{"id":51698797,"url":"https://github.com/kvrnl/carbon-copy","last_synced_at":"2026-07-16T08:02:11.703Z","repository":{"id":371184372,"uuid":"1273303676","full_name":"kvrnl/carbon-copy","owner":"kvrnl","description":"Free real-time folder backup for Windows — one-way mirror to up to two drives, recoverable deletes, quiet tray app. kvrnl.io","archived":false,"fork":false,"pushed_at":"2026-07-13T21:36:46.000Z","size":6,"stargazers_count":0,"open_issues_count":0,"forks_count":0,"subscribers_count":0,"default_branch":"main","last_synced_at":"2026-07-13T22:16:59.899Z","etag":null,"topics":["backup","csharp","desktop-app","dotnet","file-backup","freeware","real-time-backup","tray-app","windows","wpf"],"latest_commit_sha":null,"homepage":"https://kvrnl.io/products/carbon-copy/","language":null,"has_issues":true,"has_wiki":null,"has_pages":null,"mirror_url":null,"source_name":null,"license":"other","status":null,"scm":"git","pull_requests_enabled":true,"icon_url":"https://github.com/kvrnl.png","metadata":{"files":{"readme":"README.md","changelog":null,"contributing":null,"funding":null,"license":"LICENSE","code_of_conduct":null,"threat_model":null,"audit":null,"citation":null,"codeowners":null,"security":null,"support":null,"governance":null,"roadmap":null,"authors":null,"dei":null,"publiccode":null,"codemeta":null,"zenodo":null,"notice":null,"maintainers":null,"copyright":null,"agents":null,"dco":null,"cla":null}},"created_at":"2026-06-18T11:49:11.000Z","updated_at":"2026-07-13T21:36:50.000Z","dependencies_parsed_at":null,"dependency_job_id":null,"html_url":"https://github.com/kvrnl/carbon-copy","commit_stats":null,"previous_names":["kvrnl/carbon-copy"],"tags_count":6,"template":false,"template_full_name":null,"purl":"pkg:github/kvrnl/carbon-copy","repository_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/kvrnl%2Fcarbon-copy","tags_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/kvrnl%2Fcarbon-copy/tags","releases_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/kvrnl%2Fcarbon-copy/releases","manifests_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/kvrnl%2Fcarbon-copy/manifests","owner_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/owners/kvrnl","download_url":"https://codeload.github.com/kvrnl/carbon-copy/tar.gz/refs/heads/main","sbom_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/kvrnl%2Fcarbon-copy/sbom","scorecard":null,"host":{"name":"GitHub","url":"https://github.com","kind":"github","repositories_count":286080680,"owners_count":35535880,"icon_url":"https://github.com/github.png","version":null,"created_at":"2022-05-30T11:31:42.601Z","updated_at":"2026-05-26T15:22:16.424Z","status":"online","status_checked_at":"2026-07-16T02:00:06.687Z","response_time":83,"last_error":null,"robots_txt_status":"success","robots_txt_updated_at":"2025-07-24T06:49:26.215Z","robots_txt_url":"https://github.com/robots.txt","online":true,"can_crawl_api":true,"host_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub","repositories_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories","repository_names_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repository_names","owners_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/owners"}},"keywords":["backup","csharp","desktop-app","dotnet","file-backup","freeware","real-time-backup","tray-app","windows","wpf"],"created_at":"2026-07-16T08:02:10.821Z","updated_at":"2026-07-16T08:02:11.692Z","avatar_url":"https://github.com/kvrnl.png","language":null,"funding_links":[],"categories":[],"sub_categories":[],"readme":"# CarbonCopy\n\n**Real-time folder backup for Windows.** CarbonCopy quietly mirrors the folders you care about to up to two destinations — an external drive, a network drive, another folder — and keeps them in sync the moment files change. It runs in the system tray and stays out of your way.\n\n\u003e Made by [KVRNL](https://kvrnl.com)\n\n---\n\n## What it does\n\n- **Live mirroring** — the instant you save, rename, or delete a file in a watched folder, the change is copied to your backups (usually within about a second).\n- **Two destinations** — keep a copy on, say, an external SSD *and* a network drive, so you always have a spare.\n- **Safety-net sweep** — a periodic background scan catches anything missed, including changes made while the app (or a drive) was offline.\n- **Recoverable deletes** — deleting a file moves its backup copy to a dated Recycle Bin inside the destination, kept for a retention period you choose.\n- **Turbo mode** — temporarily speeds up large transfers, then switches itself back off.\n- **Automatic updates** — checks for new versions hourly and installs them silently in the background.