Last updated: 26 October 2026
Dedupe is a duplicate-file finder for Windows. It runs entirely on your PC. This policy explains exactly what the app touches, what it sends, and what it does not.
To find duplicates Dedupe reads the files inside the folders you choose. Everything it derives from them is written to your own profile, under:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Dedupe
| Folder / file | Contents | Why |
|---|---|---|
cache.db |
file path, size, last-modified time and content hash | makes repeat scans fast by skipping unchanged files |
undo.db |
path, backup path, method and timestamp of files you deleted | powers "Restore deleted" |
backups\ |
copies of files deleted while "Back up files before deleting" is on | lets you undo a cleanup |
settings.json |
your toggles and last-used options | remembers your preferences |
license.json |
your signed unlock token and unlock key | proves your purchase offline, with no network call |
install.id |
one random identifier, generated on first launch | lets support match a PC to an order without knowing who you are |
Nothing in that folder describes what your files contain. You can clear it at any time from Settings → Storage (clear the fingerprint cache) or by deleting the folder; the app recreates it on next launch.
Dedupe reads file metadata and content only for the folders you add to a scan, using the permissions your Windows user account already has.
Scanning, previewing, cleaning up and restoring deleted files never touch the network. The app
declares the internetClient capability for one purpose: buying or restoring the Pro unlock.
There are two moments when data leaves your PC, both initiated by you:
1. Buying Pro. Dedupe asks its licence service to start a checkout. It sends one thing: the
random install.id from the table above. Nothing about your files, your PC or your identity. The
service replies with a PayPal link, which Dedupe opens in your own browser — the app never sees
your PayPal password or card details. PayPal handles the payment under the
PayPal Privacy Statement.
2. Restoring Pro on another PC. Dedupe sends the unlock key you paste in. That is the whole request.
When a payment completes, the licence service sends back a signed token. Dedupe verifies that token
locally with a public key built into the app and stores it in license.json. After that, the app
does not need the network again — not to check your licence, not to start, not to clean up files.
To honour a purchase and to support refunds, the licence service keeps a small record per order:
| Field | Contents |
|---|---|
| licence id | random identifier for the purchase |
| PayPal order id | the reference PayPal issued for that payment |
| status | whether the payment was captured |
| payer email | the email PayPal reports for the payer, kept only so support can find an order for a refund or a lost key |
| amount and currency | what was charged |
| install id | the anonymous value described above |
| timestamps | when checkout started and when payment cleared |
It does not store your name, address, card details, files, file names, scan results or IP-based location, and it sets no cookies or advertising identifiers.
Files you clean up go to the Recycle Bin by default, which means Windows keeps them until you empty it. Permanent deletion only happens if you explicitly switch it on in Settings, and even then Dedupe asks for confirmation first. The one-copy rule means Dedupe refuses to delete every copy in a duplicate group.
Dedupe is a general-purpose utility with no social features, no user-generated content and no data collection. It is not directed at children and collects nothing from anyone, including children.
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Dedupe; that removes every
trace of its local data.If a future version ever changes any of the above — for example, optional crash reporting — this page will be updated before that version ships, and the change will be noted in the Store listing's "What's new" section.
Questions about this policy or the app: dedupe@gasdigital.co.uk. That address also handles refund requests and lost unlock keys.