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Connection Keeper Changelog

What's new in Connection Keeper 21.0

Sep 24, 2023
  • When testing a redirect, it will now report if no redirect is occurring at all, not just that it doesn't match.
  • Popup Killer: the "Window Class" column now supports unicode.
  • Sites List: added a "Word Wrap" option to the context menu.
  • The active tab is now remembered between sessions.
  • When the "Query Failed" error popup in visible, the taskbar button will now be red.
  • Updated OpenSSL from 3.0.0 to 3.0.8
  • Removed many unnecessary 3D borders for a more modern look. Improved the appearance of scrollbars.
  • Removed the divider bar above the buttons at the bottom of all windows.
  • Added the "Cerulean" skin. Redesigned the "Purples" skin and renamed it "Purpendicular".
  • Groupboxes now have separate colors for text and border.
  • The interface icons have been slightly desaturated.
  • Help file: Search tab: added two buttons that allow you to jump to the next/previous search occurrence.
  • After a fresh install, a check for an updated version will be performed, and if present, offered to upgrade.
  • Fixed: menus did not support fixed-pitch fonts.
  • Fixed: if a popup window is created while the parent window is minimized, it could appear on the wrong monitor.
  • Fixed a bug that was causing an unnecessary usage of memory in many situations.

New in Connection Keeper 20.0 (Nov 30, 2021)

  • Added the ability to test IMAP4 logins.
  • Email Errors To: this now supports SSL/TLS encryption for the connection to the SMTP server.
  • Edit SMTP Settings: this now has a dialog of its own, which includes a tool for testing the settings. Previously, it opened the System-G Interface Editor where the settings are located.
  • When testing an ftps:// URL, an error is now reported if the server does not support SSL. Previously there would be no error as long as the connection was successful without SSL.
  • SNMP stats: the adapter speed is now reported like "1 Gbps" rather than "1,000,000,000 bps".
  • Updated the SSL module (bug fixes and improvements).
  • The "Log Errors To File" field now supports unicode.
  • Popup Killer: the "Window Caption" column now supports unicode.
  • Import/Export Settings: added support for unicode characters in the filepath.
  • Numerous minor interface improvements. Added the "Seraph" skin.
  • When clicking on a control that is disabled because of an unchecked checkbox, the checkbox will flash briefly.
  • Numerous minor improvements to the installer.
  • Fixed: Import Settings: the status banner was not updating.
  • Fixed: in some circumstances, an error in a POP3 test was not including a description of the error code.
  • Fixed a very rare crash when gathering SNMP stats.

New in Connection Keeper 19.0 (Nov 12, 2019)

  • Added the ability to test POP3 logins.
  • Added support for TLS 1.3
  • FTP testing: added the ability to use an encrypted SSL/TLS connection.
  • FTP testing: added the ability to check for the existence of a folder. Use the same syntax as for testing a file, but append a trailing slash.
  • Added the "Reset Settings" tool to the File menu.
  • Previously a "smtp:" URL in the Sites List would try SSL/TLS but considered it optional. Now it will only be tried if the URL begins with "smtps:".
  • Most windows now calculate their width as a factor of the interface font size. Previously they were a factor of the screen size. This ensures that windows are the optimal size, even when the font is very small or very large relative to the screen.
  • The Popup table now supports mouse tilt wheel.
  • Numerous minor interface improvements.
  • Fixed: Import Settings: this was not enabling/disabling controls as appropriate.
  • Fixed: no error was occurring if a test on the Sites tab was not a recognized type.
  • Fixed: unminimizing on a secondary monitor was moving the window to the primary monitor.
  • Fixed: Help: Print: some hyperlinks were not followed by the page number.
  • Fixed a minor memory leak.
  • Fixed: the "No Caption" option was not always working correctly.

New in Connection Keeper 18.0 (Oct 11, 2018)

  • Added the ability to test an FTP download. An ftp:// URL in the Sites tab can now specify a path and filename. Previously it was only possible to test the login.
  • Added the ability to test HTTP redirects.
  • Added the ability to test SMTP logins.
  • Improved the appearance of the Failure Notice emails.
  • SNMP stats: added the "TCP active connections" stat.
  • Added a "Speak" tool to the Help viewer.
  • Added the "Hyperborean" skin. Numerous skin improvements.
  • The "Status" tab now updates instantly after unminimizing.
  • Query All: the error window's OK button is now labeled "Abort".
  • Help: added the "Rectangle" Selection Mode, which is useful for copying columns of text.
  • Query All: the mouse cursor no longer changes to an hourglass.
  • Added a button to the Popup Killer table that opens the context menu.
  • The /? command line switch will now display the help file chapter on the command line.
  • Fixed: Query All: the Abort button was not always responding to clicks.
  • Fixed a rare stack overflow.

