Media Lock 0.3.0-rc.1

Media Lock 0.3.0-rc.1 is an unsigned Windows 11 x64 release candidate. It adds one-way Playback State Lock, a
per-user installer and a smaller compressed self-contained executable while preserving the routing, Recovery,
localization, visual, diagnostic and global-media-key behavior of stable 0.2.0.

Highlights since 0.2.0

• Keep the current routed target playing until Media Lock, the lock screen, system sleep or the configurable repeated-
  pause escape explicitly releases the policy.
• Install per user without elevation, launch from Windows Search／Start Menu and retain user data during uninstall.
• Continue using the portable ZIP when installation is not wanted; ZIP and Setup contain the same reviewed payload.
• Reduce the executable footprint by 58.91% while retaining English, Traditional Chinese and the self-contained
  no-separate-runtime contract.

Upgrade from 0.2.0

Public 0.2.0 was portable-only. Disable Start with Windows in the old copy and use notification-area Exit before
moving it or installing this candidate. Existing %LocalAppData%\MediaLock\ settings and state are reused. After
checking the migrated settings, re-enable startup from the installed or final portable path.

Setup uses a stable per-user install path. Same-version repair and newer-version upgrades are allowed; older installers
are blocked. User data is retained during uninstall.

Downloads and SHA-256

Both downloads are unsigned. Windows may show SmartScreen, Smart App Control or reputation warnings. Verify the
downloaded file before running it.

• MediaLock-0.3.0-rc.1-win-x64.zip — 76,500,560 bytes
  • SHA-256: bfcbc61998173c036ce1beb7574013920a906f6a01d2f1df1599791d24e29066
• MediaLock-Setup-0.3.0-rc.1-win-x64.exe — 76,911,036 bytes
  • SHA-256: 0ec8c554e7eb7ceb9e7857e07ed1388babc7b70ff42ca1e24684b064c740d2c3

No separately installed .NET runtime is required. The ZIP contains one MediaLock.exe; Setup installs for the current
user and does not require elevation.

Known limitations

• Media Lock cannot set or reliably retain Windows Current Session and cannot promise that its card stays first on
  Windows native media surfaces.
• GSMTC routing does not inspect browser URLs or guarantee a specific tab inside one Chromium application.
• Keep Playing cannot perfectly distinguish every user pause from a player reporting buffering as Paused; Changing and
  duplicate Paused observations are excluded, and bounded user overrides are provided.
• Playback State Lock is process-lifetime state and does not automatically re-arm after restart or login.
• Automatic updates, code signing, ARM64, volume/mute and customizable shortcuts are not included.

The ZIP and Setup were built from clean source commit
d0fe5583e91204fe98a79b14ae0327e5120af54e. The complete local, host and Windows Sandbox evidence is recorded in the
Phase 13B validation report.

Stable 0.2.0 remains Latest; this release is a Prerelease.