WinPatrol Changelog

What's new in WinPatrol 35.5.2017.8

May 8, 2017

Fixed addition of Startup programs to be compatible with recent changes to Windows 10.
Fixed removal of Startup programs to be compatible with recent changes to Windows 10.
Disabled and removed checkbox for “Allow PLUS info data collection” because recent changes in allowed URL length resulting in no data being returned for customers.

New in WinPatrol 34.11.2016.27 (Nov 21, 2016)

New in WinPatrol 33.6.2015.18 (Jul 28, 2015)

New in WinPatrol 33.6.2015.16 (Jul 22, 2015)

New in WinPatrol 33.6.2015.1 (Jun 29, 2015)

New in WinPatrol 33.5.2015.7 (Apr 23, 2015)

New in WinPatrol 33.5.2015.3 (Apr 14, 2015)

New in WinPatrol 33.1.2015.0 (Feb 27, 2015)

New in WinPatrol 32.0.2014.5 (Jul 21, 2014)

New in WinPatrol 32.0.2014.0 (Jul 20, 2014)

WinPatrol v32 from Ruiware:
This version marks the start of WinPatrol Generation II and the introduction of Bret Lowry co-found of Ruiware. Bret was software architect and lead at Sunbelt Software responsible for the growth of CounterSpy and VIPRE Business bringing Sunbelt to the top of Anti-Virus comparison charts.
The combined experience of Bret and Bill led to a month long code review of WinPatrol resulting in many improvements which may not be obvious. PLUS users will notice robust detection of changes so WinPatrol notifications arrive ahead of warnings by your Anti-Virus programs.
Version v32 demostrates Bret's commitment to everyone using WinPatrol and continues to be a free upgrade to lifetime PLUS members. If you haven't already, upgrade to PLUS today and show your support.
New Start Menu and System Tray Icons:
Changes to the Scotty system tray icon generated a much larger reaction than expected. Part of the problem was the color yellow is commonly used as a warning. The new Scotty system tray icon is easier to see with a new traditional Scotty icon on a green background. Our yellow tile with Scotty will still be used but only to indicate when a scan for changes is in process. If a notification is displayed, the yellow icon will continue to show until you accept or reject the change.
The Blue Orb icon was introduced when Vista users found our original icon hard to view. The Blue Orb will be used by our install program, wpsetup.exe. For anyone with a Start Menu, you'll also find more readable tile icons for WinPatrol(Green), WinPatrol Explorer(Blue), Uninstall(Purple) and Help(Yellow).
Pale Moon:
Many WinPatrol users have requested support for the Mozilla browser called Pale Moon. In the last version support for Cookies stored by Pale Moon was added and identified as a Mozilla type of a browser. Unfortunately, while WinPatrol handled cookies for Pale Moon it only included the Mozilla choice is another Mozilla browser was detected such as Firefox. This error has been corrected and if WinPatrol finds that Pale Moon has been installed it will include the Mozilla option on our screen for setting up cookie filters. As always, WinPatrol will support any browser that Windows identifies as the default when requesting PLUS Info or Safe Update versions.
Safe Update Version Info:
Our Safe Update button will now include version information for security programs Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Microsoft Security Essentials where appropriate.
Server Optimization:
WinPatrol v32 optimizes communication with our server in the case of a denial of service attack occurs. While WinPatrol will never create enough traffic to hurt your local network our new optimization will make sure you have all the bandwidth you need.

New in WinPatrol 31.0.2014.0 (Jun 4, 2014)

