WHATSNEW.TXT: New WinU Features

WinU Version 3.2, released March 5, 1997

   Systemwide Time Limits: previously, desk-access time limits were 
   independent.  Now you can have a single time-limit setting which controls 
   all desks.  In this mode, switching to another desk does not reset the time 
   limit.  It continues to count down.  

   Added an option to the new Systemwide Time Limits: when you return to the 
   default desk, you can have the time set to "no time left".  Since this is 
   systemwide, there will be no time left on any other desk, either.  

   This will primarily be useful when combined with the new Remote Time 
   Manager companion program, which lets the administrator, at another station 
   on the network, remotely logoff the user, or reset the current time limits, 
   or shut down the remote computer.  

   With these two options, a station can sit with zero time until a patron 
   arrives.  Then its time limit can be remotely set, letting the patron use 
   the computer.  

   The Remote Time Manager can add more time on the fly from a remote 
   location; the user does not have to log off first.  Or if necessary to 
   handle certain kinds of situations, it can force a logoff or reboot at any 
   point, remotely from the administration area.  

   When exiting with a Shutdown or Exit desktop button, WinU warns if there 
   are any running programs that will be terminated on exit.  

   WinU now uses a much more reliable method to shut down Dial-Up Networking, 
   if a DUN-using app exits or is forcibly terminated.  To set up the new 
   method, use the Advanced dialog to give the name of the DUN shortcut to be 
   closed.  If no other currently- running program uses DUN, the connection 
   will be closed.  

   You can now simultaneously run more than one program that uses Dial-Up 
   Networking.  WinU will terminate Dial-Up Networking when the last DUN-using 
   app closes or is forcibly terminated.  

   WinU no longer requires that Dial-Up Networking be installed.  Previously, 
   this had been necessary even on computers that had no modem.  

   You can now set the amount of space between desktop buttons.  Vertical and 
   horizantal space can be controlled independently.  

   You can set some number of blank button rows to leave empty at the top of 
   the button-display area.  The first actual button is displayed just below 
   this empty space.  

   Button text color and font can be changed.  
   
   If desired, the first 35 buttons can have letter/number hotkeys.  
   
   Tiled and actual-size bitmaps can be used in a "top-half" display.  

   Dynamic remote update now tested/performed at shutdown and when changing 
   desks, in addition to startup.  

   Mouse and keyboard activity monitors now work more reliably, and have
   more options.  They can now oversee more types of activities, 
   including Explorer features such as Find, Go To, and Map.  They also now 
   monitor and disable the new keys found on the Windows 95 keyboard.  
     
   File deletion and right mouse button context menus now disabled in more 
   kinds of windows, including Microsoft Office open and save-as dialogs.  
   This makes files even harder to delete without authorization.  The 
   enhancement also makes it quite difficult to delete directories (folders).  

   Explorer's "find" dialogs are disabled under WinU, to prevent using the 
   feature as a backdoor way of finding and launching unauthorized programs.  

   File deletion and right mouse button context menus can now be disabled 
   in Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer if desired.  

   Mouse and keyboard activity monitors can be individually controlled.  This 
   is useful when using a computer, or specific software, that does not like 
   other applications performing such monitoring.  

   Can now set number of seconds until password screen vanishes.  

   The "kill companion app" feature has been enhanced.  The name of the 
   companion app to kill can now be specified with wildcards.  The first 
   matching window will be terminated.  

   Added a Kiosk Mode option to control whether navigation buttons (DeskLink, 
   PrevDesk, Exit, and Shutdown) continue to work in a timed-out or 
   blocked-out desk.  

   Renamed tab: Appearance And Sound is now the Interface tab.  As before, it 
   has sections on the setup password, kiosk mode, and status bar.  There is 
   also a new Systemwide Time Limits section.  

   You can now use restart control with any button.  Previously, you could 
   only do this with program buttons.  

   Clone Setup Builder password field now shows asterisks.  

   Fixed bug: Clone Setup Builder was including some computer-specific 
   information unsuitable for transferring.  

   Fixed bug: when copying desks, some settings were not being copied.  

   Fixed bug: the Advanced dialog's Warning Screen and Warning Sound 
   checkboxes were not being reinitialized correctly.  

   The text of password fields in administration screens can be hidden.  

