WinPatrol Free 2015 Update Thread (Version: V33.6.2015.1 released)

Status
Not open for further replies.

Littlebits

Retired Staff
Thread author
May 3, 2011
3,893
Power to the People

Your comments and suggestions have helped create one of the most exciting new versions in recent years. Over the years WinPatrol had grown with the ability to detect a large range of internal changes within Windows. In the process, WinPatrol lost its easy to use feel that encouraged you to tell your friends and family to download our program. Version 29, built on your feedback, returns WinPatrol to it's roots and will have you blogging and tweeting by the end of the week.

One complaint I've heard, especially from new users, is the volume of alert messages when there is a new program install or malware attack. Over the years, the number of critical locations monitored by WinPatrol has grown but it’s also source of frustration. While everyone appreciates WinPatrol alerting them to an infiltration, the number of locations we reveal combined with numerous malware pop ups is overwhelming.

Installing a legitimate program will typically cause new entries in the Startup Programs, an IE Helper or two and multiple Services. A malware attack may create 10 times the changes all generating individual warnings from WinPatrol. Instead of having to respond to each change most of us would rather just have everything fixed with a single action. That’s WinPatrol v29.

The new version will save users from as much frustration as possible and includes new options when unexpected changes occur. Based on a single user response, WinPatrol will evaluate a response to other immediate changes without requiring extensive user interaction.

Additions Enhancements and Bug Fixes

Added New Features to Start, IE Helper and Service Alerts

Added Properties information directly from Windows
Added Open Folder launching Windows File Explorer to allow user direct access to new file.
Added Exit Windows emergency exit in case new users are confused or had WinPatrol installed without their knowledge.
Include Disable feture to new Startup Program alert message. This tells WinPatrol to keep track of this file and always remove it anytime it is put back into the startup list.

Reduce font size for dialogs that display long path names.
Confirm MS Shell Dlg font is used to support international system fonts
Adjust fonts to provide better handling when resizing main interface
Change default position of alert message to upper right corner to be less obstuctive
Detect signature file updates without warning McAfee users every day.
Confirm all types of changes are checked at the same time when any single change occurs.
Allow suppression of multiple alerts during Real-time Infiltration Detection

Read full changelog
 

aztony

Level 9
Verified
Oct 15, 2013
501
RE: WinPatrol Free 2013 Version: 29.0.2013.0 released

Was alerted to the release earlier, but when I tried to install the download link was still giving the installer file for 28.9. Finally got it a few moments ago.
 

Littlebits

Retired Staff
Thread author
May 3, 2011
3,893
WinPatrol v29.1.2013.1 released:

December 6th, 2013


Quick Fixes
Fixed false warnings about changes to Windows AutoUpdate status
Reduced warnings of daily Microsoft updates that created Uninstall warnings

Artificial Intelligence Security
This new feature will increase WinPatrol's value exponentially over time. It will also be accessible for our future apps like Task Catcher "Extreme" and other partners interested in licensing the technology. Unlike the Optional sharing of choices used on our Community Info pages, all A.I. Security data is kept private on your machine.

Phase 2 including focus groups and beta testing of Task Catcher Extreme will be restricted to current Task Catcher customers and/or BillP Studio Associates who agree to a strict NDA.
Our WinPatrol-powered A.I.S. provides the 3rd generation of innovations created by BillP Studios to detect and stop dangerous new threats without crippling your computer.


We believe a passive approach can still be used to detect and shut down instant attacks like Cryptolocker. We're seeing a trend in threats that remain in memory instead of becoming resident in the Windows registry or hard drive. These attacks will not be detected by most traditional Anti-Virus programs.

