Process Lasso 8.9.8.58 and Park Control

[Montgomery]

Hi,

I've been using PL in a set & forget way, I'm not a techie and moreover English is not my mother-tongue. I use PL because what I understand of it is enough for me to accept what I lack of enhanced tweaking, settings.

I have a problem with latest PL 8.9.8.58 called Park Control. Running a registered 8.9.8.52 I triggered the update to 8.9.8.58 and discovered that Park Control is now proposed as a separate application integrated nevertheless with PL. I read the developer's comment about the update on PL's home page.

My problem is that in PL 8.9.8.58, the 'Configure CPU Core Parking..." requires now to download & install the separate module. OK.
I was surprised to notice before installing Park Control that my Active power profile was still in place (Bitsum Highest performance) -> Why then install Park Control? Finer tuning?
PI installed Park Control, and noticed the availability of CPU Core Parking as before... OK

From there on :

1- In Park Control Configuration, available profiles appear twice ...
2- I have a PL lifetime license and yet entering same values in new park Control registration lead to a refusal. Either my PL license is not lifetime either there is a registration issue.
3- Whatever the answer to (2) (I mean : even if the new Park Control should appear to be free) why install a new separate Park Control when the one integrated to PL 8.9.8.52 runs perfectly well? It's been explained on Bitsum's page but I haven't understood that I'm afraid ...

I don't want to sound as an an old technically illiterate comfortably installed in his old habits (which might be true!) but I was happy with 8.9.8.52 and to be frank... I've re-installed it, at least until I figure out the advantages of 8.9.8.58.

Thanks and sorry for a long description.

EDIT : concerning the redundancy of the Active Power profiles, I wonder if the reason in not that the profile I had (have) is the 'Bitsum High Performance' which remains since it was added to the Registry among the other native Windows power profiles ...

[Jeremy Collake]

ParkControl is freeware, so all the functions Process Lasso previously offered are free to use. Thus, you do not need a license. Only features added AFTER the split were made 'Pro' (that singular feature), and it duplicates features already present in Process Lasso Pro, so you do not need it.

Thus, literally, for Process Lasso Pro people, the only functional difference in it saying you are licensed is it saying that.

We could leave it in it's limited functionality, but then we end up with an app within an app and it makes future development very hard.

This is not any ploy to sell ParkControl Pro licenses, which I hope I describe above (you do not need one!).

All that said, if you want a ParkControl Pro license and are an existing Process Lasso Pro user, we will grant them to you by request. Just email support@bitsum.com and fulfill your request. We'll grant you lifetime in the form of your Lasso license. It'd be nice to get some support, but I don't want anyone to think this was some 'tactic'. It was a developmental necessity.

Thank you

[Jeremy Collake]

On your questions:

1- In Park Control Configuration, available profiles appear twice ...

This is not a bug I have seen before, but we will check, and a ParkControl update is pending where I am taking care of a few things and adding more.

2- I have a PL lifetime license and yet entering same values in new park Control registration lead to a refusal. Either my PL license is not lifetime either there is a registration issue.

That is strange. It is not due to any licensing issue. I suspect it is due to the malfunction in #1.

3- Whatever the answer to (2) (I mean : even if the new Park Control should appear to be free) why install a new separate Park Control when the one integrated to PL 8.9.8.52 runs perfectly well? It's been explained on Bitsum's page but I haven't understood that I'm afraid ...

Since all older versions are archived, you can always go back . I am sorry, but I can not represent that everything I ever do will be added to Process Lasso. Sometimes, a different product is desired or required. Sometimes functionality is removed and just not replaced. That is the nature of 'progress'. But, you can always go back, so have that option! Just check your My Licenses page, around there.

[Montgomery]

Thanks Jeremy for this quick and detailed reply.

I wasn't at all motivated by the idea of aiming implicitly a commercial maneuver when I exposed my wondering.  Not Bitsum, not you, Jeremy, that's for sure.

It just happens that I missed the beginning of the new Park Control deployment and that the details explaining its reality with the new PL 8.9.8.5 were unclear in my mind.

I fully understand now this new Park Control development policy when you write "We could leave it in it's limited functionality, but then we end up with an app within an app and it makes future development very hard." as I understand that a Park Control license concerns its Pro version. Nothing is lost, Park Control as such remains integrated in functionality to PL and PL users' rights. I think I get the idea now.