   New "soft close" feature provides a way to forcibly terminate programs that 
   must first perform internal tasks before closing.  

   If a program's Warning Time is set to 0, no warning message will be given, 
   even if a forced-termination time is in effect.  Previously, if a 
   forced-termination time was given, the warning was mandatory.  

   An audio Warning Time message can be given, as well as (or instead of) the 
   previous display-screen warning message.  Program-time and desk- time 
   warnings can be different sounds.  

   If any currently-running program is set so the program-time Warning Message 
   should not be displayed, and if the desk is close to running out of time, 
   the desk-time Warning Message will not be displayed.  (However, any Warning 
   Sound will be played at the warning time.) 

   If WinU terminates abnormally, or when running MS-DOS Mode programs, the 
   PrevDesk list is saved, and is restored when WinU returns.  
   
   WinU Clone Setup Builder can now operate in Super Security mode.  
   
   Installing the clone data can now change the security level of the 
   pre-existing WinU setup.  Previously, the clone setup had to specify the 
   same security level as the existing system.  

   At startup, WinU clears any usage counts in the license meter file which 
   reference this computer.  This allows for recovery from any abnormal 
   termination.  
   
   Desk-click dialogs are now allowed in Setup mode, even if they have been 
   turned off by the kiosk-mode switch.  This provides an easy way to log off 
   a desk when setting up the kiosk mode restrictions.  

   Passwords in the remote password file can now optionally be encrypted.  
   
   Restart control can now be used with DeskLink, PrevDesk, Exit, and Shutdown 
   buttons.  

   If desired, clone data files can now be in the WinU home directory.  

   When entering a desk, first button is now selected by default.  

   Fixed bug: on dynamic update, clone data was overwriting the target 
   computer's name.  

   Fixed bug: in Super Security mode, WinU was not always correctly tracking 
   programs launched from Startup.  


WinU Version 3.1, released December 2, 1996 

   License meter management, dynamic configuration update, disables the Common 
   Dialog delete key and right-click context menus, strengthened "third-party 
   window" processing, button label text no longer required, added the 
   PrevDesk button type, wallpaper bitmap can be displayed at actual size, can 
   tile the background bitmap, loop the desk logon sound, new interface for 
   the Clone Setup Builder, more elements now encrypted, password dialog times 
   out in 30 seconds, can deny use of the boot-time startup menu, enhanced 
   remote password options, added minutes per logon cumulative time test, 
   optional case-insensitive passwords.  
   

WinU Version 3.0, released September 16, 1996 

   Easier system administration, especially when managing a number of WinU 
   machines on a network: clone-able buttons, desks, or entire installations, 
   centrally managed password and timeout control, more detailed event 
   logging, built-in usage reports and graphs.  Inactivity timout.  Cleaner 
   tabbed-dialog interface.  Status bar.  More flexible visual interface 
   options (wallpaper, button styles, show/hide the menu and status bar).  
   Attach sound to WinU events.  New navigation elements: DeskLink, Exit, and 
   Shutdown buttons.  Button options to AutoRun a program at desk logon, keep 
   program running until desk logoff, and allow a program to continue to run 
   after exiting from the desk it was started from.  Can now run Shortcuts, 
   including shortcuts to printers, Dial-Up Networking, or other Win95 
   components.  Ultra-robust Kiosk Mode for the most demanding public-access 
   situations.  Built-in Explorer window for when you need access to the full 
   computer (with password control of course).  Much better when tracking 
   modem-using apps.  Blockout periods: times when nothing on that desk will 
   run (for example "Every Tuesday 9 pm to 11 pm" or "Every weekday 7:30 pm to 
   8:30 pm").  Can disable CD-ROM autorun.  QuickNotes, so you can attach a 
   little message to a logfile record when exiting a program (perhaps for 
   billing purposes).  And the proverbial Much More.  


WinU Version 2.0, released January 31, 1996 

   Numerous new features including Super Security mode, multiple desktops, 
   Administration Maintenance mode, settable background color, keyboard 
   control, highlighted focus button, right-click Properties screens for 
   buttons and desktops, can run multiple programs concurrently, per-button 
   password protection, improved Help system, more.  
   
   
WinU Version 1.0, released August 24, 1995 

   Initial release, on the same day that Windows 95 was released.  

