syshelper/CHANGELOG.md

Changelog

Format follows Keep a Changelog, versioning follows Semantic Versioning.

0.4.0 — 2026-08-09

"You can now see what the resolver is actually being asked."

Added

• A live view of the last 200 queries the resolver handled, each marked as blocked, served from cache, or sent upstream, with a filter by name.

Fixed

• The system DNS cache is no longer flushed on every periodic re-apply. Adapters that already point at the resolver are left untouched, and the cache is only cleared when something actually changed — previously the whole machine's cache was discarded every five minutes for nothing.

Notes

• The view is held in memory only. It is never written to the log file and is discarded when blocking is switched off, because it records every name looked up on the machine and not only the blocked ones — it exists to answer "what just happened", not to accumulate a browsing history.
• It costs a fixed 56 KB of memory and roughly 8 ns per query, so it is on by default with nothing to configure.

0.3.0 — 2026-08-09

"It now closes websites, not just programs."

Added

• Website blocking through a built-in DNS resolver on 127.0.0.1:53 and [::1]:53. One entry closes the domain and every subdomain under it — discord.com also covers gateway.discord.com, so there is no list to maintain by hand.
• A "Sites" section in the panel: resolver status, query counters and a table of attempts, showing what was reached for and when.
• A separate on/off switch for website blocking. Turning it off frees port 53 and hands the adapters back to the router's settings.
• Optional firewall rule that blocks queries to third-party name servers, so the resolver cannot simply be bypassed.
• A --restore-dns switch that puts network settings back without starting the service, for the case where the service will not come up.

Changed

• Vue is compiled into the executable; it used to be fetched from unpkg.com. The panel now works without an internet connection, and a name resolution failure no longer takes away the only way to manage the service.
• The uninstaller restores DNS settings before removing the service.

Notes

• Website blocking is off by default. Updates arrive on their own, without anyone at the keyboard, and must not silently rewrite network settings. Turn it on in the panel.
• The resolver needs port 53. If something else holds it — Docker, Internet Connection Sharing, a third-party DNS proxy — the panel says so, network settings are left alone, and program blocking keeps working.
• DNS over HTTPS in browsers and any VPN bypass this layer. Process termination is what covers those, whitelist mode most reliably.
• Network settings are restored when the service stops. If that fails, it is recorded in the log under C:\ProgramData\SysHelper.

0.2.0 — 2026-08-02

"The panel can now be opened from another device on your home network — a phone or a second computer."

Added

• Service listens on all network interfaces, with a Windows Firewall rule for port 8787 scoped to private and domain networks only.

Notes

• Upgrading: the firewall rule is created automatically during installation and updates.
• The panel is served over plain HTTP; passwords travel the network unencrypted.
• Local access at http://127.0.0.1:8787 is unchanged and still password protected.

0.1.1 — 2026-08-02

Installer reliability improvements; service and panel unchanged.

Fixed

• Setup now properly reports when the service fails to start.
• Setup verifies that the panel password was stored and warns if it was not.

Notes

• Warnings appear during manual installation only; automatic updates stay silent and log to C:\ProgramData\SysHelper.

0.1.0 — 2026-08-02

"Parental control for Windows. Runs as a background service, managed from a browser."

Added

• Block programs by name, in blacklist or whitelist mode.
• Schedule termination at a random moment inside a time window.
• Live process list and event log.
• Automatic updates.

Notes

• Runs as a Windows SYSTEM service and requires 64-bit Windows.
• Configuration is stored in C:\ProgramData\SysHelper.