Bits from Bill

Technology thoughts leaking from the brain of "Bill Pytlovany"

Saturday, March 08, 2008

User Feedback Keeps Me Going

I'm sometimes asked what motivates me to continue working on WinPatrol. It's great when I get mentioned in magazines like PC World and even local news like the Cape Code Times but it’s especially nice to receive feedback from average WinPatrol user.

Most of the support Email I get comes from folks who forget their code but occasionally I get an Email like the following. I thought I’d share what I hope is a typical experience.

I never knew about WinPatrol until several years ago when it became a comment in an editorial from one of the on-line computer magazines. It simply mentioned the barking dog as if everyone knew what he was talking about. I did some searching and found Scotty. I installed the free version. It installed like it knew what it was doing and didn't pester me with questions. A scotty dog appeared in my task bar, and that was all there was to it.

Almost a week later a barking dog half-scared me out of my wits and a dialogue box appeared telling me some program I didn't know I even had was trying to install itself in the registry. I said no. The WinPatrol dialogue box disappeared and nothing happened.

A few days later I installed a program. Scotty barked and told me a new program was trying to install itself in the registry. This time I said yes. The dialogue box closed and nothing else happened.

I soon began to trust Scotty to keep me warned about things. He always did. After a year of having the dog on my task bar and no newsletters, no requests to update, no problems, especially no problems, I decided it was only fair to actually buy WinPatrol Plus. I still wouldn't know it was on my computer if the damn thing didn't bark to make me jump in my chair whenever some sneaky program I didn't invite decided to put itself on the start-up menu.

I've updated the versions from time to time. They download, hopefully, for I wouldn't know about it, nothing seems to happen very much. I mean there are no banners, no persistent questioning, no pain-in-the-ass procedures I have to follow. I don't find that my registration is no longer valid and that I have to go and find where I have put it so I can re-enter it on the updated program. Nothing, the little dog just sits there on the task-bar minding its own business and, apparently, looking after mine. The program has never become corrupt despite being transferred to newer machines and, somehow, it always manages to find its own registration validation. That part is just bloody marvellous.

I have some software that helps keep my machine clean. It has undergone several updates to the point where it controls my machine, not me. I can no longer tell it what to do, especially as regards cookies cleansing. I don't bother anymore. I just open WinPatrol and clean the cookies from there.

The only complaint I have ever had is that the icon was changed to favour Vista. It appeared as a blue circle with something in the middle. I missed the little dog. Today I happened to open the options window to check for a latest version of WinPatrol. And there was the check box saying 'use the old icon'.

I am now 100% per cent happy. Of course, I should have expected that my most favourite program would have thought of that. Silly me.


Thanks people. WinPatrol is all that a good program should be.

David Edwards


So with motivation like this I’ll be spending my weekend working on WinPatrol 2008.


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9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi readers,

Using WinPatrol now since a few weeks. The program runs like a charm and has very nice options. This is for sure a keeper. Keep up the good work Bill.

7:55 PM  
Blogger MysteryFCM said...

Nice one :o)

Been using WinPatrol myself for years, and even had it as the Editors Choice for my Freeware Library site (sadly majorly outdated and in need of a re-design).

I've always loved it, always recommended it, and will always continue to do so (I install the free version on every machine I work on that doesn't already have it :o)).

11:59 AM  
Blogger Corrine said...

"WinPatrol is all that a good program should be."

I have also been using WinPatrol for years and I couldn't agree more!

2:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HI BILL, IVE JUST REPAID W/PAYPAL FOR THE NEW VERSION. 14 DOES IT LOOK THE SAME? IVE HAD THE OLD PAID KEY CODE, AS IVE BEEN USING WINPATROL 2+YEARS THANK YOU JERRY NORMAN

4:15 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I had almost forgotten about Scotty until my system needed a good cleansing. I was several versions behind and after downloading the newest free version (the one I have always used) I decided to purchase the plus version because the format has changed dramatically to be more user friendly than what I recall. Plus I am a big believer in realtime protection. Thanks Bill..

9:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Scotty is this man's best friend.

Bill, in a future release might it be possible for Scotty to know that I have paid for Plus and not ask me to click on the Plus Info button each time I want info?

What an awesome program.

12:15 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Thanks!

If you look at your Window title bar it will say WinPatrol PLUS if you've activated your PLUS features.
There's no reason why you should need to activate again. If you're loosing PLUS fetures you might check if running a registry cleaner if removing your name and code.

If you have another problem you can write me at support@winpatrol.com and we'll get to the bottom of it.

Thanks again,
Bill

9:06 AM  
Blogger Brian said...

Hi Bill.

Nice to see love from other people for your unique program.

I have used it for a long time, someone on TechTV first mentioned it, I believe it was Leo LaPorte. Said what a great program it was, and so I tried it on my school computer. I really appreciate being alerted to when things are trying to be installed on my PC even now, with or without my consent. I have been spyware and virus free alot more since I started using and continue to remain that way.

Thanks for a great piece of software.

3:23 AM  
Blogger Gordon Bennet said...

What can you say? The first program I install if setting up a computer for a friend, the first onto a new computer. Simply - essential software.
Dave N.

4:53 PM  

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