Improvements and Bug Reports
Semi-Transparent Alert messages available on Windows 8 make Scotty less intrusive.
Manifest file updated to support presistant WinPatrol window size and positions when using alternate DPI settings.
Improvements to our Active Task List and more success Killing of active tasks using multi-selection standards.
Introduction of new triggers to increase performance by reducing redundant monitoring(PLUS Only)
Improved performance of change detection on our free version.
Improved screen UI and description when a change is detected for the Windows Update settings.
( Did you know WinPatrol monitored changes to the Windows Update? )
The default setting for File Explorer integration is now disabled. It's been pointed out that a large number of programs taking advantage of the right-click context menu wthout asking. We also don't want to seem like we're nagging users to upgrade to WinPatrol PLUS.

http://www.winpatrol.com/upgrade.html
Download

Enjoy!! :D
 

Littlebits

Retired Staff
Thread author
May 3, 2011
3,893
WinPatrol v29.2.2013 released:

December 9th, 2013

  • Quick Fixes
  • Fixed false warnings about changes to Windows AutoUpdate status
  • Reduced warnings of daily Microsoft updates that created Uninstall warnings

  • Artificial Intelligence Security
  • This new feature will increase WinPatrol's value exponentially over time. It will also be accessible for our future apps like Task Catcher "Extreme" and other partners interested in licensing the technology. Unlike the Optional sharing of choices used on our Community Info pages, all A.I. Security data is kept private on your machine.

    Phase 2 including focus groups and beta testing of Task Catcher Extreme will be restricted to current Task Catcher customers and/or BillP Studio Associates who agree to a strict NDA.
    Our WinPatrol-powered A.I.S. provides the 3rd generation of innovations created by BillP Studios to detect and stop dangerous new threats without crippling your computer.


    We believe a passive approach can still be used to detect and shut down instant attacks like Cryptolocker. We're seeing a trend in threats that remain in memory instead of becoming resident in the Windows registry or hard drive. These attacks will not be detected by most traditional Anti-Virus programs.

  • Improvements and Bug Reports
  • Semi-Transparent Alert messages available on Windows 8 make Scotty less intrusive.
  • Manifest file updated to support presistant WinPatrol window size and positions when using alternate DPI settings.
  • Improvements to our Active Task List and more success Killing of active tasks using multi-selection standards.
  • Introduction of new triggers to increase performance by reducing redundant monitoring(PLUS Only)
  • Improved performance of change detection on our free version.
  • Improved screen UI and description when a change is detected for the Windows Update settings.
    ( Did you know WinPatrol monitored changes to the Windows Update? )
  • The default setting for File Explorer integration is now disabled. It's been pointed out that a large number of programs taking advantage of the right-click context menu wthout asking. We also don't want to seem like we're nagging users to upgrade to WinPatrol PLUS.
http://www.winpatrol.com/upgrade.html

Download- http://www.winpatrol.com/wpsetup.exe
 

Littlebits

Retired Staff
Thread author
May 3, 2011
3,893
WinPatrol 2014 30.1.2014 Released:

This 2nd release of WinPatrol 2014 provides a number of bug fixes that have been reported and improvements that have been requested. In the process of our code review additional optimizations were found. The result is a more stable version of WinPatrol that you can count on to run WinPatrol in the background without any interference.

International Date and Time Formats
As previously announced WinPatrol 2014 will continue to support our friends outside the U.S. You'll find this version handles formats as defined in the region control panel applet.

SQLite - Cookies
The only 3rd party software used by WinPatrol is an open-source public domain library named SQLite3.DLL This file is used by Chrome and Mozilla to store their cookies. If you see files in our Hidden list that start with "etilqs_" they indicate a SQLite database files. WinPatrol uses this file to help you manage your cookies. To continue our full cookie support this update includes the latest SQLite library.

WinPatrol Installation
The setup program has been improved to include more information on using WinPatrol effectively.

Graphic Enhancements
Graphics associated with WinPatrol lists have been updated. The graphic which represents real-time monitoring has been updated so PLUS users are provided a clear indication that monitoring is active.

ActiveX Non-PLUS error
We've had some reports that indicate WinPatrol can get confused about being a PLUS version. The main symptom is having an update button appear in the list of ActiveX controls.

Column Sorting
One of the functions used by our column sorting has been improved so sorting programs will be more consistent. In the process we also found that the company was not being displayed correctly.

Environment Variables
This version fixes a big in our handling of the %SYSTEMROOT% environment variable. It also improves handling of 64 bit file redirection for other environment variables.

