Software Update: WinPatrol 30.5.2014

BillP Studios has released version 30.5.2014 of WinPatrol. In this program, ‘Scotty, the Windows watchdog’ keeps an eye on the system, making it work faster and more stable. WinPatrol detects and stops spy, ad and malware attacks, viruses and malicious Internet Explorer add-ons, while also preventing home page hijacks. A few other things are also monitored, including the processes running on the PC, the hosts file, file extensions, and whether a program or process is added to the start-up list.

In addition to the free version, there is also a paid one Plus variant, which provides access to a database with extensive information about programs and processes, which states, for example, whether they are safe or malicious. New in version 30 include improvements to cookie management and program launch delays. The release notes for this release are as follows:

Check for Safe Updates
We’ve added a special “Check for Safe Updates” button on our PLUS tab/page. Previously this button checked for new versions of WinPatrol but it has been expanded to include version checks for a number of popular software packages. When you click this button we’ll compare your version against the newest safe version available. If updating is recommended you’ll see a safe link to the official download page for the software. This is critical because to many fake sites are being allowed to advertise with Google, Bing and other search engines. It’s easy to find yourself on web page that tries to trick you into downloading software wrapped in a setup program that installs additional unwanted software.

Even legitimate company websites like Oracle have partnered with search toolbar and anti-virus companies. They receive revenue if they can get you to agree to installing software when you are notified you need to download a new version of Java. The WinPatrol PLUS Safe Update Engine will also warn you about these threats and show you sample screen shots of what you might expect.

Restore Deleted Files
The other new feature comes from feedback given to radio host Kim Komando. In a recent article Kim recommended WinPatrol but strongly warned her audience about the dangers of using WinPatrol to delete files that may be required. WinPatrol has always provided a History button that allows you to Restore any Startup Programs but she had a point when it comes to our ability to delete hidden files. Hidden files will now be stored in a WinPatrol vault. We will also include a command line script that can be used to restore any files that were hidden. The command-line scripts are created in a worse-case scenario when a file is deleted which is required for Windows to run by Windows. The script or .bat file can be run in safe mode or a command-line mode.

PLUS Upgrade Disount for Windows XP
The new Safe Update engine will also detect which version of Windows you’re running. If we detect you’re still running Windows XP we want to provide as much protection as possible. It’s selfish because if a Windows XP machine is infiltrated it could turn into a “bot” which is used to send SPAM or deploy additional viruses. If we detect you’re using Windows XP you’ll see a link to a special Windows XP sale page. The name of this page will routinely change but it will have a PayPal button that allows you to upgrade to WinPatrol PLUS for only $2.00 USD.

Dialog Format and Positioning
Improvements are continuing on positioning of components within a WinPatrol dialog screen. Thanks to feedback from our localization volunteers and others we’ve improved the size and positioning of text fields. We’ve also updated our font definitions to use the recommended “MS Shell Dlg” font.