SQLite Database:
Both Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome use a public domain database called SQLite. To properly monitor these and future browsers WinPatrol also uses SQLite, WinPatrol has been using a library SQLite3.DLL, provided by the developers of SQLite. In our new version, we've included the source code for the SQLite functions we need into WinPatrol. Adding the source code directly we have more control over accessing data and can also optimize the code to improve performance. We can also remove any extra code which isn't required so less memory is used. You may notice in the WinPatrol list of hidden files many files that begin with "etilqs" followed by random characters. These are SQLite files as you may notice etilqs is SQLite backwards.
Pale Moon:
Many browsers use Mozilla as the core of their functionality. Recently, many WinPatrol users have requested support for a Mozilla browser, Pale Moon. This browser will now automatically be detected so cookies stored by Pale Moon will be managed by WinPatrols view cookies and real-time filtering feature. Pale Moon will also be listed as a browser in the standard WinPatrol Report.
New Icons:
The Scotty system tray icon is easier to see with a new traditional Scotty icon on a blue tile background. The Blue Orb icon introduced when our original icon was hard to view on Vista will no longer be used. This will also mean we won't need the option to use our old traditional Scotty icon.
For anyone with a Start Menu, you'll also find more readable tile icons for WinPatrol, WinPatrol Explorer, Uninstall and Help.
Safe Update Version Info:
Our Safe Update button will now include version information for security programs Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Microsoft Security Essentials where appropriate.
Server Optimization:
WinPatrol v31 now optimizes communication with our server when a severe attack occurs. While WinPatrol will never create enough traffic to hurt your local network our new optimization will make sure you have all the bandwidth you need.

New in WinPatrol 30.9.2014.0 (Apr 23, 2014)

New in WinPatrol 30.5.2014.1 (Mar 23, 2014)

New in WinPatrol 30.1.2014.0 (Feb 25, 2014)

New in WinPatrol 30.0.2014.0 (Jan 24, 2014)

Best Performance Yet:
While the time has come to improve the look of WinPatrol it was still more important to optimize portions of the WinPatrol real-time monitor. It's clear that many older machines are still providing a service even if they have a single core CPU and minimal memory.
Many common system checks that we previously read from the Windows registry are now stored in WinPatrol's local memory and updated only if needed. This not only saves CPU cycles but it also saves our disc access. Other programs may rely on third-party software libraries but we still maintain complete control over every instruction executed by WinPatrol to detect changes. Users with programs like Process Explorer will see the improvement immediately.
Reports:
The WinPatrol report and Hijack report have also been updated to be more useful. Since internally Windows 7 and Windows 8 are still considered Windows version 6 we've made sure to do the proper conversion letting reports accurately provide version numbers for both Windows and Internet explorer.
New Cookie Support:
Unlike many programs WinPatrol has never relied on 3rd party program libraries for popular features. The code in the two main WinPatrol components uses the "C" programming language and has been written at a Windows API level by WinPatrol's developer, Bill Pytlovany. One exception is a DLL called SQLite3.dll which is used to access files which are part of the SQLite database. Both Firefox and Chrome use the open source, public domain SQLite database to store their cookies. The only way for WinPatrol to access these cookies is to use the SQLite code. In December a new version of SQLite3.dll was released and has been included with WinPatrol 2014.
The new version of SQLite should fix some cookie bugs which have been reported. We also plan on adding support for Chrome and Firefox plug-in's so having the new verion is also great incentive. If you look at the files we list under the Hidden tab you'll notice files starting with etilqs_. These are typically temporary files that are used by a program which uses the SQLite database.
Windows Update Handling:
WinPatrol notifications include information on the removal of any programs which are currently on the list of auto running files and control panel entries for installed programs. We've found that during normal Microsoft Windows updates these entries are replaced and are expected changes that won't need notifications. As with previous notifications WinPatrol wants you to know when a change occurs but not overwhelm you with messages.
Restore Position and Size:
WinPatrol is one of the few programs that use a tabbed interface but allow you to resize your window. Over the years based on user feedback we do provide a maximum and minimize button. In the past our maximize setting was not always saved from one session to another. This new version fixes that problem and other issues related to changes in multi-monitor configurations.
Typo:
Other changes to WinPatrol 2014 are minor but very important. In our last version a typo was introduced in the text displayed by the Scotty system tray icon. Instead of letting you know Scotty was ready to pounce our typo said he was ready to bounce. While Scottie's can certainly bounce I was pleased that so many of you reported this error. It's a very embarrassing but I'm glad to know that folks are reading our messages. It helped us review many of our text messages to make sure they would be useful.
Delayed Start:
One of the new favorite features, Delayed Start has been updated to handle some unique filename and parameter combinations which did not work as we expected. We've also optimized our background monitor while waiting for programs yet to be launched. The ""-express"" parameter is used when WinPatrol first launches so we can provide the quickest start time possible. We still believe computers should turn on as quickly as TV's. While computer are starting quicker it's sad to see our new TV's seem to be taking longer.

