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Ultracopier / Supercopier — Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is compiled from real user support questions and the answers given by the developer (BRULE Herman / alpha_one_x86). Ultracopier and Supercopier share the same engine; answers below apply to both unless noted.

Licensing & the "Ultimate" version

Why isn't the latest (major) version free? I had a key for an older version.

Major version updates are paid in order to fund the project. Ultracopier is maintained by a single developer, with no outside help, who also keeps the website running, fights piracy/hacking attempts, and provides user support (historically fixing bugs in under two hours).

For context:

  • The 1.x series received free updates for more than 5 years.
  • The 2.x series received free updates for more than 7 years.

A license is tied to a major version. A v2 key does not unlock v3 — v3 is a new major version. Buying is essentially a way to support continued development.

I don't want to pay — can I keep using the version I have?

Yes. You can keep using your existing (older) version indefinitely, and simply disable update detection in the options so it stops prompting you to upgrade.

Is buying mandatory to use Ultracopier?

No. Purchasing funds the project. The free version is fully usable; the paid ("Ultimate") key removes update nagging and supports development. You are also welcome to promote the project and encourage others to buy if they want to help.

What payment methods are accepted?

Stripe (credit card) and PayPal only.

Can I get a refund?

Sales are non-refundable — taxes on the sale are already paid, and the intended process is to test the free version first and only buy once you've validated it works for you. That said, the developer will still do his best to find and fix any problem you hit.

I lost my key / need it re-sent / want to back it up.

Keep your key safe (e.g. UC...). If you bought a license and lost it, contact support at the address below with your purchase details so it can be re-issued.

Download & installation

The installer fails / "Install error" on Windows.

The most common cause is that Ultracopier is already running. Close it first (including the system-tray icon near the clock), then run the installer again. Re-trying the install after fully closing the app resolves most install errors.

Which Windows versions are supported?

Windows XP and later (including Windows 10/11). On a freshly installed Windows 11 the known slowdowns/issues are not present.

Antivirus & security warnings

My antivirus / SmartScreen flags Ultracopier as unsafe.

The official binaries are not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen and some antivirus products show a warning or report it as untrusted. This is a false positive caused by the missing signature, not malware. You can trust the file as long as you download it from the official website:

https://ultracopier.herman-brule.com/

If you prefer, you can also build from source (see below).

Usage & settings

Ultracopier doesn't intercept copy/move — the standard system copy is still used.

Ultracopier replaces the system copy via its listener integration. Make sure the "copy/move interception" (listener) option is enabled, and that Ultracopier is actually running in the system tray. On Windows the Explorer integration must be active for it to take over standard copy/paste.

When a file already exists, what does Ultracopier do?

By default it asks you what to do (skip, overwrite, rename, etc.) for each collision.

My chosen collision action (skip / overwrite / "put to bottom") isn't remembered.

Configure a default action so you aren't asked every time: Right-click the system-tray icon (near the clock) → Options, and set "always perform this action" for the collision type you want automated.

What does the "OS Buffer" option do?

It lets Ultracopier use the operating system's write buffer. Writes become faster, but close() at the end of each file takes longer. Practically: the progress bar moves quickly during the copy and then appears to pause/slow down right at the end of each file while the OS flushes the buffer.

What is "native OS copy" and when should I use it?

It hands the copy off to the OS's own copy routine instead of Ultracopier's read/write loop. Try enabling it (in the performance options) if you experience slow transfers — slowness is often a device-speed limitation, and native copy can perform better in those cases.

Performance

Copies are slow / slower than expected.

  • The bottleneck is frequently the device speed (slow USB drive, NAS, SD card), not Ultracopier itself.
  • Try the "native OS copy" option in the performance settings.
  • The OS Buffer option also affects perceived speed (see above).

File integrity & permissions

Does Ultracopier verify copied files (checksum)?

Yes — a basic checksum verification is available in the options. Note the inherent limitation of any checksum-on-copy: if the disk reports a correct value back while having physically written a wrong value, verification can still pass.

Are file permissions/rights preserved?

Yes. The original source file's rights are copied to the destination.

Platform notes

Linux

  • Install from your distribution's package or build from source (Qt 6.7+). On Arch-based systems such as Manjaro, build/install from source if no package is available.
  • File-manager integration (e.g. Nemo on Cinnamon, Dolphin on KDE) is available via the matching integration; see the project docs.
  • Optional protocol support (sftp/smb/ftp) is available through KDE KIO when built with that plugin.

macOS

  • Official macOS binaries are no longer reliably provided, and a given macOS build may not be compatible with your system/version.
  • The recommended path on macOS is to compile from source with Qt and run it from there (which also makes it possible to debug issues).
  • There is no Finder/Explorer-style integration on macOS.

Windows

  • Full Explorer integration (intercepting copy/move, drag-and-drop into the Ultracopier window) is supported.
  • Remember to close the running instance before installing/updating.

Troubleshooting & crashes

Ultracopier crashes randomly, even without copying.

  • Note which version does work for you, and whether the crash is systematic or random (does it also happen with a single file?).
  • Random crashes with no copy in progress can indicate faulty RAM — test your memory with a tool like memtest86+.
  • The developer tests on both real hardware and virtual machines without reproducing such crashes, so environment-specific factors matter.

I get an error creating folders on a NAS.

Errors should occur on the destination, not the source — Ultracopier creates folders on the destination only. Some NAS devices behave awkwardly here; mounting the NAS as a network drive instead of accessing it directly often avoids the problem. Testing against a Linux/Debian NAS works without issue.

How do I report a hard-to-reproduce bug?

Provide: the exact version, whether it's reproducible (and with a single file), the source/destination types (local, USB, NAS…), and — when possible — the downloaded installer file or a debug build's output. For deep issues, building from source and running under a debugger is the fastest path to a fix.

Building from source

The most reliable way to diagnose platform issues (especially on macOS/Linux) is to compile from source:

  1. Install Qt (6.7+) and a C++17 toolchain.
  2. Clone https://github.com/alphaonex86/Ultracopier
  3. Build with qmake (recommended) or CMake: 
    qmake ultracopier.pro
make -j$(nproc)
./ultracopier
  4. See docs/ and CLAUDE.md/README for optional features (KIO, io_uring, portable mode).

Documentation & support

Ultracopier/Supercopier is developed and maintained by a single person. Please test the free version before purchasing, and include as much detail as possible when reporting a problem so it can be fixed quickly.