Start Service On Boot Not Highlighted?

Hello, I setup a backup scheduled task but it seems I don’t have the option for Duplicacy to start at boot.

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It’s basically an out of the box Windows Server 2016 install.

Thanks.

That is because you haven’t installed the service. You can run DuplicacyGUI64.exe -install inside an administrator DOS window to install the service.

Please read the section Run as a Windows Service on Duplicacy User Guide for instructions on how to make the service work.

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That was it! Thanks. I didn’t see it in the guide, I must have skimmed over it too fast. Thanks a lot.

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@gchen Quick update, I moved over to the web version. Is it the same process to register it as a service to start on boot?

This option isn’t yet available in the web edition.

A Windows service mode is truly the last feature I’m waiting for before switching on some of our systems (my home computer is using web but only because I’m logged in 24/7)…

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Any word on supporting a windows service mode for the web edition ? I really like the web edition, but it’s disconcerting to think that I might forget to startup the backup service.

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Hey Chad, I don’t know if this is helpful, but if you’re using a Windows box, you can use the following to create a Scheduled Task that will run Duplicacy Web Edition on startup. As long as you installed Duplicacy Web Edition in the default location (I’m not sure it even allows you to change the path actually) and are logged into Windows under the same user account you installed it with, just do the following:

  • Open powershell as admin (type ‘powershell’ in Start Menu, right click “Windows Powershell” item that appears, and click ‘Run as Administrator’)
  • Copy/paste the following text into the powershell window and hit ENTER on your keyboard

schtasks /create /sc onstart /rl HIGHEST /tn “Duplicacy Web Edition” /tr “$env:LOCALAPPDATA\DuplicacyWebEdition\duplicacy_web_win_x64_1.0.0.exe”
$task = Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName “Duplicacy Web Edition”
$task.Settings.ExecutionTimeLimit = “PT0S”
$task.Settings.StopIfGoingOnBatteries = $false
$task.Settings.DisallowStartIfOnBatteries = $false
Set-ScheduledTask $task

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honestly i have yet to get the run as a service to work properly on any windows machine i have and have abandoned it all together…

i just log into the pc and run with admin privileges or VSS gets messed up and it misses a ton of files

This is fine, and I use something similar myself. But it doesn’t replicate the behaviour of a proper service mode.

  1. Requires the user to be logged in. Not great for servers.
  2. Doesn’t run in the background. Not great if you don’t want users interfering with backup jobs / settings.
  3. Can only backup your own files - not, for example, other user profiles. Not even with administrator privileges.
  4. Browser starts up on logging in. In elevated privileges mode, which is insecure and prevents things like URLs from being opened in other application. Until the browser is restarted.

I wonder if @gchen could confirm if there are definite plans on a service mode for the new Web Edition?

At the moment, I have a number of machines still running the legacy GUI. I would really like to upgrade them to the new Web Edition, and I really don’t want to consider switching to CLI for these cases. (My personal machines are making do with the new Web Edition but I’d love for them to be running as a service also.)

You and I think alike. I did indeed set it up in the task scheduler (albeit manually), running with “highest privs”, which appears to effectively be admin, as vss is running fine. I understand and agree with the other comments about the benefits of a true service, but this does indeed work fine for me (as I’m the only user on the machine)

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Yes, the service mode is still in the plan. It will be in version 1.0.1 or 1.0.2.

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@Droolio All valid points and I probably should have mentioned at least a couple of them (such as the user profile restrictions [unless changed to run as SYSTEM] and especially the browser thing in particular). I was merely trying to provide a quick, useful workaround with my powershell “script” until an update is released with a proper service implementation. Then again, I suspect most people who are running Duplicacy (at least those running the CLI prior to the Web Edition) are knowledgeable enough to know how to setup a scheduled task…