Carbonite Support Knowledge Base

FAQ: Which Mac Version of Carbonite Do I Have?

You can determine whether you have the Carbonite 1x or 2x by the icon that appears in your Apple menu bar.

Backing Up Your iTunes Media and Apple Music

Your iTunes music and Apple Music data is included in your backup by default if you had Carbonite automatically select files for backup. You can view the backup status of the music and video files by navigating to their locations within the Carbonite interface and the colored status dot on the files.

Difficulty Installing Carbonite

In most cases, you can install Carbonite easily from your account. However, there may be some instances where Carbonite cannot install properly on your computer.

Latest Product Versions

Carbonite Safe is available for Windows, Mac and Windows Server Operating Systems. You can upgrade to the latest version by reinstalling Carbonite from within your account.

FAQ: What Is Cloud Backup?

What Is cloud backup?

Setting Up Two Factor Authentication for Your Carbonite Safe Account

You can secure your Carbonite Safe account with two factor authentication. When enabled, it requires you to verify a security code sent to your phone when attempting to sign into your account.

Allowing Carbonite Through a Windows Application Firewall

If Carbonite is having trouble connecting to the Internet or running properly, it could be restricted by your firewall. Allowing Carbonite to connect to the Internet through the application firewall helps ensure Carbonite is able to perform its tasks successfully.

Changed Files

How does Carbonite back up changed files?

Importing Your iTunes Media

You can import your backed up iTunes music into iTunes by restoring the iTunes folder to a new location on your computer and then moving it back to the default location of your iTunes music folder.

Importing your Contacts in Address Book

You can restore your backed up Address Book contacts to a new location on your Mac, and then import them directly into your Address Book program.

Importing into Microsoft Outlook for Mac

After you restore your Microsoft Outlook files with Carbonite, you can use these instructions to import the files into the Outlook program.

Importing Apple Mail

You can import your restored mail by restoring the mail to a new location and using the import function with the Mail app.

Importing Apple Calendar Without iCloud Installed

Calendar/iCal stores all calendar data in a single specific directory. If you need to restore your Calendar/iCal data, Carbonite recommends restoring this directory to your Desktop. If iCloud is not installed and running, you can import your Calendar/iCal data using the instructions in this article.

Importing Apple Calendar With iCloud Installed

Apple Calendar stores all calendar data in a single specific directory. If you need to restore your Calendar data, Carbonite recommends restoring this directory to your Desktop. If iCloud is installed and running, you can import your Calendar data using the instructions in this article.

Hibernation and Sleep Mode

When your computer hibernates or sleeps, your Internet connection is interrupted. This temporarily halts all backup and restore activity. Your Mac's hibernate and sleep settings can be accessed through Energy Saver. Adjusting your power settings when performing your initial backup or a restore allows Carbonite to complete the process more effectively.

Known Issue: Legacy FileVault Prevents Carbonite from Backing up Files

Apple's disk encryption, FileVault, prevents Carbonite from backing up files.

Backing Up Quicken

Carbonite can back up your Quicken data if you are logged into the app on your Mac and manually select it for backup.

Displaying Hidden Library Folder

In some cases, the files you wish to select for backup are within the user Library folder on your Mac, which is hidden by default. Depending on your macOS version, you can unhide these folders so they can be viewed and selected for backup within the Carbonite application.

Backing Up Your Safari Bookmarks

Carbonite can back up your Safari bookmarks data. However, the data exists in a hidden Apple folder, so it is not included in Carbonite’s default backup selections.

Importing Your Files into Programs

In most cases, you can double-click restored files and they will open in the app that is installed on your computer. However, you will need to configure certain apps to import the restored files before you can use them as you did before.

Backing Up TurboTax

Your TurboTax data should be included in your backup by default if you had Carbonite automatically select files for backup on your computer. You can view the backup status of a file by navigating to its location on the computer and viewing the colored status dot on the file and/or folder.

Backing Up Files in Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive with Carbonite

Carbonite can back up files from Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive that are synced to the computer.

Known Issue: Unable to Select iCloud Desktop and Documents Locations for Backup with Carbonite Safe

You cannot select the Desktop and Documents locations for backup with Carbonite Safe when iCloud Drive's Desktop & Documents folder sync is enabled.

Carbonite Release Notes (Mac 2x)

You can view the latest Carbonite release notes in this article.

Checking Your Backup Progress

When Carbonite finishes backing up a file, the status indicator in the Carbonite application will update. If Carbonite does not appear to be moving, it is most likely backing up a large file.

Difficulty Backing Up Drives Encrypted by Software

While enabled, disk encryption programs prevent Carbonite from performing backup operations.