New in Connection Keeper 17.0 (Sep 19, 2017)

  • Added support for HTTPS.
  • Added the ability to test an FTP login. An ftp:// URL can be specified on the Sites tab.
  • Report External IP: this now also reports the domain (PTR record) for the external IP address.
  • Numerous interface improvements, especially regarding 4K monitors.
  • Added the /kill command line switch which directs the /c switch to abruptly terminate the process.
  • Events logged in Event Viewer now reference the user.
  • Import/Export Settings: the file no longer appears in the Start Menu Recent Files list.
  • Added the "Clipboard Inspector" tool to the Interface menu.
  • Changed the colors of the animated "infinity hourglass" to a rainbow.
  • Queries are no longer performed if there is a popup window present.
  • Now supports installation to a path that contains unicode characters.
  • Fixed: when fetching certain DNS records, it was possible that a trailing semi-colon was clipped from the result.
  • Fixed: when maximized, the window's border could possibly be visible on a secondary monitor.
  • Fixed: possible window flicker on 4K monitors, or when many System-G windows are open, or when kernel memory becomes scarce.

New in Connection Keeper 16.0 (Nov 28, 2016)

  • Popup Killer: added the ability to control the interval at which Connection Keeper looks for popup windows. Previously it was hard coded at 2.5 seconds.
  • Popup Killer: added the ability to forcefully terminate a process.
  • Email Errors To: added a button that takes you to where the relaying SMTP server is configured.
  • SNMP stats: each networking adapter is now listed, along with some information.
  • Backlink checking: the backlink is now considered invalid if it contains a "rel=nofollow" attribute.
  • Settings are now automatically saved after 30 minutes of idle time. This helps prevent their loss in the event of a power failure.
  • The animated query indicator is now more colorful.
  • Added 32 tools to the System Tools tool.
  • Fixed: rarely, balloon help was not appearing promptly, or not at all.
  • Fixed: executables were signed with a revoked SHA1 cert. Because the SHA256 cert is valid, this would only be reported to the user on systems prior to Win7.

New in Connection Keeper 15.0 (Feb 18, 2016)

  • Added the ability to monitor the hyperlinks on a webpage. This is useful for informing you when a website removes its link to your website
  • Improved the appearance of icons. Changed from 8-bit GIF's to higher resolution 32-bit PNG's. Many icons have been redesigned
  • Added the "Report External IP" tool
  • There is now an animated indicator in the center of the window while a query is being executed
  • Numerous minor interface improvements
  • The "Unminimize On Error" option has moved from the Options menu to a checkbox control on the Settings tab
  • The installer/uninstaller will now close Connection Keeper automatically to prevent a reboot unless "No Caption" is checked
  • Fixed: a DLL injection security vulnerability
  • Fixed: some pairs of characters, in certain fonts, were displayed too close together
  • Fixed: a rare but serious problem could cause a window to render incorrectly

New in Connection Keeper 14.1 (Nov 6, 2014)

  • Fixed: popup killer: crash if the Window Caption column is blank.

New in Connection Keeper 14.0 (Nov 3, 2014)

  • Added the ability to export and import all of Connection Keeper's settings. This is useful for transferring the configuration to a different computer, or creating a backup.
  • Added the "Limit Reconnection Attempts" option to the Status tab.
  • Added the "Retry" button to the "Query Failed" error window.
  • Added the "Unminimize On Error" option to the Options menu.
  • Added the "Record Connection Events" option to the Options menu. If checked, when the connection is lost or restored, Connection Keeper will record an event in the Windows Event Log.
  • Added the "No Caption" option to the Options menu. This determines if the title "Connection Keeper" is displayed in the window caption.
  • Choosing "Disconnect" from the File menu will no longer uncheck the "Auto-Reconnect" box. Instead, the Auto-Reconnect feature will simply be ignored until the user chooses "Connect" from the File menu.
  • Redesigned the Default skin. The old skin was renamed "Air".
  • Added a first-time greeting window.
  • When enabling "Launch At Startup", if there is an error, it will now be reported.
  • Fixed: the caption/taskbar icon was not always changing during queries and errors.
  • Fixed: the "Limit Keep-Alive Duration" feature was stopping queries about 25% too soon.