New in WinPatrol 29.1.2013.1 (Dec 7, 2013)

New in WinPatrol 29.0.2013.0 (Oct 21, 2013)

New in WinPatrol 28.9.2013.1 (Sep 25, 2013)

New in WinPatrol 28.9.2013.0 (Sep 5, 2013)

New in WinPatrol 28.8.2013.0 (Sep 4, 2013)

Update Notification:
Ironically one of our new fixes relates to text on our PLUS screen that lets you know when a new version is available. By popular demand WinPatrol will now send a message letting you know when a new build is available. When this notification is displayed we also change the text on the PLUS screen to remind you. Unfortunately, the text didn't always reset after you upgraded to the new version. This version will resolve that issue.
Windows 8 Task Manager:
Instead of using MSConfig, Windows 8 includes a list of Startup programs as a tab in the new Task Manager. Users can disable startup programs using the Windows Task Manager. While WinPatrol's "Disable" feature includes additional features it now recognizes choices made by the Task Manager and will alert Task Manager when files are disabled by WinPatrol. As in the past WinPatrol will monitor programs which are disabled so if they are forced back to normal by a partner program, WinPatrol will automatically reset them to disabled unless you click to Enable the program. (Windows 8 Only)
Installation Program Update:
The WinPatrol setup program will no longer launch regedit as part of the install process. In the past, regedit was used to set some useful examples on how to use the feature that allows WinPatrol to monitor any registry location. Launching regedit was not acceptable to some secure systems and with so many different versions of Windows not all of our examples were useful on all platforms. A help file is still easily accessible on the Registry Monitoring tab. (All Users during setup. PLUS required for custom registry monitoring.)
Windows XP Enhancement:
As part of our dedication to XP users we've improved performance that can sometimes be affected by large Temp Internet Folders or hard drives with little space. Even if you don't use Internet Explorer unrelated quirks can sometimes occur when the temp file grows too large. For more information on healthy temp files reading Free #1 Tweak to Improve Windows Performance While for safety we recommend XP users upgrade to Windows 8 before the end of support from Microsoft next April, WinPatrol will continue to detect changes including zero-day infiltrations on Windows XP systems. (Windows XP SP2 & SP3 and Windows Vista users.)

New in WinPatrol 28.6.2013.0 (Aug 13, 2013)

New in WinPatrol 28.5.2013.0 (Jul 16, 2013)

New in WinPatrol 28.1.2013.0 (Apr 27, 2013)

New in WinPatrol 28.0.2013.0 (Apr 18, 2013)

WinPatrol Maintenence and Reset Tool:
Under the PLUS tab, you'll find About/Version information along with your way to activate WinPatrol PLUS once you purchase a lifetime Name and PLUS code. You'll also find a search box so you can look up PLUS Information on files even if they aren't found in any of your lists. This can be used when you want to help a friend find out more about a mystery file on their computer.
There's also a "Reset" link previously used to initialize the PLUS name and code. The clickable Reset link has been expanded to provide useful tools created based on email questions from WinPatrol users.
Windows Services - Automatic (Delayed Start):
One of the possible startup values for Windows Services is Automatic but with Delayed Start. WinPatrol now supports versions of Window and displays the Delayed Start option when available WinPatrol also allows Services to be managed so you can include this option when appropriate.
User Interface Improvements:
Alert screens have been updated to be less annoying and provide most effective information. Readability has been improved with icons moved to the right side and some buttons have more descriptive text. Nobody likes alert windows and under normal use you'll never see an Alert message. When you do, WinPatrol will help you decide if a change is required and do what it can to reduce repeating alerts. We've found that 8 out of 10 programs which fight efforts to be removed from the Startup list are legitimate programs, usually designed to provide dangerous automatic updates.
Registration Improvements:
When installing WinPatrol you'll be asked to supply your name, country and email. This information is used for statistical reasons to help BillP Studios understand the rate WinPatrol is installed, how installations react to promotions and especially how we can make WinPatrol PLUS the best possible value. Your name and email is used as a unique identifier and also helps to quickly find any requested PLUS codes that may be lost..
Anyone concerned about privacy didn't have to provide their truthful information but still had to fill in the form to continue. Even though it's a standard practice to request registration for free software we don't want to alienate any fans of WinPatrol.
Version 28.0 found a new way to provide the same statistics without requiring a name or Email. All registration information is now optional.
Improved Handling of Invalid Filenames:
When programs are uninstalled poorly there can often be left over characters or spaces that frequently trigger WinPatrol alerts that contain no information. This version reduces the possibility of corrupted filenames.
Better Display when File Does Not Exist:
Much of the information displayed by WinPatrol comes from registry and our goal is to let users see what's in the registry without having to know how to use regedit.exe. In some cases, programs have been registered but the file no longer exists. Often other security software removes the file but doesn't update registry pointers. This version make it more obvious when a file no longer exists and is no possible threat.

