AppDog

AppDog is a lightweight utility designed to keep a close eye on the program that you permanently need to keep running on your system.

According to the developer, the utility can recognize other applications by simply checking for the window title, which should be pre-defined and capable of receiving test messages from Windows. To be more precise, the functionality can be tested via a keypress (ASCII value 160) that is sent every 5 seconds using the Windows message API.

The aforementioned Postmessage feature is usually ensured via two parameters, namely one that is the window of the monitored app and the other, that indicates the action to be taken in case the said program is stopped.

The application also packs a backup feature that can come in handy when you are handling files from adjustable source directories and at variable times in a network, such as a mail server, voice mailbox or a batch of files that needs to be copied to a hot reserve system.

It is important to note that the idea behind the application is to provide you with a basic piece of information, namely whether a program is running. In the eventuality that it stopped for various reasons and the tool cannot find the window title, then it automatically attempts to start the program.

However, you should bear in mind that the app does not provide any input on the correct functionality of the said program. You may need to check this details manually or perhaps, with a script or other third-party solutions.

Even though it does not provide detailed information about them, AppDog can come in handy for anyone who needs to ensure that various tools are up and running continuously on the computer.