macOS: What is /private/var/db/fpsd/dvp and Why Doesn’t it Get Backed Up?

Carbon Copy Cloner duplicates my startup disk automatically every night at 11:46PM.

Carbon Copy Cloner users recently noticed a warning that ONE file, /private/var/db/fpsd/dvp, isn’t being backed up. Here’s why. (tl;dr. It’s not a problem.) This Apple discussion explains the situation for this user:

Carbon Copy Cloner gives me an error when I finish backing up, saying I can’t copy this file to my backup drive because it didn’t have permissions. What is it, and is it safe to use the backup without this file? When I go to the file in Finder, the folder it’s in doesn’t give me access.

Check It Out: macOS: What is /private/var/db/fpsd/dvp and Why Doesn’t it Get Backed Up?

4 thoughts on “macOS: What is /private/var/db/fpsd/dvp and Why Doesn’t it Get Backed Up?

  • TL;DR: this “super secret” directory is part of Apple’s FairPlay DRM/copy protection scheme, and you’re not supposed to tamper with it.

    fpsd seems to be a demon that is part of Apple’s CoreFP subsystem, which apparently implements Apple’s FairPlay Digital Rights Management (DRM), which I believe is used for iTunes video (both streaming and downloads) and Apple Music (both streaming and downloads, presumably.)

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