Unable to get licensed Duplicacy Instance (with configuration) on Windows Startup (Install as a service)

Support
#1

Been using Duplicacy for a while and have a personal WebGUI license. Usually I start it up manually, but I have been trying to get it to start automatically on Windows startup. Following the guide here: Duplicacy User Guide I reference the following location for my service: C:\Users<username>\AppData\Local\Programs\DuplicacyWebEdition\duplicacy_web_win_x64_1.7.2.exe. However, when attempting to get Duplicacy to start up automatically, this just results in an unlicensed version of Duplicacy starting up in the background missing all of my configuration. However, if I shut down the process and use my Start Menu link (which appears to reference the exact same file), my licensed version of Duplicacy seems to start up with all my configuration there.

Logs show the following after a start up.
2025/07/02 07:42:25 Failed to contact the license server : Post “https://duplicacy.com/request_license”: dial tcp: lookup duplicacy.com: no such host, reference
2025/07/02 07:42:25 Temporary directory set to C:\ProgramData/.duplicacy-web/repositories
2025/07/02 07:42:25 err: Get “https://duplicacy.com/latest_cli_version”: dial tcp: lookup duplicacy.com: no such host
2025/07/02 07:42:25 Failed to check the latest CLI version: Get “https://duplicacy.com/latest_cli_version”: dial tcp: lookup duplicacy.com: no such host
2025/07/02 07:42:25 Duplicacy CLI 3.2.3
2025/07/02 07:42:25 Duplicacy Web Edition 1.7.2 (1b2557)

I’ve take a look at some other posts, but can’t seem to find an entry that matches my particular problem. I’m not sure if the issue is related to the fact that it can’t find my license, can’t validate it on start up, or possibly something else? Thanks in advance for your help.

#2

This is a dns issue.

How are you trying to accomplish this? Running as a service? You may try to change the user from system to your user, or perhaps check if the service is allowed to communicate with the internet.

I’m not very familiar in how windows works, but answering your question, the root cause form your log is that duplicacy cannot resolve the host.

#3

Thanks for the reply.

Based on what I’ve read here: Duplicacy User Guide I should be able to install this as a service via the following entry so I don’t have to start Duplicacy manually every time my computer restarts:

Or you can run this command in an administrator DOS prompt after the program has been installed:

        \path\to\duplicacy_web_win_x64_1.1.0.exe -install-service

A new service, named Duplicacy Web Edition, will be installed and started automatically. You can then open the web browser at 127.0.0.1:3875.

I set up the same version of the executable that my Start Menu short cut references. Not sure if that was correct or incorrect? Might there be a better way to go about accomplishing something like this?

#4

If you run the windows installer for duplicacy web version with elevated privileges there shall be an option to install as a system service.

In this case it will keep data under ProgramData as opposed to your user home folder, and configure windows service manager to start itself

But we still need to figure out why does it fail to connect to your dns server.

#5

You’ll need to move your configuration:

#6

I played a hunch and went into my services and put in a delay on the start of the service. I’ve now moved on to another problem which probably requires an understanding of how/where the license is picked up. Now in the logs, I see this:

2025/07/09 01:51:03 Failed to request a license: This computer is not eligible for the 30-day trial
2025/07/09 01:51:04 Temporary directory set to C:\ProgramData/.duplicacy-web/repositories
2025/07/09 01:51:04 Duplicacy Web Edition 1.7.2 (1b2557)
2025/07/09 01:51:04 Duplicacy CLI 3.2.3
2025/07/09 01:51:50 All schedules paused
2025/07/09 01:51:50 Duplicacy Web Edition service exited
2025/07/09 01:55:17 Failed to request a license: This computer is not eligible for the 30-day trial
2025/07/09 01:55:17 Temporary directory set to C:\ProgramData/.duplicacy-web/repositories
2025/07/09 01:55:17 Duplicacy Web Edition 1.7.2 (1b2557)
2025/07/09 01:55:17 Duplicacy CLI 3.2.3

As mentioned earlier everything, is configured and working just fine when I launch Duplicacy Web from my Start Menu. I have a working license and multiple backups configured. So this problem is just about getting Duplicacy started, licensed, and configured correctly automatically upon start up.

Not sure where the service is looking for the license or if I should just re-enter my license when the “unlicensed” instance starts? I’m not sure if entering my license on that instance will have any impact to my currently working setup (like mess up my working manual setup)? Or is the re-install just the best approach? Thanks.

#7

When you do so, duplicacy configuration is taken from /Users/you/.duplicacy_web (or APPDATA/Local/.duplicacy_web, dont’ remember)

When you run it as a service, it’s taken from /ProgramData/.duplicacy_web

So you need to either configure it again, or copy the .duplicacy_web configuration folder from your user location to ProgramData and set permissions appropriately

#8

I should add: do not use the desktop or start menu shortcut when running Duplicacy as a service. It attempts to run it again as a normal program, loading the configuration from a different location. The recommendation is to uninstall the non-service mode completely, move the config, then reinstall as a service.

Instead of using the shortcuts, bookmark and use http://127.0.0.1:3875/ directly in your browser.

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