Carbon Copy Cloner now a paid app (V 3.5.0)

[sigamy]

I've only been using CCC for a few months. I use it along with Time Machine and CrashPlan.

Prior to CCC, I used Apple's Backup, which came free with .mac. I really wish Apple would remove the filesize limit on Backup. it is a very basic tool but does what I need and has a nice simple UI.

I'm sure I will go to ML so I need to evaluate if I need CCC or SuperDuper or just move ahead with TM and CrashPlan.

[AndyCarolan]

I feel that the cost is more than fair considering what it would save me in productivity loss in the event of a HDD failure.

[etsi]

Yes it's a nice app worth to pay but it updated mine without any warning and the trial expired immediately. I didn't know I had to pay after the update.

[fhall1]

Originally Posted by etsi

Yes it's a nice app worth to pay but it updated mine without any warning and the trial expired immediately. I didn't know I had to pay after the update.

Don't get me wrong....I love CCC and have donated for it in the past, but this was rather sneaky...For folks that were used to this being free (donationware) forever in the past you would simply go someplace like MacUpdate, grab the new releae, drop it in Applications, click Replace and be good to go. There should have been a warning with this version that if you do that - it's now a pay version....a readme in the DMG (prominently named something like V3.5 is COMMERCIAL PAYWARE NOW) or something would have helped.

[halfapie]

There are so many tutorials/guides on the internet that encourage the use of CCC as a free option. I suppose those will have to be re-written now.

I have used CCC and SuperDuper before, but it was always for cloning purposes when I swap hard drives. I never used the scheduled or incremental backup features before.

I will probably use SuperDuper from now on, since the basic cloning features that I need are free with SuperDuper. I would have liked CCC to adapt this multi-tier pricing as well.

I agree with everyone that CCC is excellent software and the dev. deserves to get paid for it. Given my fiances, I would consider purchasing CCC if it was less than $20. I think the introductory price is okay but the normal retail price at $40 is way too high for me.

[Uofmtiger]

I just started using this software a couple weeks ago and it works great, but I am not sure I want to pay that much for the update. I guess the question is whether the old version still works, and if so, what does the new version offer that makes it any better?

On my Mac, when it asked if I wanted to update, it mentioned that the new version was not free. I told it to skip the update. I may buy it, but I haven't decided yet.

[xtine911]

I'm on 3.4.5, and this is what it says when I launch CCC (on ML)

"This version of CCC has not been thoroughly qualified against Mountain Lion

Ongoing testing has not revealed any problems, however final qualification will be deferred to the final GM release of Mountain Lion. Please report any problems in a private discussion at http://help.bombich.com."

[AzN1337c0d3r]

Originally Posted by smartalic34

What are the odds that the old, free version works well with Mountain Lion? Bombich says the new version is ML-certified, but who's to say the old version isn't compatible?...

Works completely fine.

[xtine911]

Yup, was able to successfully make a bootable clone last night too.

[weckart]

Originally Posted by etsi

Yes it's a nice app worth to pay but it updated mine without any warning and the trial expired immediately. I didn't know I had to pay after the update.

I just noticed that the version I had on this Macbook was 3.1. I fired it up and it offered to update it to 3.4.6 (still free), which it did.

[henryseiden]

Originally Posted by weckart

I just noticed that the version I had on this Macbook was 3.1. I fired it up and it offered to update it to 3.4.6 (still free), which it did.

That's probably the way to keep working with the same donor ware version of CCC. Simply copy the old version 3.4.6(?) back and use that- ignore the update requests, or turn off notifications.

I think the new app is pretty good. Still think that no mention was made of future upgrades and whether they would now be free with paid version. I assume they would be free and my 2¢ is that it is part of the fee charged to date. For my part would go back to the latest donor ware version if Mike decides to charge for upgrades henceforth.

[henryseiden]

Originally Posted by sigamy

I've only been using CCC for a few months. I use it along with Time Machine and CrashPlan.

TM still has a few positives for me. I still use it for restores to my day-to-day work:

• Finder menu-like integrated interface to drag 'n drop restores.
• Chugs along in the background.

TM has some significant drawbacks for me:

• Slow.
• Easily 'confused' as to where the backup resides, especially if back up stored on a networked drive.
• Poor drive management. Uses unique sparse bundle fileset, where others (particularly CCC) use sparse image which are viewable in it's app.
• Space hog uses a huge 'scratchpad'.
• Doesn't play well with other files in its partition.

I use a combination of three apps- TM, CCC, Retrospect Backup. Trying to use the strengths of each for my entire handful of Macs, iOS devices, and their files. Storage space is not a problem, yet. I was burned by the drawbacks of each of the apps and the way we work around here. We decided long ago that Cloud backups are not for us. Security is definitely an issue.