New in WinPatrol 27.0.2013.0 (Mar 6, 2013)

New in WinPatrol 26.1.2013.0 (Jan 5, 2013)

New in WinPatrol 26.0.2013.0 (Dec 11, 2012)

New in WinPatrol 25.6.2012.1 (Sep 20, 2012)

New in WinPatrol 25.0.2012.5 (Jul 13, 2012)

New in WinPatrol 25.0.2012.1 (Jul 12, 2012)

New in WinPatrol 25.0.2012.0 (Jul 9, 2012)

Uninstall Detection ( NEW! ):
The new WinPatrol v25 will track programs that have been installed on your system and will monitor the location Windows uses to store Uninstall information. This location includes the path to the Uninstall command which is often used by malware to remove a program silently. WinPatrol will let you know the names of any programs which are removed. This feature is available to PLUS only users and is optional. Legitimate alerts may occur during software updates or when you choose to remove software.
Start Program Removed Detection ( NEW! ):
All WinPatrol users can benefit from the often requested option of Start program removal. WinPatrol PLUS is not required to benefit from this feature.
WinPatrol was the first program to let users know if a new auto startup programs were installed. Now WinPatrol will also let you know if another program has removed one of your Startup programs. One of the common behaviors of malware is to reduce the possibility of being detected by Anti-Virus or security software. It’s common for new malware to remove programs from your auto Startup list so it won't be detected. Since WinPatrol is not as well known as other commercial products it's rarely a target for removal.
Delayed Startup Program:
One of our more popular features is the ability to delay the launch of a Startup programs. This can really speed up your boot time. Our recent sale generated a lot of new WinPatrol users who helped isolate a few bugs in Delayed Start especially on the 64 bit versions of Windows. These bugs have been fixed so programs aren’t lost and parameters are properly returned when moving a Delayed program back to its original status.
Windows XP Kill Task:
This bug only affected XP users and even reverting to our v18 code didn’t resolve a flaw preventing WinPatrol from killing tasks. It turns out Microsoft changed the value of one of the parameter masks used in a function called OpenProcess. The Kill Task function broke on XP after we updated to newer Microsoft tools in our efforts to better support Windows 7. Sorry to the XP folks that it took this long to find. I can't thank Larry from Microsoft enough for his assistance. This is an important feature because unlike Task Manager, WinPatrol allows you to select multiple programs to kill with one click.
Company Name, Details and Correct Path:
One of the first steps in detecting a suspicious programs is the lack of a company name in its resource. On Windows 64 bit machines not all of the details of programs were available due to a bug I found and reported to Microsoft. It turns out a common Windows function called ExpandEnvironmentStrings won’t always providing the correct path when represented by the environment variable %programfiles%. If you’re using Windows 64 bit you probably noticed there is a "C:\Program Files" path for 64 bit programs and older programs are stored in "C:\Program Files (x86)". A correct path to your program is required to obtain details like a company name. We’ve worked around this bug so we can find the correct path which is required for company name and many other features. .
Misc Fixes:
Anyone who noticed Scotty's ability to run on startup was sometimes missing will be pleased. There was in fact a bug that removed WinPatrol as a Startup program.

