Note: This applies only to Duplicate Cleaner Pro version 5


Q: What does the /data command line switch do?
A: The /data switch tells Duplicate Cleaner where to store its data files (including settings, caches and the scan databases). This lets you keep separate profiles and results by pointing to different folders.


Q: Why would I want to use different data folders?
A: You might want to:

  • Keep separate databases for different projects or drives.

  • Run multiple copies of Duplicate Cleaner at the same time with different settings.


Q: How do I use it?
A: Use the /data switch followed by the full path to your chosen data folder. For example:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Duplicate Cleaner 5\Duplicate Cleaner 5.exe" /data "D:\DC_Projects\Project1"


Use quotes around the path if it contains spaces. In some scripting environments, backslashes may need escaping (e.g., \\).


Q: Can I launch multiple copies automatically?
A: Yes – you can create a batch file with several commands, each using a different data folder. For example:


@echo off
start "" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Duplicate Cleaner 5\Duplicate Cleaner 5.exe" /data "D:\DC_Projects\Project1"
start "" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Duplicate Cleaner 5\Duplicate Cleaner 5.exe" /data "D:\DC_Projects\Project2"
start "" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Duplicate Cleaner 5\Duplicate Cleaner 5.exe" /data "D:\DC_Projects\Project3"


Each start command opens a separate instance of Duplicate Cleaner with its own database.


Q: Will the copies interfere with each other?
A: No – as long as each instance uses a different /data folder, their databases and settings remain separate.