Which operating systems are supported?
The 32-bit version of CloneSpy runs on the x86 and x64 versions of Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. The 64-bit version of CloneSpy runs on the x64 version of Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. The latest CloneSpy version running on Windows 2000 is version 2.7. (Windows© is a registered trademark of Microsoft© corporation.)

Do versions of CloneSpy in other languages exist?
No, they don’t. We only provide the English version of CloneSpy. Converting the program to other languages is not planned for the near future.

Is CloneSpy Spyware or Adware?
CloneSpy does NOT contain ‘adware’ or any devices for collecting and/or transmitting any user information. We never pass visitor or customer information to third parties and we never share email addresses for any reason.

I cannot run the downloaded CloneSpy EXE-file. What should I do?
It is possible that you received a partial or corrupt CloneSpy EXE-file. Compare the size of your downloaded file with the size displayed in the download area.

Here are some reasons why you may have trouble downloading:

  • Heavy internet traffic − You should try again later or even at a different time of the day.
  • Dropped modem transmission − This usually indicates a problem with your modem, its setup or your Internet service provider (ISP). Please check your modem settings and/or contact your ISP for further details.
  • Server problems − This type of problem is difficult to isolate. It could be a problem at the ISP’s end or our end. Please contact us if problems persist.

How do I install or uninstall CloneSpy?
CloneSpy comes with an installer. Simply run the downloaded EXE-file and you will be guided through the installation process. You can choose between two types of installation:

  • Standard − CloneSpy will be installed and registered to Windows. To uninstall it simply run the provided uninstaller that is accessible via start menu or control panel (Add or Remove Programs).
  • Portable − All CloneSpy files will be unpacked to a specified directory from which you can run the program. These files can also be copied to other computers. To uninstall a portable installation simply delete all unpacked files.

Note: You don’t need to uninstall CloneSpy before installing a newer version.

Is it possible to install CloneSpy silently?
Yes, it is. Please specify /? on the installer command line for details on the usage.

Does a manual for CloneSpy exist?
CloneSpy comes with a HTML help file. Just press <F1> after starting the program to view it. Please read the help file before using CloneSpy. Otherwise you might easily kill your system. If you have problems opening the help file please look below.

Why doesn’t CloneSpy remember the settings I made?
You have to enable CloneSpy to save your settings when you quit the program and load them when you start it again. Please have a look at the Settings menu of the File menu in the main window. There you have to click the item called Automation to configure CloneSpy accordingly. Please see the help file for more detailed information.

Why doesn’t CloneSpy find my duplicate files?
CloneSpy doesn’t scan all kind of files and files in all locations by default. This is for reasons of security. Please check out the options for possible restrictions.

Why does CloneSpy fail to delete my files?
For Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 you may have to run CloneSpy as administrator to allow it to delete certain files. Note that it might not be sufficient to be logged in as administrator. To explicitly run CloneSpy as administrator you can, for example, right-click on the CloneSpy icon and choose “Run as administrator” from the context menu. Please also note that you cannot delete files or folders owned by TrustedInstaller even if you have administrator rights. You have to take ownership of those files and folders first.

I saved one Microsoft Office document to two different files. Why doesn’t CloneSpy recognize these files as being equal?
Some Microsoft Office tools (for example, Word and Excel) store meta data such as time of last access in every file saved to disk, even if the content of the document remains the same. This meta data is also modified if the document is only opened and closed without ever being edited. Since CloneSpy performs binary comparison and not content comparison, these files are not equal to CloneSpy. 

Why doesn’t CloneSpy detect my “duplicate” images/songs?
Please be aware that images might look the same although the files are different. The same holds for audio files. For example, two Mp3s may encode the same song but the files can be unequal due to inaudible differences. Therefore, if you want to find “similar” images/songs, you need another program. Maybe one of these might help:

Why does the scanning progress stall at 100% if many duplicates are found?
Handling of duplicates or preparing the user interface can take some time. Please leave the program enough time to finish its task.

I cannot view the help file (accessing CloneSpy.chm fails). What’s wrong?
It might be that your Internet Explorer is configured in a way that access to local HTML Help files is blocked for security reasons. In this case you will see an error message like: This program cannot display the webpage or similar. To solve this problem please open the directory where CloneSpy is installed (e.g., by using the Windows Explorer). Then try one of the following two solutions:

Solution 1

  • Double-click CloneSpy.chm.
  • In the Open File-Security Warning dialog box, click to clear the Always ask before opening this file check box.
  • Click Open.

Solution 2

  • Right-click CloneSpy.chm and then click Properties.
  • In the General tab, click Unblock.
  • Double-click CloneSpy.chm to open the file.

Afterwards you should be able to view the help file in the normal way.

Source:
Workaround for blocked content in CHM help files

If the help file is located on a network share then the said solutions may not be sufficient. In this case please try one of the following two solutions:

Solution 1

  • Copy the help file to a local drive and access it there.

Solution 2

Why Drag and Drop does not work if CloneSpy is Run as administrator, even if Windows’ File Explorer is Run as administrator, too?
You cannot easily elevate the File Explorer by using Run as administrator. To solve the problem please try one of the following two solutions:

Solution 1

  • Use a different file manager using Run as administrator.

Solution 2

  • Launch cmd (Command Prompt) using Run as administrator.
  • Type: taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
  • Type: start explorer.exe

All your new File Explorer windows will now be elevated and you can drag and drop from them into other elevated applications. Note: This solution is not recommended, because it might induce security risks to your system.

Why are the icons in CloneSpy displayed too small on Windows 10?
CloneSpy is not DPI-aware and, therefore, cannot scale icons correctly when run on high-DPI displays. As a workaround, you can change the default DPI scaling behavior of CloneSpy. To do so, right click on CloneSpy.exe or CloneSpy64.exe and choose Properties from the context menu. In the Compatibility tab, go to the Settings group and select: “Override high DPI scaling behavior. Scaling performed by: System”.

I think CloneSpy is not working correctly. What should I do?
Please have a look at the help file. The page Support in the section Basics and Requirements gives detailed information on how you can help us in this case.

Can I send suggestions for new functions?
Yes, please! If possible, send your suggestions clearly separated and numbered, and as short as possible to technical@clonespy.com. However, we cannot guarantee if or when your wish will be implemented.