New in WinPatrol 24.6.2012.0 (Apr 17, 2012)

New in WinPatrol 24.5.2012.0 (Mar 26, 2012)

New in WinPatrol 24.1.2012.0 (Jan 31, 2012)

New in WinPatrol 24.0.2012.1 (Dec 30, 2011)

Performance - You’ll Love it:
First and foremost I’ve been working on making WinPatrol robust and hidden away so under normal circumstances you’ll never know its running. Based on your feedback, I’ve concentrated on making sure WinPatrol works with other security programs. Our research shows that most of you tend to run at least two anti-Virus/Malware programs along with WinPatrol. Many experts will recommend against more than one program but WinPatrol doesn’t work like other malware monitors. It runs great along with other programs. Many Anti-Virus companies may disagree and their support reps will recommend you remove WinPatrol. They haven’t tested with WinPatrol, we have. If a program removes or quarantines WinPatrol just reinstall our setup program. It’s still a quick, easy download.
Cookies – Filter out Bad Cookies Automatically:
Earlier this year Microsoft updated how they name cookie files. They now use random file names but they’re still just unencrypted text files. You can “click here” to read why they decided to make this change. Its makes some sense but broke how WinPatrol manages and filters bad cookies. If you’ve received the update from Microsoft the WinPatrol cookie manager for Internet Explorer will be broken and look like this.
Localization Fix – 64 bit versions:
I’m not a big fan of Windows 64 bit OS and our language service packs broke using Windows 64 bit. I’ve fixed this bug and look forward to showing our international friends how much we respect them by releasing new versions of our local versions. Our language packs are created by volunteers and I couldn’t think them enough.
WinPatrol Enterprise – Now Available for Small Business:
Most users don’t realize there is a version of WinPatrol designed for large companies with over 100 employees. One of the main features of Enterprise is centralized administration. When a change is detected instead of the user being notified, an Email is generated and sent to a main administrator. WinPatrol 2012 Small Business is a special partnership now available for 10 systems and one administrator for $179 USD. You can order via our online store and your small business key will be sent within 2-3 business days.

New in WinPatrol 20.5.2011.0 (May 16, 2011)

New in WinPatrol 20.0.2011.2 (Mar 17, 2011)

New in WinPatrol 20.0.2011.1 (Mar 16, 2011)

New in WinPatrol 20.0.2011.0 (Feb 15, 2011)

What's New:
The last new version of WinPatrol was release in early November, 2010 just before Scotty’s 11th birthday. This week I’m happy to announce to release the new and improved WinPatrol 2011. Scotty even has a new 2011 look
As more computers are sold with the 64 bit version of Window we've worked hard to keep up and make sure Scotty doesn't lag behind the technology. We found some quirks on 64 bit systems but thanks to support from our friends at Microsoft and other security vendors we’ve created version that runs faster than ever on 64 bit systems.
Active Task:
You'll notice more information available on our list of Active Tasks. Sorting on the module ID you’ll be able to see which DLL files are used by running tasks. You'll find two new columns and on newer versions of Windows with additional information. Over the years this has been a popular request and we will continue to add information which is useful to all users. Active Tasks is usually the first place you'll check to remove any unwanted programs from reappearing so the more information the better.
ZeroDay Alerts:
WinPatrol 2011 responds far better to repeating alerts from unknown sources. These infiltrations can happen to anyone just having a vulnerable application on their computer. Files which are repeating alerts are also tracked to provide quicker creation of PLUS Info for new threats.
Delayed Start:
This new feature is proving to be very popular with new users. We fixed a bug on 64 bit systems when moving programs from the Startup Programs list to Delayed Start.
Services:
Display bug fixed when changing startup status. Fixed bug in 64 bit Windows when displaying non-Microsoft Services only.
Activation:
Corrected Internet error message when trying to activate PLUS features. We obviously want to make it as easy as possible to upgrade from the Free Edition to WinPatrol PLUS. We continue to make it a great deal even for folks short on cash and the future of WinPatrol really depends on continued support from our PLUS members.

