For several years I switched to Time Machine, but I've had some corruption problems with it. So, I installed the latest CCC version and backed up to a new external drive. I noticed that there was a huge discrepancy between the data size on the internal and backup drives. The backup reported about 20 GBs less. Searching online I found that a discrepancy is not uncommon, but the comments were all about the backup showing higher, not lower data totals. So, I sent a message to the developer, and he cordially explained that the discrepancy was down to Apple, and that's that. Fine, but can I really have confidence that CCC has done a copy of all possible files? The second day I ran CCC again, and it backed up thousands of additional files. There is no way that the few things I did on the Mac in less than a day changed thousands of files, or is there a way? How can I know? Frankly, the blue and green lines seem like distracting and meaningless piffle to me. So, back to Time Machine with the hope that it's not corrupted if I need to restore. I once had complete faith that CCC was doing the job. Backup is less comprehensible and reliable now on Macs than it was 20 years ago.
Oct 17 2022
Version: 6.1.3
Version 5.1.28 works well. I don't like version 6, but not because of anything with the program. Apple has gone totally overboard with security, rendering this program pretty worthless for me. When something goes wrong, I want a 100% restore of literally everything. I don't care what it is, I want it *all* restored in one fell swoop. I want to be able to wipe the drive totally clean, and do a full reboot and restore. But that's no longer possible, thanks to Apple. Oh, Apple claims this is for security. I call BS on that claim! The same BS as removing the headphone jack, removing magsafe, creating the terrible butterfly keyboard, dropping standard USB plugs, and many more stupid moves. I now trust Apple about as far as I can spit.
Jul 2 2022
Version: 6.1.2
A small note about the description in the "Carbon Copy Cloner overview" here: it was true with old MacOS. Nowadays, CCC won't backup system files as default, you'll have to reinstall the OS however you can/want THEN restore the backup using Migration Assistant, as mentioned here: https://bombich.com/kb/ccc6/cloning-macos-system-volumes-apple-software-restore#standard_backups
Jun 15 2022
Version: 6.1.2
Terrible interface, bad service. Superduper much simpler, cheaper, cleaner interface and no hassle and bootable. CC often gave problems. Used 5 and 6 and gave up.
Apr 25 2022
Version: 6.1.1
I have been using Carbon Copy Cloner since version 2 or 3. This is by far the best cloning software for any Apple computer. The process is easy to set up and use, and the final outcome of the cloned MacOS is flawless. I do recommend this product, it's worth every penny.
Feb 25 2022
Version: 6.1
Hmmm....I never have had a problem w CCC 5 or 6 in all the years of using it. I start up from it every so ofter....5 or 6 months to see how it runs. Just fine. Cannot complain at all. Pay for an update from 5 to 6.......NO big deal, what, once in a couple years I fell totally safe with it.
Nov 13 2021
Version: 6.0.4
version 6.0.5 ist out. Works like a charme on Montery. https://bombich.com/download
Oct 30 2021
Version: 6.0.4
This software is like the EA of backup software. It might as well be micro-transaction based on the number of times I've been asked to pay! I exaggerate slightly but seriously, purchase it now but don't expect long term support. It will break after a few OS upgrades and you will need to buy it again. I purchased CCC5 ten months ago and now I need to do it again for the Monterey upgrade. When reaching out to the developer they would rather argue about the purpose of their software and tell you that it 'should be fine' though this is not what his marketing is saying in the warning which comes up when starting up CCC5 (it threatens that your files may be inadvertently deleted).
Jun 6 2021
Version: 6.0.1
Bought it in September last year and can't get a year out of the Software before I need to pay again for an update, I rather stick to SuperDuper.
I also had a few issue with CC not working properly on my Machine while Super Duper did backup without an issue.
I have a 2020 5k iMac and recently updated from Catalina to BigSur and now every time Carbon Copy Cloner runs in the background for a backup CCC Hangs and affects the whole machine which then needs to be restarted via a force restart.
May 21 2021
Version: 6.0
Can anybody do a short comparison between CCC and SuperDuper ?
Which is easier to use etc... Thanks!
May 20 2021
Version: 6.0
I just bought an upgrade to version 6 without any further hesitation. There’s no need for me to doubt the performance of this old companion after so many years of trustworthy reliability. Backing up my precious data is something I do regularly, and this application is second to none to do properly and in elegant way. The new version contains so many functions and enhancements that it will take me some time to learn all of them, but my first impression has been very positive. If you rely on your data and need a reliable instrument to take the burden off your shoulders, then this is the way to go. Fariborz AMIRSHAHI – Verona (Italy)
May 7 2021
Version: 5.1.26.6180
Very solid application - and has been for years. There is also a very responsive customer service. Good choice for all things backup!
