WinPatrol 2014 Preview on Monday

It's a new year starting with an exciting new version of WinPatrol and a priority list letting folks know our plans for the year.

Thanks to amazing feedback you can expect many changes for WinPatrol 2014.  Instead of waiting until all our new ideas have been implemented we’ll be launching a preview of WinPatrol 2014 on Monday  evening, January 20th.  It’s been two months since our last release so upgrading will be recommended.

 
What you see is not the RT or Windows 8 Modern/Store version of WinPatrol. It's a user experience that runs on the desktop of Windows 8.x and even Windows XP. We’ve used some of the best of the new Windows 8 style. For some it will be a way to ease into Windows 8 while totally confusing your friends.
As always, our goal is to continue making WinPatrol easy to use which will be obvious in other enhancements.

Optimizing WinPatrol is always a priority and its clear that not everyone has a new computer with 8 GB’s of memory. Our new release (v30) has major improvements even while running along side other internal programs like memory or CPU monitors.

I’ve listed some of the priorities for 2014 below but other suggestions are welcome and should be sent to support@WinPatrol.com.

WinPatrol 2014 To Do List.

I expect some of our interface enhancements will affect our non-English versions until we find all the quirks. I hope to make it up by providing dates and times so they conform with regional formats. While proud of being made in the U.S. our friends around the world have always been supportive and deserve a globally friendly WinPatrol.

Improving our help files and documentation will be a priority so new users understand how and why WinPatrol works. Our software was the first of its kind and is still unique in its operation. Folks who discover WinPatrol often ask about conflicts with their favorite Anti-Virus software. I'm always happy to let everyone know that Scotty works and plays well with others.

Tooltip functionality is high on the list for 2014. Like other programs putting your mouse over an action item will explain its purpose using standard Windows tips.

Coming up this year will be additional support for Scheduled Tasks 2.0 which has so much potential which isn’t used. The new Scheduled Task has a variety of behaviors that are controlled by a wide range of triggers or events.  WinPatrol was the first program to alert users to newly installed tasks. Programs could be scheduled to run with a simple .job text file added to the right folder.  There was no security to prevent tasks from being added. I didn’t rush to add support Scheduled Task 2.0 because it requires a high level of access. Unfortunately, I’ve found users are agreeing to programs that allow Conduit browser hijacks as new scheduled task.

WinPatrol 2014 has special handling for various monitor resolutions and DPI(dots per inch) but you may occasionally notice 2014 will need some tweaks to the position of some our controls.
Different versions of Windows handle resolution and DPI differently and Microsoft requires this remain a priority.

Time management has been challenging without a full-time staff. I will soon be announcing the WinPatrol Associate Program for longtime fans and WinPatrol insiders. The goal of this program is to assist development through crowd source type funding and offers of  time and experience.  Depending on the level, WinPatrol Associates will receive promotion of their own personal projects, recognition of their support, have access to create PLUS codes, access to statistics and have a say in the direction we take.

Update:  WinPatrol 2014 Preview is still expected to be released this week but our launch party is being delayed so testing of all current features have been fully completed. Thank you for your interest and sharing our excitement