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Summary:
When Carbonite scans for files to back up, it also removes deleted files from the backup to keep it up-to-date. Depending on your plan, Carbonite removes deleted files after 30 or 60 days from the date they were deleted from the computer.
If you remove files from the backup via the Carbonite Backup Drive (for Windows) or the Carbonite app (for Mac), those files are removed from the Carbonite backup within 72 hours.
Files or drives that are missing from the computer are also subject to the same backup removal rules based on their plan. Here is a list of common scenarios:
- Transferring Carbonite to another computer: When you transfer Carbonite to another computer and start a backup, Carbonite will remove the previous computer backup after 30 or 60 days, based on the plan.
- Disconnected external drives: When an external drive is disconnected from the computer, Carbonite will remove the drive from the backup if it is not reconnected within 30 or 60 days, based on the plan.
- Disconnected Network Attached Storage drives (NAS): When the network path for a NAS drive is changed or the Windows administrator that selected the drive for backup does not sign in, Carbonite will remove the drive from the backup within 60 days. NAS drive support is included only with Safe Backup Pro plans (Core, Power, and Ultimate).
This article applies to:
| Carbonite Plans | Products | Platforms |
| Basic, Plus, Prime, Core, Power, and Ultimate (Not sure?) | Safe and Safe Pro (Not sure?) | Windows and Mac |
Solution:
Refer to the table below to determine how many days your Carbonite plan retains your deleted files.
| Carbonite Plan | Amount of Days Carbonite Retains the Deleted Files in the Backup |
| Safe Basic | 30 days |
| Safe Plus | 30 days |
| Safe Prime | 30 days |
| Safe Core | 60 days |
| Safe Power | 60 days |
| Safe Ultimate | 60 days |
Example: If you delete a backed up file from your desktop, Carbonite will remove it from the backup after 30 days on a Carbonite Safe Basic, Plus, or Prime plan.
To ensure the files you want to protect are backed up, do not delete files you wish to keep or disconnect your selected drive longer than 30 or 60 days without reconnecting it to the original computer.