New in Connection Keeper 13.1 (Jan 4, 2014)

  • Added an "Import From CSV File" tool to the Popup Killer table.
  • The "Log Errors To File" field now supports Environment Variables.
  • Fixed: rare crash when opening a sub-menu.

New in Connection Keeper 13.0 (Aug 23, 2013)

  • The Popup Killer now supports substring searching of the Window Caption. Simply put an asterisk (*) at the beginning of the Window Caption column.
  • Added the ability to query NS records.
  • Minor interface improvements.
  • Added the "Reset DNS Cache" tool.
  • When running the "Query All" tool, and an error occurs, the error window now has a "Continue" button that will allow you to resume the operation.
  • Added the "Help" button to the bottom of the window.
  • When querying a DNS record, CK now instructs the operating system to not used cached records.
  • The "/qa" switch now takes care to prevent a second instance from spawning.
  • The rows of the Popup Killer table can now be rearranged.
  • Added the "System Tools" launcher to the Interface menu.
  • The Status Banner is now drawn with a color gradient instead of a solid color.
  • When an error occurs, the icon is now drawn with a red bar.
  • Connection Keeper now obeys the "Run" shortcut property, which can instruct the window to be initially minimized or maximized.
  • Connection Keeper should now be able to tolerate crashes in the operating system's SNMP API.
  • Added the "/max" command line switch, which will cause the window to be initially maximized.
  • Fixed: the window caption icon was not always drawing the solid bar while issuing a query.
  • Fixed: the "Send Keystrokes" popup killer method was not always working on windows that have a parent.
  • Fixed: upon the first execution, the Query Mode field would have no drop-down list.

New in Connection Keeper 12.1 (Mar 1, 2013)

  • Fixed a rare stack overflow (since 12.0)

New in Connection Keeper 12.0 (Mar 1, 2013)

  • Major interface improvements. Improved all skins.
  • Added the "Status Banner" which displays whether or not Connection Keeper is keeping the connection alive, or if the connection is lost. Added the "Show Status Banner" option to the Options menu.
  • Added the ability to test DNS records from the command line.
  • All settings are now kept in a file instead of the registry, which is more reliable due to security issues.
  • When Internet access is restored, all DNS caches are now reset.
  • The "Email Errors To" feature now obeys the System-G SMTP settings (Interface menu > Configuration Editor > Settings > Networking > SMTP). If these are blank, Direct Delivery is used just as before.
  • The "Email Errors To" feature now includes an "Auto-Submitted:" header in order to suppress auto-responses.

New in Connection Keeper 11.3 (Apr 12, 2012)

  • Numerous interface improvements.
  • The "Email Errors To" field now supports multiple email addresses. Separate them with a comma or semi-colon.
  • When a query error occurs, the popup window is now displayed after the error is logged and emailed.
  • When the Internet connection is lost, a DNS resolution error was remaining cached for 1 hour, making it necessary to close and restart Connection Keeper. This cache lifetime has been reduced to 1 minute.

New in Connection Keeper 11.2 (Sep 26, 2011)

  • Added the "/close" command line switch. When specified along with the "/qa" switch, Connection Keeper will terminate immediately after the Query All tool is finished.
  • Fixed: if the computer runs more than 24 days without rebooting, Connection Keeper would begin issuing a query every 2.5 seconds.
  • Fixed: the tray context menu was not responding to keystrokes, and not disappearing when the user clicks away (since 11.0).
  • Fixed: when "Animate Tray Icon" is unchecked, the tray icon was showing a solid bar even after the query finishes.

New in Connection Keeper 11.1 (Aug 2, 2011)

  • Fixed: on the first run, the window position was not being initialized properly.

New in Connection Keeper 11.0 (Jul 4, 2011)

  • Major interface improvements, too many to list. Added support for Aero Glass (Vista/2008/7). Improved appearance, layout, margins, skins.
  • The tabs have been replaced with a row of buttons.
  • Added a high resolution shell icon for Vista/2008/7.
  • Added the /qa command line switch, which causes the "Query All" tool to run immediately.
  • Added the "View Error Log" option to the File menu.
  • Added a hotkey for the "Query All" tool: F7.
  • The Method column now defaults to "WM_CLOSE".
  • Care is now taken to not issue queries while the user is editing the Sites List.
  • When the Query Now button is clicked, a query will be issued even if the operating system is reporting that there is no Internet connection.
  • Fixed: the "Auto-Minimize On Startup" option was always minimizing Connection Keeper to the tray, contrary to the documentation. It will now only minimize to the tray if the "Minimize to Tray" box (on the Window menu) is checked, as documented. Also, it will now minimize silently, and without briefly appearing on the screen.
  • Fixed: the /wmclose and /wmquit command line switches were not working properly.

