Data

Tools

Indexes

Applications

Experiments

Awesome

An open API service indexing awesome lists of open source software.

https://github.com/kvrnl/carbon-copy

Free real-time folder backup for Windows — one-way mirror to up to two drives, recoverable deletes, quiet tray app. kvrnl.io
https://github.com/kvrnl/carbon-copy

backup csharp desktop-app dotnet file-backup freeware real-time-backup tray-app windows wpf

Last synced: about 21 hours ago
JSON representation

Free real-time folder backup for Windows — one-way mirror to up to two drives, recoverable deletes, quiet tray app. kvrnl.io

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          
# CarbonCopy



**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.



> Made by [KVRNL](https://kvrnl.com)



---



## What it does



- **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).

- **Two destinations** — keep a copy on, say, an external SSD *and* a network drive, so you always have a spare.

- **Safety-net sweep** — a periodic background scan catches anything missed, including changes made while the app (or a drive) was offline.

- **Recoverable deletes** — deleting a file moves its backup copy to a dated Recycle Bin inside the destination, kept for a retention period you choose.

- **Turbo mode** — temporarily speeds up large transfers, then switches itself back off.

- **Automatic updates** — checks for new versions hourly and installs them silently in the background.

- **Tray app** — lives by the clock, starts with Windows (optional), and never nags you.



CarbonCopy 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.



---



## Download & install



1. Grab the latest **`CarbonCopy-x.y.z-Setup.exe`** from the [**Releases**](../../releases/latest) page.

2. Run it. Windows may show a blue *"Windows protected your PC"* screen because the app isn't code-signed — click **More info → Run anyway**.

3. Follow the installer. It installs per-user (no admin needed) and can create a desktop shortcut and start with Windows.



That's it — CarbonCopy opens and drops into your system tray.



---



## Quick start



1. On the **Dashboard**, click **+ Add Folder** and choose a folder you want protected. Add as many as you like.

2. Under **Destination 1**, click **Change Path** and pick where backups should go. Add a second destination too if you want two copies.

3. Flip each destination's toggle **ON**. Done — CarbonCopy keeps everything in sync automatically.



Your 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.



---



## How it works



**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.



**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).



**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.



**Deleting files & 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.



**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.



---



## Settings



- **Sweep interval** — how often the background safety scan runs.

- **Recycle Bin retention** — how long deleted files are kept before being cleared.

- **Exclude patterns** — folder/file names to skip (e.g. `node_modules`, `.git`, `Thumbs.db`).

- **Debounce & concurrent copies** — fine-tune responsiveness and speed.

- **Turbo** — parallel transfers, buffer size, and time limit.

- **Start with Windows**, notifications, and **Export / Import** to move your setup to another PC.



---



## Automatic updates



CarbonCopy 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.



---



## Running in the background



Closing 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*.



If a file ever can't be backed up, the reason is recorded in a log at:



```

%AppData%\CarbonCopy\errors.log

```



Your settings live at `%AppData%\CarbonCopy\config.json`.



---



## Notes



- **Windows / .NET.** Self-contained build — no separate .NET install required.

- **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.

- **Not code-signed (yet).** SmartScreen will warn on first run — *More info → Run anyway*.



---



© KVRNL