Apr 30 2021
Version: 5.1.26
These are the updates for 5.1.26:
"Fixed
Build 6080 fixes an issue in which CCC was not prompting to establish a bootable backup on Intel Macs running Big Sur (i.e. when the destination is freshly erased).
Changed
The user's preferred calendar (e.g. Gregorian, Thai, etc.) is now used when determining snapshot labels.
Fixed
Addressed a small UI issue in which the task name and description would be truncated when restoring a custom sidebar width on launch.
Changed
Fixed an issue in which CCC would errantly indicate that your Mac is booted from an older OS than what is on the source, when the source is the current startup disk with a staged installation of the next available macOS update.
Fixed
Addressed an issue in which the user would be prompted to erase the destination (again) despite having an installation of Big Sur. This was occurring when the destination volume was not currently mounted, and typically only after updating the system on the source volume.
Fixed
Fixed an issue with selecting the Data volume of the startup disk on a remote Mac in the remote host browser. We also weed out read-only volumes, and some of the APFS helper volumes, because they're never valid sources or destinations in this context.
Changed
Fixed a logic issue in which the system file exclusion would be imposed upon a task that's backing up a folder to a volume in the startup disk's APFS container.
Fixed
Fixed a regression that would lead to the System volume's contents to be loaded in the Task Filter window rather than the Data volume, making it impossible to exclude content from the task that is exclusive to the root of the Data volume (e.g. "cores" and "boot").
Changed
On macOS Big Sur, CCC now automatically proceeds with a data-only backup when a SoftRAID device is selected as the destination to a task that backs up the startup disk. macOS (Catalina and later) can't boot from a SoftRAID device, so there's no point in attempting to back up the system to those devices.
Changed
CCC now issues an error when dropping OneDrive placeholder files, along with directing the user to a Kbase article explaining why these files cannot be copied, and the implications this has on future restore activity.
Fixed
Fixed an issue in which the Continue Anyway and Cancel buttons in the Cloning Coach could be errantly hidden when the window is attached as a sheet."
Apr 29 2021
Version: 5.1.26
fselivan, maybe something is wrong in your settings.
When I copy my two SSD disks with a MacOS X installed on them (one Big Sur, one Mojave), CCC needs about 30 mins for a new backup of about 300GBs; when I do an incremental update (I do that about every day), CCC takes not more of 2 mins for 4/5 GBs.
Apr 14 2021
Version: 5.1.25
Incremental update advertisement by the developer is making you believe that any subsequent clone creation will take less time. IT WILL NOT... whatever value of new information is being copied, BUT the process to determine such new modifications is identical to creation of a clone for the first time... THUS - you save NO TIME AT ALL... AVOID this MISREPRESENTATION!!!!!!
Jan 19 2021
Version: 5.1.24
It's one of them rare applications that is really made with love to details put in to every aspect!
Jan 5 2021
Version: 5.1.24
for the benefit of all, note that Apple has completely overhauled how Big Sur is installed and boots and manages files. The entire OS and files are locked down with check sums to prevent malware from corrupting the OS. To my knowledge the only app that can properly create a bootable clone of Big Sur is Carbon Copy Cloner and ONLY on Intel Machines, and only because the author of CCC has figured out how to use Apple's built in functions in Big Sur (on Intel) to properly make a clone bootable. Those same Apple functions are buggy on Big Sur running on Apple Silicon chips. The authoer of CCC explains all of this in detail on his website. So if you have Big Sur be wary of any cloning software claiming it can clone, if you wish a bootable copy. At this time, the basic workaround is to use cloning software (preferably using CCC) to clone, then install Big Sur to the clone...it won't touch your data, apps or prefs, it will just (re)install the OS and in the process will 'bless' the drive and make it bootable, and data, applications etc are maintained. You should then be able to continue cloning data and apps to the backup, and it 'should' maintain it's bootability, but keep checking it. If it fails or loses ability to boot, yep, install Big Sur to the clone again.
5 stars to the author who has spent countless hours reporting bugs to Apple and keeping the pressure on them to address issues related to booting, APFS, system protection and so on. People need to understand the incredible WORK and EFFORT put in just to maintain compatibility with each new version of macOS. read here https://bombich.com/blog/2020/11/03/yes-you-can-have-bootable-backups-on-macos-big-sur
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