New in Connection Keeper 10.0 (Sep 14, 2010)

  • Added the "Query All" tool to the File menu.
  • Added support for verifying the contents of a DNS record. In the Sites List, follow the URL with a tab, then the correct value of the DNS record.
  • Added support for querying a DNS blacklist. The Sites List can contain a URL with the "dnsbl://" prefix followed by a domain name or IP address.
  • Added additional command-line switches for closing windows. The /wmclose switch will close the window by sending a WM_CLOSE message. The /wmquit switch will close the window by sending a WM_QUIT message. The /keys switch will send keystrokes to the window.
  • Added the "Popup" menu.
  • Added the "Favorites" tab to the help file.
  • When a command line is specified, other instances of Connection Keeper will no longer close.
  • The Default skin now conforms with the appearance of Windows 7. The original default skin has been renamed "Experience".
  • Numerous improvements to the "Check For Update" tool.
  • The Send Feedback and Report Exception features now use HTTP to deliver the information to Gammadyne. The old SMTP method is only used as a fallback if HTTP fails. This is necessary because some ISP's only allow SMTP to their own mail servers.
  • Fixed some minor incompatibility issues with Vista/2008/7.

New in Connection Keeper 9.1 (Apr 13, 2010)

  • Added the F5 hotkey for issuing a query.
  • Added the F6 hotkey for killing popup windows.
  • Fixed: the installer was not requiring administrator elevation on Vista/2008/7 (since 9.0).

New in Connection Keeper 9.0 (Apr 13, 2010)

  • Added the ability to query DNS records.
  • Added the "/min" switch, which will cause the main window to be minimized.
  • Added the ability to "comment out" a line in the Sites list by placing a semi-colon at the beginning of the line.
  • Most icons have been replaced or improved.
  • The "Log Errors To File" feature now maintains the log in CSV format. It will also include the error code and error message.
  • If an error occurs when querying a URL, the query interval will start over after the error window is closed.
  • A query error will now format the current date/time using the computer's locale settings.
  • Improved the installer's appearance.
  • Fixed: while minimized to the tray, choosing "Keep Connection Alive" from the context menu was causing the tray icon to revert to a taskbar button.

New in Connection Keeper 8.0 (Apr 3, 2009)

  • Added to the Popup Killer the ability to send a series of keystrokes to a window, or a WM_QUIT or WM_CLOSE message.
  • Added the "Ignore" column to the Popup Killer.
  • Added the "Kill Popups" button to the bottom of the Popup Killer Table.
  • The executable and installer are now digitally signed.
  • Numerous interface improvements.
  • Numerous improvements to the installer.
  • Restored support for Windows 95.
  • The "Max Query Time" setting was renamed "Query Timeout".
  • Fixed: URL's containing https:// were not working correctly.

New in Connection Keeper 7.4 (Aug 22, 2008)

  • Balloon help has been totally revamped.
  • The help file has been reviewed and improved.
  • Fixed: rare installer crash (since 7.3)

New in Connection Keeper 7.3 (May 21, 2008)

  • Numerous user interface improvements. Please press Ctrl Alt Shift F5 to reset System�G, then reload your preferred skin.
  • Improved icons and icon rendering.
  • Added the "Metal" skin.
  • The installer will now warn if it does not have admin rights. It will also attempt to loosen the security settings on the installation directory (to prevent problems with Vista).
  • All API calls into WININET.DLL are now made within an exception trap so that they cannot crash Connection Keeper.
  • Fixed: the "Log errors to file" field's Browse tool will now allow the user to specify a non-existent file.
  • Fixed: possible crash on Vista when enumerating DUN connections.
  • Fixed: selecting and copying text in the help file did not always work properly.

New in Connection Keeper 7.2 (Aug 2, 2007)

  • The version number as reported on the About window was incorrect.

New in Connection Keeper 7.0 (Mar 23, 2007)

  • Improved user interface.