Install folder missing

Support
#1

I’m afraid I know the answer to this question, but I wanted to ask it just in case someone has a less sinister explanation. I installed Duplicacy on both my wife’s and daughter’s machines a week ago (Windows 10 and 11). I monitored both for a few days and then left them alone until this morning. They both did four backups and then stopped. When I got on their machines to take a look, the Duplicacy install folder is just gone. The service doesn’t show in the Services app. The app is still listed in Add/Remove Programs, but the install folder is completely missing, and not in the Recycle Bin. The only virus software running is Defender, and I don’t see any indication that it has quarantined anything.

Could it be a failed update?

#2

There’s 2 ways to install Duplicacy GUI - per-user, or for all users (and optionally as a service)…

Look for .duplicacy-web in the root of the user’s profile i.e. C:\Users\Jane. For an ‘all users’ install, it’ll be in C:\ProgramData.

Note, to install in service mode, you’ll need to right-click the installer and ‘Run as administrator’, choosing to install for all users and then to install as a service at the end.

If you’re switching from one install mode to another, you can move the .duplicacy-web folder, but make sure Duplicacy isn’t running (check the task tray and that no service is running). And probably best to uninstall previous instance before re-install.

#3

OK, I’ve realized that I may have been wrongly expecting to find things on their machines where I have things on mine. I installed mine so long ago I may have done it differently, or it may have just installed differently. But they both have the .duplicacy-web folder in their home, so I guess that’s good.

So now the question becomes, why isn’t it running? It’s not doing backups and the web app is not responding.

#4

In per-user, non-service mode, Duplicacy has to be set to ‘Start on login’ via the tray icon. If it’s not already running there, just double-click the shortcut on the desktop - the tray icon should appear, and you can right-click and set that option.

Note if you install as a service (all users), using the desktop shortcut isn’t recommended, as it runs another instance under the user account. You should replace that shortcut with a bookmark URL to http://127.0.0.1:3875/.

Honestly, the Duplicacy installer really needs to be improved.

Backup fails with "another process has locked a portion of the file"
#5

Got it. I actually knew all of this a year-and-a-half ago when I installed on my own machines. My freak-out was clearly premature. Still love Duplicacy though. Works great!