Download


Enjoy!! :D
 

Cats-4_Owners-2

Level 39
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Dec 4, 2013
2,800
Thank you for all the info about WinPatrol which I've read both here & on the thread "Sandboxie alternative"!:) Afterward, I downloaded the latest version from Softpedia. The sole tweak I've applied thus far has been delaying 3 programs at start up;) which, in turn, has noticeably reduced start up time on our Windows 7 system!:D
 
  • Like
Reactions: Venustus

Petrovic

Level 64
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 25, 2013
5,356
WinPatrol 2014 30.5.2014

This release addresses two areas that have been discussed not only on social media but on national news.

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.

Download
 

Cats-4_Owners-2

Level 39
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Dec 4, 2013
2,800
WinPatrol v30.5.2014.1

March 22st, 2014
  • Fixed errors with Delayed Start programs on x64 version of Windows.
  • Affected programs originally set to run from HKey Local Machine registry.
http://www.winpatrol.com/upgrade.html

Download
..well, at first I grumbled:mad: (..just a little) until it dawned on me, "BillP Studios is being quite generous ("WinPatrol will detect if you're using Windows XP and allow you to upgrade to PLUS for only $2.00 USD"), and kind. I imagined Noah in the impressive looking film starring Russel Crowe in the title role! With our un-sea worthy XP's swept aside & caught in the deluge,:oops: we can jump on board the H.M.S. "WinPatrol" aka The ARK!:D Thanks so much for the <link> Petrovic!:) Our v30.5.2014.0 has now dropped it's (-0), & picked up a (-1) along the way instead!:p
 

Petrovic

Level 64
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 25, 2013
5,356
WinPatrol v30.9.2014

As promised I've focused on making WinPatrol easier and more powerful in 2014 with monthly updates. This version now includes Windows tooltips to provide a consistent, helpful interface.
In the past, I've avoided tooltips because I knew it would make WinPatrol larger, taking more space in memory. That's how much effort ase put into making WinPatrol as optimized as possible. It also presents an extra challenge for our volunteers who help translate text messages into other languages. I was wrong and now you can choose your favorite tooltip style.

tooltip_option.png

Under the Options tab you can change the tooltip style.
Select the default style, the balloon cartoon type or no tips at all.
After performing various benchmark tests we found the actual memory used by tool tips would not impact the performance of a Windows based computer. Even machines with as little as 512K of memory were not effected by the new tool tips features. The benefits will really make WinPatrol easier to understand for new users and even folks who have used WinPatrol for years.
If someone doesn't like Tooltips or wants to use the cartoon like tool tips the Options tab provides a way to set the tooltip style to your personal preference.

tooltip_default.png

Default style of tooltips as seen on the File Type screen.



tooltip_activex.png

Example of balloon style explaining how useful it can be to disable ActiveX controls.


Cookie Update for Chrome and Firefox

WinPatrol uses the same public domain code that is used by Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and other new browsers. This version includes a copy of the newest library which appears in the WinPatrol folder as sqlite3.dll. You may notice in the WinPatrol list of hidden files many files that begin with "elitls" followed by random characters. These are SQLite files as you may notice elitls is SQLite backwards.

Window Positioning

We've updated some Window components that weren't completely visible on some machines with custom DPI.

http://www.winpatrol.com/upgrade.html

Download
 

Littlebits

Retired Staff
Thread author
May 3, 2011
3,893
WinPatrol v31.0.2014

June 3rd, 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.

http://www.winpatrol.com/upgrade.html

Download

Enjoy!! :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: JimD

Petrovic

Level 64
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 25, 2013
5,356
WinPatrol v32.0.2014

July 19th, 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.

http://www.winpatrol.com/upgrade.html

Download
 
  • Like
Reactions: Littlebits

Petrovic

Level 64
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 25, 2013
5,356
WinPatrol v32.0.2014.5 July 20th, 2014

Thanks to the quick reports from our dedicated fans a new release is available that resolves some errors due to a change to a new default folder. Using a new tool from Ruiware for inspecting registry data and the cooperation of folks in the Landzdown Forum we tracked down some remaining failures in the Delayed Start program list.