The plan is complicated, admittedly. K.I.S.S would be better, but haven't found one app to do everything I need (that works over a long time frame).

[etsi]

Why not to use super duper?

CCC is a nice application but the interface is not that great for 40$

[Qaanol]

Originally Posted by Weaselboy

No, they are both OS X only.

I think we may be talking past each other.

I have CCC and with it, I can make a backup of any disc I connect into my Mac via USB, FireWire, WiFi, or insert into the optical drive. However, I have been unable to successfully mount my iPhone as a standard USB flash drive, which I would like to do.

Thus, my question amounts to, can I, using CCC or some other software, connect my iPhone to my Mac, and use the software to create, on my Mac or external hard drive, a disk image which is a perfect bit-for-bit copy of my iPhone, in such a way that at a later time I could restore my iPhone from that snapshot and have it function exactly as it did at the time I made the backup.

Clearly this is *possible* since it amounts to nothing more nor less than copying digital information from one location to another, then later copying that same information back to where it came from originally. My question is whether this particular software, or any software you know of, has that functionality.

[Weaselboy]

Originally Posted by Qaanol

I think we may be talking past each other.

I understood your question, and perhaps did not answer clearly. Neither CCC nor any other backup app I am aware of can access the iPhone at the OS level that would be required to do a full clone like that. There are some utilities that allow limited file access to iOS devices to grab photos and so on.

I do have an idea that would do what you want. Plug you iPhone in to iTunes via USB and right click on the device then click backup. That will do a full backup of the phone that can be used to restore. That backup creates a file at ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup . You could use CCC to copy that backup to a disk and keep versions you so you could put an old version back and use iPhone restore from one of these older backups.

Is that what you are after?

[Qaanol]

Originally Posted by Weaselboy

I do have an idea that would do what you want. Plug you iPhone in to iTunes via USB and right click on the device then click backup. That will do a full backup of the phone that can be used to restore. That backup creates a file at ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup . You could use CCC to copy that backup to a disk and keep versions you so you could put an old version back and use iPhone restore from one of these older backups.

Is that what you are after?

Well, the big issue with restoring from backups, is whether it will still work after Apple releases a new iOS version, and whether it will preserve all jailbreak tweaks, apps, and settings.

Clearly a complete bit-for-bit backup would preserve everything and work exactly as if nothing had changed. I am not at all convinced the iTunes-created backup approaches that level.

[Weaselboy]

Originally Posted by Qaanol

Well, the big issue with restoring from backups, is whether it will still work after Apple releases a new iOS version, and whether it will preserve all jailbreak tweaks, apps, and settings.

Clearly a complete bit-for-bit backup would preserve everything and work exactly as if nothing had changed. I am not at all convinced the iTunes-created backup approaches that level.

I have done it over versions, so that works... but jailbreak? All bets are off there I am afraid.

[illegalprelude]

Considering this app costs more than Mountain Lion itself...its a bit steep. I'm cool with it costing $5-10 but around $30? No thanks..

[Qaanol]

Originally Posted by illegalprelude

Considering this app costs more than Mountain Lion itself...its a bit steep. I'm cool with it costing $5-10 but around $30? No thanks..

Well, with Mountain Lion, you’re paying for the difference between “Staying with Lion (or Snow Leopard)” and “Getting Mountain Lion”. That’s only a marginal benefit really.

Conversely, with Carbon Copy Cloner, you’re paying for the difference between “not having CCC” and “having CCC”, which depending on your requirements could be huge.

[Pompiliu]

Who cares if it's paid? I have a solution...

[Vantage Point]

I've used CCC since I switched to Mac about two years ago. I did give a donation and it has saved my bacon at least once when my drive in my MBP got corrupted. TM is not the same but it is complimentary.

Anyway, I have no problem with making this a paid software but $40 is steep, $25 seems about right. Not sure how I will move forward, stick with CCC or SD. I am still using Snow Leopard but that will change eventually.

[zjazz]

I've used CCC several times to clone my backup HD to backup2 HD. Great program, but it's not free anymore. Is there any other program I can get for free to do the same job?

[simsaladimbamba]

SuperDuper!, though it costs money to use the more advanced features. I guess you already deleted the version of CCC before 3.5? If not, why not use that still free version then? I do, as do many others, but then again, I am not using OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion yet and do not need CCC 3.5 features.

[zjazz]

Yes I'm on ML 10.8.2 and I updated it and it became 30 days trial...

EDIT: I've found older version 3.4.2 that I downloaded some time ago, it works perfect on ML, so I'm continuing the "free" version Thanks!

[hfg]

geez -- if you like the program, and you use the program, give the guy who wrote it a little incentive to keep it going. It isn't exactly expensive for what it does for you.

If all you want to do is clone your disk occasionally, use the Disk Utility you already have to "restore" your target drive. Free!