Troubleshooting
I tried to install Carbonite, but the installation didn’t work?
If your installation of Carbonite has not worked, then log into your Carbonite account, using the email address and the password that you nominated and reinstall Carbonite. If you continue to have problems then please contact us via our Customer Support channels.
Which ports does Carbonite use?
Carbonite uses ports 25 (SMTP), 53 (DNS), 80 (HTTP) and 443 (SSL).
What does it mean if the Carbonite lock icon is red/yellow?
The Carbonite lock icon in the system tray turns different colors to indicate the backup state of your computer.
- A green icon indicates that your backup is operating normally and that all files have been backed up within the last 24 hours.
- A yellow icon indicates that your backup is behind schedule (your files are more than 24 hours overdue for backup). When you first install Carbonite, the lock icon will remain yellow until your first backup is complete.
- A red icon indicates that something is preventing Carbonite from operating normally. Double-click on the lock icon to check for error messages, and if necessary, contact customer support for help.
Carbonite is interfering with another program
Carbonite may interfere with the operation of other programs that use the Volume Shadow Service (VSS), such as disk defragmenters.
Right-click on the Carbonite lock icon in your system tray and select “Disable Carbonite”. This will immediately free up the Volume Shadow Copy Service for use by another program. When you’re finished with the other program, make sure to right-click on the Carbonite lock icon again and select “Resume Backup”.
Carbonite says it’s waiting for an Internet connection
If you’re able to access the Internet (e.g., you can visit web pages and check your email), but Carbonite says it’s “waiting for an Internet connection”, try rebooting your computer.
Beginning in March 2009, some customers experienced a change in their Windows HOSTS file, which resulted in network connectivity issues. In many cases, Carbonite disappeared or experienced connection problems. Microsoft has provided a simple fix for this which you can find here.
If you follow the instructions and create a new hosts file, then simply re-install Carbonite by logging into your Carbonite account.
If you’re not able to access the Internet, you’ll need to repair your Internet connection before you can use Carbonite. For problems with your Internet connection, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
If you’re receiving this message and the Carbonite lock icon in your system tray is red, your subscription may have expired. Check the expiration date of your subscription by double clicking on the lock icon, then purchase or renew your subscription to resume your backup.
Carbonite isn’t backing up my USB drive / external drive
The current version of Carbonite doesn’t back up USB drives, external hard drives or networked drives. Currently, Carbonite backs up only the files that reside on drives permanently attached to your computer.
Help, my Carbonite lock icon disappeared!
There are a few things that can cause your Carbonite lock icon to disappear from your system tray:
- The lock icon may be automatically hidden by your system tray. Click the arrow to the left of the system tray to expand the tray to show hidden icons.
- Carbonite may not be running for some reason. Click on the Windows start menu and select All Programs -> Carbonite -> Carbonite InfoCenter to launch Carbonite.
- Another program may be interfering with the operation of Carbonite.
Can’t connect to server, ‘Security Certificate has expired’
If upon installing or reinstalling you get a window that says ‘Security Certificate has Expired’ check the system clock. This message would appear if the system clock is not set to the current time. You can most likely fix this by setting the system clock to the correct time.
Is my backup stuck?
Carbonite backs up your files from smallest to largest. Once your backup is almost complete, you may notice that the status indicator stays at the same level for long periods of time.
This usually happens because Carbonite is in the middle of backing up a large file, and it does not increment the ‘percent complete’ indicator until the large file is completely backed up. So, for example, if you have 10GB of files in total, and the last file Carbonite needs to back up is 1GB in size, your backup status will hover at 90% until the 1GB file has been successfully backed up to our servers. Then your backup status will jump up to 100%.
Open the Carbonite InfoCenter and check the Status page to see which file is currently being backed up (if you are on a Mac, open the Carbonite Preference Pane and check the Backup tab). If you’re getting near the end of your first backup and Carbonite is in the middle of backing up a large file, just leave your computer on until the file has been backed up. If you need to shut your computer down for any reason, don’t worry, Carbonite will pick-up from where it left off before you shut down.
If you’re not nearing the end of your backup, and / or Carbonite appears to be stuck backing up a small file, try rebooting your computer to reestablish your computer’s connection to the Carbonite servers.
Known program compatibility issues
Certain programs are known to interfere with the operation of Carbonite. We are working with the makers of these software products to resolve the compatibility issues.
- Kaspersky Internet Security v7.0
Symptom: Carbonite registration fails during installation.
Workaround: Place Kaspersky in ‘Compatibility Mode’, or disable Kaspersky prior to installing Carbonite.
- CyberSieve 2.4.1
Symptom: Carbonite does not install properly.
Workaround: Configure CyberSieve to “allow” Carbonite, or temporarily uninstall CyberSieve, install Carbonite, then reinstall CyberSieve.
- CyberSieve 2.6
Symptom: Carbonite installation fails during registration with server.
Workaround Open the CyberSieve Control Panel, under Settings option de-select “Only these Web Sites are allowed”.
- CitiVan, MBNA ShopSafe and Discover Deskshop (created by Orbiscom)
Symptom: Carbonite Lock Icon disappears from the system tray
Workaround: Disable these programs when you’re not actively using them by right-clicking on the CitiVan / ShopSafe / Deskshop icon in your system tray and selecting ‘Exit’.
Restart Carbonite from your Start menu by selecting Programs > Carbonite > Carbonite Backup > Carbonite InfoCenter.
Troubleshooting Carbonite Online Backup Errors
If you are continuously receiving error messages regarding your Carbonite Online Backup, you might want to follow these troubleshooting steps:
- Restart your computer
- Disable Windows Firewall
- Disable Windows Defender
- Disable all antivirus, antispyware or other security programs on your computer (such as Symantec, McAfee, AVG, Trend Micro or Kaspersky)
- Refresh your Internet connection (you can contact your Internet Service Provider for details on how to do this for your particular connection)
- Bypass any wireless access points, routers, or firewalls in between your computer and your broadband Internet connection
- Close all programs that may be continually trying to access or lock your files
- Ensure that your hard drive is not full or close to being full
If these steps do not resolve your issue, please click here for information on how to send a support request directly to our free customer support email system.
Carbonite won’t install properly if CyberSieve web watcher is installed.
CyberSieve 2.4.1 currently blocks Carbonite from installing properly. Please either configure CyberSieve to allow Carbonite, or temporarily uninstall CyberSieve before installing Carbonite, and then reinstall CyberSieve after Carbonite is installed.
CyberSieve 2.6 users should de-select “Only these Web Sites are allowed” under Settings in the CyberSieve Control Panel.
Difficulty Installing While Running Trend PC-cillin Security Software
If you are having difficulty installing Carbonite onto a computer that is running Trend PC-cillin Internet Security, please follow the steps below.
- Right-click the Trend Micro icon (the blue capsule) in the system tray area.
- Click Exit in the associated context menu.
- The icon will disappear, indicating that PC-cillin is completely turned off.
- Install Carbonite by logging in to www.carbonite.com.au/manage and clicking the Reinstall button on the My Protected Computers tab.
- Once the installation is complete, double-click the Trend Micro icon on the desktop.
- When the Main console window appears, the Trend Micro icon will reappear in your computer’s system tray area, indicating that the Trend Micro program has been reactivated.
- Close the Trend Micro console window.