Allowing Carbonite or Bomgar Through Gatekeeper

Apple's Gatekeeper may prevent you from installing Carbonite or Bomgar, but you can open System Preferences to allow Carbonite or Bomgar to be opened and installed.

Removing Files From Your Backup (Mac 1x)

You can remove files and folders through the Carbonite System Preferences pane and the data will be removed from Carbonite within 72 hours.

Removing Backed Up Files from Carbonite (Mac 2x)

You can remove files and folders through the Carbonite interface and the data will be removed from Carbonite within 72 hours.

Pausing and Resuming Carbonite (Mac 2x)

You can pause Carbonite from the Carbonite User Interface to temporarily stop Carbonite from backing up your Mac.

Viewing the Restore Status (Mac 2x)

You can check the progress of your restore through the Carbonite User Interface.

Carbonite Post-Restore Checklist (Mac 2x)

This checklist will assist you with performing post-restore functions to get your data where it needs to be and resume your backup.

Canceling a Restore (Mac 2x)

You can cancel the restore of all pending files through the Carbonite User Interface.

Finding Your Product Serial Number (Mac 2x)

Your Carbonite serial number is unique to each computer that has a Carbonite subscription and can be used to locate and access your account. Your product's serial number is located within the Carbonite User interface.

Low Priority Mode (Mac 1x)

By default, Carbonite backs up your files as quickly as possible without interfering with your important tasks. Placing Carbonite in Low Priority mode causes it to use less of your available bandwidth during backup, thereby freeing up bandwidth for other services.

Entering and Exiting Recover Mode (Mac 1x)

Recover Mode prevents changes from being made to your backup so you can perform a restore. If you transfer your Carbonite subscription to a new computer or replace the hard drive on your current computer, Carbonite will automatically start up in Recover Mode. Recover Mode can be enabled through the Carbonite Preference pane.

The Backup Tab (Mac 2x)

You can review or change your backup settings, add files and folders to your backup, and view the status of your backup through the Carbonite User Interface.

Known Issue: Backup Status Stuck at Registering (Mac 1x)

Within the Carbonite interface, the backup status is stuck at "Registering".

Locating Your Files After a Restore (Mac 2x)

Carbonite can restore files to their original location or to a location of your choice. If your files don't appear in their original locations after a restore, check your Users folders (e.g. Documents, Pictures, Music, etc.).

Accessing Your Restore Error Report for Carbonite (Mac 1x)

Carbonite will record all errors encountered during the restore process in a text file. This text file can be accessed from your desktop at the end of the restore. Files that couldn't be restored will be listed in this file.

Stuck Restore (Mac 2x)

If it seems like your restore is stuck, it's possible that Carbonite is restoring a single large file.

Allowing Carbonite Through the Mac Firewall (Mac 2x)

If Carbonite is having trouble connecting to the Internet, you may need to configure the Mac Firewall to allow Carbonite access to the internet.

Known Issue: Carbonite Becomes Corrupted After Using Time Machine to Restore (Mac 2x)

After using Apple's Time Machine to restore your Mac, Carbonite becomes corrupted.

How to Find the Email Address Associated with Your Account (Mac 2x)

You can locate the email address associated with your Carbonite account by opening Carbonite from Apple menu or by looking up additional information.

Starting Your Backup Over (Mac 2x)

You can remove all your files from your backup through the Carbonite interface and the data will be removed from Carbonite within 72 hours. After you do so, you can select only what you want to select for backup.

How to Speed up Your Backup and Restore

The speed of your Internet connection is the primary factor for how fast you can back up or restore your files. Your backup and restore speed will also depend on the speed of your computer, the amount of data selected for backup/restore, and the amount of strain your other programs and services have on your internet connection.

Restore Speed

Recovering small amounts of data (a few files here or there) usually takes only a few seconds or minutes. Restoring all of your data will take longer depending on how much data you have and the speed of your ISP.

Message: "Subscription Date is Invalid"

If you receive a pop-up notification from the Carbonite software stating your subscription date is invalid, please reboot your computer to resolve the issue.

Carbonite for Mac 1x and Antivirus

If you are using third-party antivirus software on your Mac, it is possible that it may slow or block your Carbonite backup. Antivirus programs will scan any processes that they do not recognize - even if they are legitimate - and can also prevent them from running altogether. In this case, you will need to configure your antivirus to allow Carbonite to function.

Carbonite for Mac 2x and Antivirus

If you are using third-party antivirus software on your Mac, it is possible that it may slow or block your Carbonite backup. Antivirus programs will scan any processes that they do not recognize - even if they are legitimate - and can also prevent them from running altogether. In this case, you will need to configure your antivirus to allow Carbonite to function.

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