WinPower Control Center v0.5

What's New in v0.5

Features

• Auto-elevate to admin on launch
• Windows Power Mode overlay support (Best Efficiency / Balanced / Best Performance)
• Independent power scheme and overlay controls

Fixes

• Fixed UI freeze caused by SensorBridge blocking main thread (async fix)
• Fixed CPU temperature reading via WMI thermal zone
• Fixed CPU speed via Windows Performance Counter
• Fixed iGPU usage sensor (was stuck at 1%)
• Fixed Ultimate Performance mode detection and apply bug
• Fixed infinite relaunch loop on admin elevation

Known Limitations

• CPU temperature uses WMI thermal zone (not SMU direct access)
• Fan speed not yet supported
• Requires Windows 10/11 with admin privileges

Installation

1. Download WinPowerControlCenter-v0.5-win64.zip
2. Extract anywhere
3. Run WinPowerControlCenter.exe
4. Accept the UAC prompt

v0.4 - Hardware Monitoring Release

🚀 WinPowerControlCenter v0.4

This release introduces real-time hardware monitoring along with power mode control.

✨ Features

• Real-time CPU & GPU monitoring
• Multi-GPU support (iGPU + dGPU)
• Windows power mode control (Eco, Balanced, Performance, Ultimate)
• Admin privilege handling
• Clean and lightweight UI

⚠ Known Limitations

• CPU temperature may be approximate on some AMD Ryzen laptops
• CPU clock accuracy depends on system permissions
• Fan speed is not implemented in this version

🔧 Notes

• Run the application as Administrator for best results
• SensorBridge is bundled internally for hardware data extraction

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More improvements coming in future versions 🚀

v0.3.2 - Bug Fix & Stability Update

🔧 v0.3.2 - Stability & UI Fixes

This update focuses on fixing runtime issues and improving overall stability after recent changes.

✅ Fixes

• Fixed application crash caused by incorrect UI initialization order
• Fixed version macro issue that caused unexpected behavior
• Resolved build/runtime inconsistencies after project renaming
• Corrected CMake configuration issues

✨ Improvements

• Cleaned up UI layout and removed unnecessary elements
• Improved version display placement
• Updated build/run instructions in README
• Better handling of project structure and build directory

⚠️ Notes

• If running the app outside Qt Creator, ensure Qt dependencies are deployed using windeployqt

v0.3.1 - Ultimate Performance Bug Fix & UI Improvement

Bug fix update focused on Ultimate Performance handling.

Changes:

• Fixed detection of Ultimate Performance mode (no longer relies on fixed GUID)
• Added "Try Enable" button for unsupported systems
• Implemented fallback logic to attempt enabling Ultimate mode
• Improved UX with tooltips and clearer state feedback

No major feature changes.

🚀 v0.3 — System Sync & Smarter Control

This version focuses on improving how the app interacts with the system instead of just adding new features.

✨ New Features

• Automatic detection of current Windows power plan on startup
• Auto-sync with system power mode (optional)
• Real-time UI updates when system settings change outside the app
• Dependency-based controls (Auto Sync requires Power Scheme Sync)

⚙️ Improvements

• Simplified and cleaner mode handling logic
• Better admin experience (disabled controls + tooltips)
• Efficient dual-timer system (stats vs sync)
• Reduced unnecessary system calls

🧠 Behavior Improvements

• Prevented conflicts between manual mode changes and auto-sync
• Proper handling of unsupported modes (Ultimate Performance)
• Clear separation between app state and system state

⚠️ Notes

• Power plan control requires administrator privileges
• Hardware values are still simulated

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🚀 WinPower Control Center — v0.2

✨ New Features

• Added Windows Power Plan Control

  • Eco → Power Saver
  • Balanced → Balanced
  • Performance → High Performance
  • Ultimate Performance → Ultimate Performance

• Introduced Admin Privilege Handling

  • Detects if app is running as administrator
  • “Run as Admin” button with UAC prompt
  • Safe relaunch mechanism

• Added Power Scheme Sync Toggle

  • Checkbox to enable/disable system-level control
  • Prevents accidental changes without permission

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🧠 Improvements

• Cleaner separation of logic (admin handling module)
• Better UI feedback for active mode
• Improved button interaction and styling
• Smoother value updates for temps and fan speeds

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🛠 Technical Changes

• Integrated powercfg using QProcess
• Implemented Windows API for privilege escalation
• Fixed build system & deployment issues (Qt DLL handling)

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⚠️ Notes

• Requires administrator privileges for power plan changes
• Currently uses simulated hardware values
• Real hardware control planned for future versions

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🎯 What's Next (v0.3)

• Detect current system power plan automatically
• Real hardware monitoring (CPU/GPU sensors)
• UI improvements and graphs

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Built as part of a learning journey into system-level applications using C++ and Qt.