Other reports from the first day of downloading indicated some files from the previous BillP Studios folder we not copied to the new folder as planned. In particular, the history.txt was not copied and is useful if a startup program needed to be restored.

http://www.winpatrol.com/upgrade.html

Download
 
  • Like
Reactions: Littlebits

Petrovic

Level 64
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 25, 2013
5,356
WinPatrol v33.1.2015.0 Feb 26th, 2015

What's new in this release
  • Improved History processing now includes history of any items restored. For example, when a file is removed from the Startup tab it displays “START_Remove”. If the file is restored, an entry is added “START_Restored” to give confirmation and so you can track what has been done.
  • Fixed bug in History Restore functionality that cause restore to fail on many occasions.
  • Improved automatic clean-up and removal of files no longer on your computer from the WinPatrol database.
  • Updated alert processing to help eliminate repeat alerts.
  • Added code so that users of BitDefender 2015 should be able to use AutoPilot without receiving repeated alerts.
  • Fixed upgrade bug that results in two versions of WinPatrol running for some customers.
  • Added “First Detected” column to the Delayed Start Tab.
  • Added “Status” column to the Startup Programs Tab. Currently we do not recognize when 64-bit programs are running, we will have a full 64-bit version of WinPatrol available later this year.
  • Program description now displays in WinPatrol Explorer footer when highlighting a program.
  • Fixed sorting on date columns.
  • Fixed a bug Registry Monitoring that resulted in some keys not being monitored as they should have been.
  • Added note to Cookies tab that recommends closing any open browsers prior to editing cookies. We also added improved processing to handle if a browser is open so that you do not lose your changes. But we still recommend closing a browser before editing it’s associated cookies because the major browsers all keep a cache of their cookies and will automatically restore anything they have not themselves removed.
http://www.winpatrol.com/upgrade.html
 

Petrovic

Level 64
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 25, 2013
5,356
What’s new in 33.5.2015.3
  • Fixed issue with recurring alerts
  • Fixed issue where registry monitoring did not always alert
  • Enhanced background process to improve speed of detections
  • Enhanced product display and sorting on systems with large numbers of programs
  • Improved registration process
  • Fixed sorting on Delay Time in Delayed Start tab
https://www.winpatrol.com/winpatrol/
 

Petrovic

Level 64
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 25, 2013
5,356
What’s new in 33.5.2015.7
  • Fixed installer to better remove previous versions of WinPatrol
  • Corrects issue causing installer to hang during upgrade on some computers
  • Corrected installer to honor non-standard installation folders when upgrading from V32 and above
  • Fixed bug that could cause WinPatrol service to stop running
  • Contains additional fixes to prevent recurring prompts
  • Contains fixes for additional stale data clean-up
https://www.winpatrol.com/winpatrol/
 
  • Like
Reactions: karatz and Paul.R

59er

Level 1
Apr 23, 2015
12
Anybody have problem when update this new version?(33.5.2015.7)
I have this problem -> WinPatrol.exe is not a valid Win32 application.
Yes, received the same error message on a Windows XP Pro SP3 system.
 

59er

Level 1
Apr 23, 2015
12
According to WinPatrol there was a problem with the initial release of 2015.7 for Windows XP. It has been fixed. Cheers!
 
  • Like
Reactions: karatz

Petrovic

Level 64
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 25, 2013
5,356
What is new in V33.6.2015.1 (posted June 28th)
  • Added feature on PLUS tab for direct access to the Newsletter.
  • Fixes bug that was causing repeat alerts.
  • Fixes issues with WinPatrol crashing.
  • Fixes issue where data in the start-up tab would become invalid after moving a program to the delayed tab.
  • Fixes issues with delaying programs run via RunDll.
  • Enhanced start-up logic to include more start-up programs.
http://www.winpatrol.com/download.html
 
  • Like
Reactions: Overkill
Status
Not open for further replies.

About us

  • MalwareTips is a community-driven platform providing the latest information and resources on malware and cyber threats. Our team of experienced professionals and passionate volunteers work to keep the internet safe and secure. We provide accurate, up-to-date information and strive to build a strong and supportive community dedicated to cybersecurity.

User Menu

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to know first about the latest cybersecurity incidents and malware threats.

Top