FrostLock v1.6.0 - Phone Task Manager & Freeze When Idle

What's New

• Phone task manager: Paired Android phones can inspect and control Windows processes from FrostLock Remote. The task manager has a searchable process list with app icons, live CPU/memory/disk/network charts, process details, and End task / Force end / Restart / Start task actions.
• Run commands from the phone: With phone task control enabled, FrostLock Remote can send a command through cmd.exe /c on the PC. Its output stays on the PC and is not shown on the phone.
• Freeze when idle: Optionally start a freeze after a chosen number of minutes without keyboard or mouse input. It uses the selected mode and duration, and the arm delay still lets you cancel.
• Phone task control setting: A new opt-in switch in Settings → LAN & phone. It is off by default and is turned off when LAN control is disabled.
• FrostLock Remote 1.1.0: The Android companion adds the widget, Quick Settings tile, freeze notification, task manager, and connection details. Download it from the FrostLock Remote releases page.

Improvements & Changes

• The idle countdown restarts when the PC wakes, when Windows is unlocked, or when a freeze ends, so time asleep is not counted as idle time.
• Freeze when idle skips Hard and USB key mode, since they need a prompt or a drive, and never raises a UAC prompt or a "set a PIN" dialog.
• The task manager protects FrostLock and core Windows processes, and reports a reason when an action is refused.
• Phone task control requires FrostLock Remote 1.1.0 or newer.
• README updated for 1.6.0.

Security

• Phone task control is off by default and can be turned off at any time in Settings → LAN & phone.
• Commands run in the signed-in desktop session through the same authenticated task endpoint, so no extra PC permission is needed beyond task control.
• Hard and USB-triggered freezes remain PC-only. Remote release for PIN mode stays off unless the PC owner enables it.
• No cloud relay or router port forwarding is required. Windows Firewall may need an inbound rule on the Private profile.

Installer SHA-256: 7b027d9fbf7b41335a11c109acabd3789ef5029812e81d941c9579aeb4309264

FrostLock v1.5.0 - Android LAN Control, Gentle Mode Changes & More!

What's New

• FrostLock Remote for Android: Pair a phone with FrostLock for Windows using a short-lived QR code, then approve the pairing on your PC. Download the Android companion app from the releases page of Frostlock-Remote.
• Control FrostLock from your phone: Check freeze status, start eligible freezes, adjust lock settings, and release freezes allowed by your PC’s policy.
• Optional phone PIN release: Allow paired phones to release PIN freezes without entering the PIN on the PC. This is off by default and requires confirmation in Settings.

Improvements & Changes

• Gentle mode: Windows shortcuts remain available, and the overlay no longer stays on top of other windows.
• Tray quick-freeze: Added 2-hour and 4-hour options, plus refreshed menu icons and dismissal behavior.
• Tray release behavior: Removed the direct “Release freeze” tray command. Use the lock screen or unlock shortcut to release locally.
• Added Settings → LAN & phone to enable phone access, pair or revoke devices, and configure the optional public-network testing override.

Security

• Phone connections use HTTPS over private IPv4. Pairing codes expire after three minutes, and new phones must be approved on the PC.
• Hard-mode and USB-triggered freezes cannot be controlled from a phone.
• No cloud relay or router port forwarding is required. Windows Firewall may need an inbound rule on the Private profile.

FrostLock v1.4.0 - Freeze Until a Time, Extend Freezes, Tray quick-freeze menu etc.

What's new

• Freeze until a clock time: Choose a 24-hour time and see when the freeze will end. If that time has already passed today, FrostLock schedules it for tomorrow. The command line also supports --until HH:mm.
• Extend a running freeze: Add five minutes from the lock screen or with Ctrl+Alt+E. The CLI supports --extend [duration]. Extensions are unavailable for indefinite, Hard, and USB-triggered freezes, and respect the safety cap and 24-hour limit.
• Tray quick-freeze menu: Start a 5, 15, 30 or 60 minute freeze, or freeze until you unlock.

Improvements

• The extend hotkey can be changed in Settings → Hotkeys. Strict mode detects it even when all keys are blocked, so extending does not depend on the taskbar or Task Manager.
• The updater checks the installer against GitHub's published SHA-256 digest while downloading. A mismatch deletes the file and blocks installation; automatic installation is refused if the digest is missing or invalid. This check relies on GitHub's release metadata and is not a substitute for code signing.
• Added the GPL-3.0 license and security reporting guidance.