New in WinPatrol 19.3.2010.5 (Nov 20, 2010)

New in WinPatrol 19.3.2010.2 (Nov 15, 2010)

New in WinPatrol 19.3.2010.1 (Nov 12, 2010)

New in WinPatrol 19.3.2010.0 (Nov 5, 2010)

New in WinPatrol 19.2.2010.1 (Nov 5, 2010)

New in WinPatrol 19.1.2010.1 (Oct 30, 2010)

New in WinPatrol 19.1.2010.0 (Oct 26, 2010)

New in WinPatrol 19.0.2010.0 (Oct 2, 2010)

WinPatrol v19 the "Cloud Edition":
What's so special about the WinPatrol Cloud ?
If "Cloud" sounds stupid and doesn't make sense, think "collaboration". The new version allows everyone in the WinPatrol community to safely share when something new works or doesn't work properly.
The WinPatrol Cloud Edition is considered a “Software-as-a-Service” version of cloud computing and relies on a collaboration approach to bring a huge value to all everyone in the WinPatrol community. Results detected by individual WinPatrol users are collected so everyone using WinPatrol can share their good and bad experiences.
Data from the WinPatrol version will benefit both FREE and PLUS users. PLUS
WinPatrol FREE Features:
One part of the WinPatrol Cloud is a poll where the WinPatrol community of users can provide personal feedback on files that are detected. The poll data will be available to both FREE and PLUS users.
WinPatrol PLUS Features:
The second part is based on software behavior and actions taken by both WinPatrol FREE and PLUS users. The WinPatrol cloud will track how users handle their decision to handle configuration changes. This information is accumulated continuously and will be available when requesting PLUS Info. It’s like the Millionaire's "Ask the Audience" feature.
Action based information is available now and in the future additional information on software behavior will help users decide if a program is worth keeping.
Faster Detection PLUS users will notice any changes are detected even quicker than ever.
Registry Monitoring Fixed errors monitoring DWord types. Registry monitoring is one of the newest features in WinPatrol and this fix will be useful for many of user provided suggestions.
Window Services Our new version also fixes some errors in updating Windows Services. When Services were first added to WinPatrol they were a brand new concept but not make up most of the resident programs running on your system.
What is Cloud Computing?
No need to Uninstall previous versions. Install the new WinPatrol in the same folder as your current version.

New in WinPatrol 18.0.2010.0 (May 28, 2010)

Already a Startup Manager, Security Monitor, Task Manager, Education library & yet the new Custom WinPatrol v18 will have even more!
Custom Registry Monitoring and Lock Down:
The newest version of confirms that WinPatrol is a must have addition to any traditional AntiVirus program. WinPatrol continues its tradition of being a first. The new custom Registry Lock feature could be a application all by itself but instead it will be integrated into the robust real-time monitoring of WinPatrol PLUS.
The most common threat to Windows based security has been the modification of secret and not-so-secret registry entries used by the operating system and most applications. Over the years malware authors have found ways to take control of a users system by tweaking various registry entries. Only experts with knowledge of programs like regedit.exe have stood a chance at protecting their systems.
Traditional security programs have played a cat and mouse game to keep up with newly discovered registry tweaks. Now with WinPatrol 2010 v18’s, newly discovered tweaks can be added immediately to WinPatrol’s real-time monitoring. Registry values can be manually added or included in a batch script file created by experts and other 3rd party developers.
Running completely in the background WinPatrol PLUS will monitor for changes and lock down specific registry entries so they can’t be changed.
WinPatrol already locks down AutoRun entries, FileType associations and a host of other system configurations. Now, users can pick and choose registry entries they decide should never change.
Not sure how the registry works? Online experts will create custom scripts to protect those configuration locations important to you.
Protection from ActiveX errors. WinPatrol lets you know when new ActiveX components are installed on your system. WinPatrol version 18 now includes this feature as bonus to PLUS members to protect novice users from accidently disabling critical ActiveX controls.
PLUS Code Security. Due to the large number of illegal keygen and pirate sites I've had to increase the verification of your name and PLUS codes. This may cause an occasional error with PLUS members using valid codes. This step is required to make sure our PLUS members can always access our website.
No need to Uninstall previous versions. Install the new WinPatrol in the same folder as your current version.

New in WinPatrol 17.0.2010.0 (Oct 12, 2009)

New in WinPatrol 16.0.2009.1 (Apr 8, 2009)

New in WinPatrol 16.0.2009.0 (Mar 16, 2009)