Process Lasso v5.0.0.49

This is a general maintenance release that fixes and improves a few items.

Downloads

Workstation:
32-bit: http://www.bitsum.com/files/prolasso.zip
64-bit: http://www.bitsum.com/files/prolasso64.zip
Server:
32-bit: http://www.bitsum.com/files/server/prolasso.zip
64-bit: http://www.bitsum.com/files/server/prolasso64.zip

Changes:

• [.49]Fix.Core: Automatically terminate newly configured disallowed processes, don't wait for next attempted launch to start enforcement
• [.49]Fix.GUI: Fixed context menu not popping up in the Active Processes tab in some cases (started last minor build)
• [.49]Fix.GUI: Fixed double click on process in Active Tab not taking you to corresponding process in All Processes tab (started last minor build)
• [.49]Change.GUI: Japanese included in international server Edition
• [.49]Change.Core: Internal code refactoring on hard coded exclusion list (which user can selectively over-ride)
• [.49]Change.Core: Further improved NIS2012 compatibiilty
• [.49]Addition.GUI: Added more Server Edition indications in About box of Server Edition
• [.49]Addition.GUI: Added 64 to About box of 64-bit build
• [.49]Change.Docs: Updated docss

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Process Lasso v5.0.0.48

Changes:

• [.48]Change.GUI: Do not show 'Activate Now' menu item after activation
• [.48]Change.GUI: Adjusted logging thread CPU and I/O priorities, which may improve fluidity of Process Lasso and its core engine during high storage I/O loads
• [.48]Change.GUI: Some code speed optimizations
• [.48]Change.GUI: Addressed discrepency between 'K' and 'KB' being used in the all and active process listviews, respectively
• [.48]Change.GUI: Re-arranged active process listview column default positions
• [.48]Change.GUI: Adjusted handling of more known applications for better default behavior
• [.48]Change.GUI: Better integration with Symantec Endpoint Protection
• [.48]Fix.GUI: Fixed instant update of CPU % graphs when Active Processes sorted by CPU use
• [.48]Fix.GUI: Fixed sorting issues in the Active Processes listview (only) - sort of memory metrics and priorities
• [.48]Fix.GUI: Fixed sort of CPU % graphs in Active Processes listview (a)
• [.48]Fix.GUI: Fixed instant update of embedded CPU % graphs when Active Processes listview scrolls (b)

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Windows 8

First, I have a minor maintenance release coming later today. This just fixes a few small cosmetic issues in the GUI, as well as a few other little tweaks and fixes.

Second, Process Lasso has been fully tested with Windows 8 (preview release). It works fine. Of course, Process Lasso's functions are as needed as ever, nothing has changed - nor has anything Process Lasso offers now integrated into the OS.

The Windows 8 OS itself is... different ... designed for touch input while maintaining mouse and keyboard support. If you haven't seen it, it's quite the change. The OS itself is difficult (for me) to navigate with a mouse. However, the Windows 7 style interface is mostly still around, though many OS components have been changed to accommodate touch input.

The Metro UI isn't something you can show with screenshots. The lock screen has to be 'slid' like a phone or tablet. Notifications and some panes are large, mono-color windows with big text. The mouse acts more like a 'finger' would in many areas, dragging things around. Then of course there are the tiles, which take some getting used to.

For those who are curious, here is a glimpse of what the Windows 8 Task Scheduler looks like. If the only changes were UI revamps like this, Windows 8 would be great, hands down. However, marrying touch and traditional input is still far from perfect, so I can't give the whole endeavor a thumbs up yet. It will be nice for Microsoft to have a unified OS that is touch friendly, but the marriage of the two input methods seems far from perfect in this early preview -- in my humble opinion. It will likely improve before final release.

This is the first major change to the Windows Task Scheduler in years. Of course, the Resource Monitor was introduced in Vista, but the Task Scheduler remained largely the same. Here, it is completely rewritten - intended for readability and usability on tablets and other touch screens. Notice how the listview headers are large and clickable. The text is also in multiple font sizes for easier visibility (more so seen on the other pages). It sure does use a lot more RAM though, as shown here -- more than 4x that of Process Lasso's GUI! The memory utilization shown here is the private working set.

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Process Lasso v5.0.0.47 released

Yes, already ;). This version was pushed on out because I discovered a slow memory leak in the core engine when Process Lasso was in the presence of certain processes that had special handling. The cause was one of my more advanced code optimizations. The governor's safety mechanisms would have eventually induced a self-restart of the governor, but obviously a memory leak is a critical issue that mandated an immediate fix. It is recommended all users update to this new version, whether affected by the bug or not.

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Process Lasso v5.0.0.46 released

This release fixes a memory leak seen *only* in Windows 2K/XP with Terminal Services disabled. The cause was a bug in Windows 2K/XP that Microsoft never fixed. It only affected systems where Terminal Services is disabled, something Process Lasso would have warned about repeatedly, and a non-default system state (something the user had to change). On affected systems, the governor's sanity checks would have periodically induced a self-restart before memory use became a large concern. This release also does other minor maintenance, including populating the update dialog with your activation code for easy license validation (registered users only), and waiting for TS or RDS to fully initialize at startup, when appropriate and able.

Downloads
Workstation:
32-bit: http://www.bitsum.com/files/prolasso.zip
64-bit: http://www.bitsum.com/files/prolasso64.zip
Server:
32-bit: http://www.bitsum.com/files/server/prolasso.zip
64-bit: http://www.bitsum.com/files/server/prolasso64.zip

Changes:

• [.46]Addition.All: At startup, wait for Terminal Services (or RDS in Vista+) to fully initialize (with timeout), unless service disabled
• [.46]Addition.Core: Added to default exclusion list
• [.46]Fix.Core: Fixed rare, slow memory leak seen *only* in XP or 2K installs with Terminal Services disabled. This turned out to be a known memory leak/bug in a Windows TS API that was not fixed until Vista.
• [.46]Fix.GUI: Fixed cosmetic error that appeared in .44 in InstallHelper config dialog #2 (extraneous static group controls)
• [.46]Fix.All: Fixed error message 'error cleaning up global config folder' for some older installs that still used prosuper.ini as config filename (instead of newer prolasso.ini)
• [.46]Change.GUI: Licensed update dialog now automatically populates activation code, for easy optional validation of your license prior to update (for updates after this one)
• [.46]Change.GUI: Improved handling of potential error condition where corrupt listview column settings could cause an empty listview (no columsn are shown)
• [.46]Change.GUI: Language updates

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Licensed user update dialog - Activation code will be automatically populated in license validation box

Licensed User Update Dialog 
- Activation code will be automatically populated in license validation box

First, to be clear, the license validation shown upon update notification is optional. If you know when your license will expire (if ever), don't worry about it. The fact that it is optional was not clearly shown though, so many took it as mandatory, or were truly concerned that their license is about to expire. Either way, they went to the tedious trouble of finding and entering their key every update. I apologize for that!

This dialog is now auto-populated with the license activation code. Checking your license to ensure you are still able to get updates will be a one-click, or perhaps zero-click, option from now on.

This change will be in v5.0.0.46. However, you will not see it until the first update after that. Until then, remember, it is optional.

Of course, for lifetime users, ignore all this.

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