Technical Changes

• Version bumped to 1.4.0.
• Added clock-time parsing and freeze extension support to the UI, hotkeys, and CLI.
• The installer build now writes a .sha256 sidecar.
• Added an automated test project; all 79 tests pass.
• Rebuilt the framework-dependent win-x64 installer: FrostLock-Setup-1.4.0.exe (about 4 MB).

Installer SHA-256: sha256:92b76ce58a52376aea60c260457cfad7b82488ef2cf1db8623e9265eadd665e9

FrostLock v1.3.0 - USB Key Mode, Emergency PIN Recovery, Lock-screen background image etc.

What's new

• USB key mode: Watch a selected removable drive and choose whether plugging it in or removing it starts a Strict freeze. The opposite drive action releases it; Stop watching in the app or tray also stops monitoring and releases a USB-triggered freeze. USB volume serials are a convenience trigger, not secure authentication. FrostLock’s start and unlock hotkeys are disabled in USB key mode.
• Emergency phrase for PIN lock: Configure a long phrase as a deliberate recovery option if you forget your PIN. It has its own attempt throttling and can be entered from the PIN lock screen.
• Command-line controls: Start, release, inspect, or exit FrostLock from a terminal, lock the Windows session, and set per-freeze mode, duration, arm delay, or sound. Commands can reach an already-running instance; --help, --version, and --status provide terminal output.
• Download and install updates: When a newer GitHub release is available, About can download and launch its installer, with progress and basic installer-file validation.
• Lock-screen background image: Choose an image to display behind the lock-screen text, or clear it to return to the plain cover.
• Locking-mode comparison: Open a comparison table for Gentle, Strict, Hard, PIN, and USB key modes from the main window.

Improvements

• Unlock shortcuts can require a configurable hold of up to 5 seconds, reducing accidental releases. The arm-delay countdown can be cancelled with Esc.
• PIN and emergency-phrase cooldowns escalate after repeated failed rounds and persist across restarts. The lock screen reports attempts remaining and cooldown time.
• PIN and emergency-phrase hashes are wrapped with Windows DPAPI. Settings exports omit these secrets; importing settings preserves the secrets already configured on the PC.
• Settings are saved atomically with a backup fallback, helping protect settings from interrupted or corrupt writes.
• Hard mode now has an independent timer and watchdog release path if FrostLock stops responding. Crash handlers also request input release.
• PIN locks cannot be released through the tray, main window, CLI, or app exit; use the PIN screen or configured emergency phrase. Tray controls reflect whether release is allowed.
• The update screen reports download progress and errors, and prevents starting an update during an active freeze.
• USB watching can be stopped from the tray. The Hotkeys shortcut opens Settings at the Hotkeys card with the unlock field focused.
• README documentation now covers USB key mode and its shortcut behavior, along with the recent settings and lock-screen changes.

Technical Changes

• Version bumped to 1.3.0; the app now targets .NET 10 and Setup offers the .NET 10 Desktop Runtime when needed.
• Added Services/UsbDriveService.cs, Services/InstanceChannel.cs, Services/ConsoleBridge.cs, Models/UnlockAttempt.cs, and the mode-comparison window.
• Extended settings and overlay state for USB mode, image backgrounds, lockout persistence, emergency phrases, unlock-hold timing, and locking Windows after a freeze.
• Rebuilt the framework-dependent win-x64 installer: FrostLock-Setup-1.3.0.exe (about 4 MB).

FrostLock v1.2.0 - Custom durations, settings import/export, and Hard-mode improvements

What's new

• Custom freeze duration: Set a timer from 1 minute to 24 hours, alongside the existing presets and “Until I unlock”.
• Settings JSON editor: View and edit settings.json in the app. Changes are validated before they are applied.
• Settings import and export: Back up settings to a JSON file and restore them later. Imports include the PIN hash and lifetime statistics; treat exported files like passwords.
• Hard-mode guidance: The lock screen no longer explains how to escape Hard mode. The freeze-button tooltip explains the release options before locking.
• Hotkeys shortcut: Click Hotkeys in the main window’s At a glance card to open Hotkeys settings and focus the unlock field.

Improvements

• “Start hidden in the tray” is off by default. The Windows startup entry now follows that setting instead of always launching minimized.
• Hard-mode elevation returns to the FrostLock window after the freeze ends.
• The Settings screen has more consistent control alignment; the About screen and main window have clearer visual hierarchy.
• Settings JSON accepts comments, trailing commas, and case-insensitive property names.

Technical Changes

• Version bumped to 1.2.0 in FrostLock.csproj and installer/FrostLock.iss.
• Settings imports validate and normalize values before applying them.
• Rebuilt the framework-dependent win-x64 installer: FrostLock-Setup-1.2.0.exe (about 4 MB). Setup offers to install the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime if needed.