\n- **Tray app** — lives by the clock, starts with Windows (optional), and never nags you.\n\nCarbonCopy is a **one-way mirror**: your source folders are the source of truth and are only ever **read** — never modified or deleted. All writing and deleting happens inside the destination folders.\n\n---\n\n## Download \u0026 install\n\n1. Grab the latest **`CarbonCopy-x.y.z-Setup.exe`** from the [**Releases**](../../releases/latest) page.\n2. Run it. Windows may show a blue *\"Windows protected your PC\"* screen because the app isn't code-signed — click **More info → Run anyway**.\n3. Follow the installer. It installs per-user (no admin needed) and can create a desktop shortcut and start with Windows.\n\nThat's it — CarbonCopy opens and drops into your system tray.\n\n---\n\n## Quick start\n\n1. On the **Dashboard**, click **+ Add Folder** and choose a folder you want protected. Add as many as you like.\n2. Under **Destination 1**, click **Change Path** and pick where backups should go. Add a second destination too if you want two copies.\n3. Flip each destination's toggle **ON**. Done — CarbonCopy keeps everything in sync automatically.\n\nYour files are mirrored into a subfolder named after each source folder (e.g. source `C:\\Work` lands at `D:\\Backup\\Work\\…`), so multiple sources never collide.\n\n---\n\n## How it works\n\n**Real time + a safety net.** A file watcher copies changes the instant they happen. On top of that, a periodic *sweep* re-checks every file (size + modified-time) and fixes anything that drifted — for example, edits made while CarbonCopy was closed or a destination was unplugged.\n\n**Source folders.** Only ever read. Use **Pause** to stop watching a folder temporarily, or **Remove** to stop backing it up (files already copied to your destinations are kept).\n\n**Destinations.** Up to two. The colored dot shows status — blue = connected and syncing, orange = paused/waiting, red = offline, gray = disabled. If a drive drops out, the destination pauses and a **Reconnect** button appears; click it once the drive is back and CarbonCopy catches up.\n\n**Deleting files \u0026 the Recycle Bin.** When a file is removed from a source, its backup copy isn't erased — it's moved into a `Recycle Bin` folder inside the destination, organized by date, and kept for the **retention period** (set in Settings) before being cleared. Accidental deletes are recoverable.\n\n**Turbo mode.** Temporarily copies more files at once with bigger buffers to push large transfers faster. It turns itself back off automatically after the time limit.\n\n---\n\n## Settings\n\n- **Sweep interval** — how often the background safety scan runs.\n- **Recycle Bin retention** — how long deleted files are kept before being cleared.\n- **Exclude patterns** — folder/file names to skip (e.g. `node_modules`, `.git`, `Thumbs.db`).\n- **Debounce \u0026 concurrent copies** — fine-tune responsiveness and speed.\n- **Turbo** — parallel transfers, buffer size, and time limit.\n- **Start with Windows**, notifications, and **Export / Import** to move your setup to another PC.\n\n---\n\n## Automatic updates\n\nCarbonCopy checks this repository's Releases about every hour. When a newer version is published, it downloads the installer and updates itself silently in the background — closing, upgrading, and relaunching to the tray with no interruption. You can also trigger a check anytime via **Check for Updates** on the Settings tab.\n\n---\n\n## Running in the background\n\nClosing the window doesn't quit CarbonCopy — it tucks into the system tray and keeps backing up. **Right-click the tray icon** for *Open Dashboard*, *Pause All*, or *Exit*.\n\nIf a file ever can't be backed up, the reason is recorded in a log at:\n\n```\n%AppData%\\CarbonCopy\\errors.log\n```\n\nYour settings live at `%AppData%\\CarbonCopy\\config.json`.\n\n---\n\n## Notes\n\n- **Windows / .NET.** Self-contained build — no separate .NET install required.\n- **One-way mirror.** Destinations are made to match the source. A file that exists in a destination's mirror folder but no longer in the source is moved to the Recycle Bin; a destination file that differs from the source is replaced by the source version.\n- **Not code-signed (yet).** SmartScreen will warn on first run — *More info → Run anyway*.\n\n---\n\n© KVRNL\n","project_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fkvrnl%2Fcarbon-copy","html_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/projects/github.com%2Fkvrnl%2Fcarbon-copy","lists_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fkvrnl%2Fcarbon-copy/lists"}