v0.4.0 — Hardware control

Unstick v0.4.0 — release notes

Channel: portable release (unsigned until Authenticode cert — private beta / local OK)
Surface: Portable zip + optional HKCU autostart
Version: 0.4.0
GitHub: https://github.com/Dendro-X0/Unstick/releases/tag/v0.4.0

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Why 0.4.0

Hardware control exploration (Option 2): closed-loop disk/RAM capping near the freeze cliff (~97–99%), Soft-only product path, Suspend experimental-only — not a general PC optimizer and not other-OS packages.

Design: specs/backend/hardware-control-redesign.md

Highlights

• D1 — Soft-only product path; experimental_suspend required for Last-resort NtSuspend; soft EcoQoS/mem-prio restore when PIDs leave the plan
• D2 — Per-machine envelope from idle baselines; status.envelope + envelope_profile.json
• D3 — Disk closed-loop (u_disk bang-bang → EcoQoS → VeryLow I/O → Idle); never Suspend
• D4 — Memory closed-loop (u_mem); WS trim paging-gated (Mem Lock L4 FP safe)
• D5 — Guard UI: Hardware control readout; Soft/Hard % under Advanced thresholds; Hardware Guard framing

Unchanged / honesty

• Windows x64 portable only
• SoftOnly default; no standby purge; no claimed DPC or hardware-damage “fix”
• Soft Disk/Mem Lock tripwires remain as an advanced safety net

Install / update

See USER-GUIDE Updating (portable). Download Unstick-0.4.0-windows-x64.zip, stop service, extract over install, restart.

Limits

• Windows only — no macOS/Linux installers
• Protection / hardware-control utility, not a suite
• User-mode only; no Windows MSI/Store yet
• Unsigned binaries — SmartScreen may warn

Proof

• L1: cargo test -p guardian-core -p guardian-win -p guardian-detect
• Envelope / control: status.envelope, disk_control_*, mem_control_*
• Design phases D0–D5 marked Done in redesign + roadmap

Next

• Authenticode-signed public Latest when cert exists
• Optional further tuning of setpoint deadbands / self-overhead