FrostLock v1.1.0 - Lockscreen customization, light/dark theme toggle, GitHub update check etc.

What's new

• Lock screen options : Choose a solid cover, a dim see-through veil, or no lock screen at all. Pick all displays or the primary display only, add an optional message line under the hint, and toggle the countdown. All grouped in the new Settings → Lock screen card.
• Clock and unlock time : The lock screen now shows a wall clock in the header, plus "Unlocks at 14:45" for timed freezes. Toggle it in Settings.
• Light, dark and system themes : Pick a theme in Settings → General, or leave it on System to follow Windows. A System choice follows Windows light/dark switches live, without a restart.
• PIN attempt throttling : Five wrong entries pause PIN entry for 30 seconds. The PIN box and Unlock button disable, the screen counts the cooldown down, and even a correct PIN is refused until it ends. A successful entry resets the count; each freeze starts fresh.
• Update checks : About → Check for updates asks GitHub for the latest release, reports whether you are current, and turns into a Download button when a newer version exists. An optional startup check runs quietly in the background and shows a tray balloon only when an update is available. Nothing downloads automatically.

Improvements

• Settings are reorganised into clearer cards; the countdown toggle moved from General to the Lock screen card.
• New Theme row with System, Light and Dark, applied immediately when changed.
• The About dialog shows update status and a release link instead of only a static version.
• The PIN prompt shows a cooldown message and disables input while locked out, rather than silently rejecting attempts.
• The lock screen header was restructured to fit the clock, and the optional message and unlock time sit neatly under the countdown.
• PIN mode falls back to a solid lock screen when Style is set to None, so the PIN prompt always has a visible surface.
• The startup update check stays silent unless a newer release actually exists.
• README documents the new settings, theming and release-checking behaviour.

Technical Changes

• Version bumped from 1.0.0 to 1.1.0 in FrostLock.csproj and installer/FrostLock.iss.
• Added Services/PinThrottle.cs, Services/ThemeService.cs and Services/UpdateService.cs.
• AppSettings gained LockScreenStyle, LockScreenOnAllDisplays, LockScreenMessage, ShowClockOnOverlay, AppTheme and CheckForUpdatesOnStartup. Existing settings files load unchanged; new options take their defaults.
• OverlayState now carries the message, clock flag, projected unlock time and remaining PIN cooldown.
• Theme changes reapply the Mica backdrop to every open FluentWindow; the lock screen is deliberately excluded and stays dark in all themes.
• The update check uses the GitHub releases/latest API with a 10-second timeout and no automatic download.
• Installer rebuilt framework-dependent for win-x64 (about 4 MB), still requesting the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime on demand.

FrostLock v1.0.0 - Initial Release

FrostLock v1.0.0

First public release.

FrostLock takes the keyboard and mouse away for a set period, covers each display with a lock screen, and gives you several ways to end the freeze. It's a small WPF app for Windows 10/11, built on .NET 8, inspired by KeyFreeze.

Download

FrostLock-Setup-1.0.0.exe

FrostLock needs the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime. If it isn't already installed, Setup offers to download and install it from Microsoft once, about 60 MB, and it needs an internet connection. Nothing is downloaded when the runtime is present.

Freeze modes

Mode	What it does	Admin?	How you get out
Gentle	Lock screen plus suppressed system keys (Win, Alt+Tab, Alt+F4, Ctrl+Esc, Alt+Esc). The mouse stays live, so the on-screen Unlock button works.	No	Unlock button, unlock hotkey, timer
Strict	Adds low-level keyboard and mouse hooks, so keystrokes and clicks are swallowed system-wide.	No	Unlock hotkey, timer
PIN	Typing and the mouse still work. System keys are swallowed as in Strict, and the lock screen asks for your PIN. The unlock hotkey does nothing.	No	PIN, timer
Hard	Calls Win32 BlockInput(true) at the OS level. Nothing responds, the overlay included.	Yes	Timer or safety cap, Ctrl+Alt+Del

Quick start

1. Run the installer.
2. FrostLock opens with duration, mode and safety controls.
3. Press Start (or the global hotkey) to freeze, then release with the timer, the unlock hotkey, or the frozen screen's button.

Action	Default hotkey
Start a freeze from anywhere	Ctrl+Alt+L
Release a Gentle or Strict freeze	Ctrl+Alt+U

Both are changeable in Settings → Hotkeys.

Full documentation, source and build instructions are in the README.