One last thing if I may : what happens if I update PL to 8.9.8.5 but avoid installing Park Control? What will I miss considering my Active Power profile is still accessible from PL's trayicon? Core parking fine tuning? In fact i don't understand how the power profiles are still available on PL 8.9.8.5 when the Park Control itself has been removed from PL and is not (yet) installed... I'm mentioning this scenario because, to be frank, having two applications running instead of one is not a source of joy. That's what I've always liked as well in PL, the all-in-one aspect.

Thanks for your help/advice.

[Jeremy Collake]

I'm glad you 'get it' and I wish I could have done the transition better, but it is a difficult one for a minority of users no matter what (and it is a minority, as most people buy Process Lasso Pro for everything else, those limited parts of ParkControl previously in it were free).

First, I would like to find and fix whatever bug you have encountered with the duplicate power plans. Can you email us at support@bitsum.com with a screenshot if possible? (ALT+PTRSCR then just CTRL+V, as you know).

ParkControl, unlike Process Lasso, does not need to have any 'resident' (always running) application. So, you can close ParkControl, or set it to not start at login, and instead use it on-demand. In fact, you can make your tweaks, then uninstall it (assuming you don't need any other features it offers)!

While having 2 apps instead of 1 is a bothersome, not much I can do about that. It is just the right way to structure things since they are two apps .

The system tray icon and newer features were never meant to be within Lasso, they were accessed only when pkctrl.exe was run outside Process Lasso.

Going forward, you won't miss much though. I mean, Process Lasso Pro will always make it's BHP power plan most optimal for core parking, so... maybe you miss power plan fine-tuning if you do not install ParkControl, but go forward with Process Lasso updates.

Thanks for your understanding.

[edkiefer]

I am not seeing duplicate power plans in latest builds (PL-8.9.8.54/58 , PC- 1.1.3.2).
That was a problem in older PC but i have not seen it in a month or so.

[Jeremy Collake]

I am not seeing duplicate power plans in latest builds (PL-8.9.8.54/58 , PC- 1.1.3.2).
That was a problem in older PC but i have not seen it in a month or so.

Exactly the issue, old ParkControl versions lingering around within Process Lasso, which is one of many reasons it had to be dealt with. He may have been seeing this, as I also recalled it, and figured the screenshot would validate this assumption (or not).

[Montgomery]

The duplicate Power profiles have disappeared... odd but fine.

I had those, duplicated when I first updated PL to 8.9.8.58 -> that's what I mentioned in my previous post.
I exited PL completely and re-installed 8.9.8.52 -> I mentioned that as well
I just updated via PL from 8.9.8.52 to 8.9.8.58, installed Park Control 1.1.3.2, opened it ("CPU settings for power profile...") and this time it's OK : 3 profiles in French because Windows 7 is here in French, and Bitsum Highest Performance in English because I've chosen English during Park Control setup.

Herewith screenshot, no point in emailing to support@bitsum.com since the no-issue is resolved

Thanks again. I definitely understand the process now. PL 8.9.8.58 together with Park Control 1.1.3.2 -- A storm in a glass of water in fact, I just didn't understand.

[Jeremy Collake]

Ah, yes, then it makes perfect sense as that was a bug resolved a while back. So that is explained.

Indeed, it is a bit of a storm for a few affected users (really 99% never have visited that menu option ;p). There is always some complexity to simplify though, and that's what I spend most of my day doing, trying to simplify complexity and innovate.

[Montgomery]

I know you love what you're doing, Jeremy, and you do it brilliantly.

Off-topic : it'll be about time (already is in fact) that I move on to a more powerful processor : 2 cores only, gosh, when PL is the app should there be but one to bring those cores to their full potential....

All is well, and many thanks for your commitment, as always.

Long live Procass Lasso and all the Bitsum family applications

[Jeremy Collake]

Thank you .

[Jeremy Collake]

.... And absolutely Process Lasso will allow you to fully harness the power of those CPU cores, while always keeping an eye out for responsiveness-draining scenarios (ProBalance) and acting to keep your PC responsive. I can't tell you how many people have forgotten the difference ProBalance makes until they uninstall Lasso for a bit, then they encounter a CPU hog, and suddenly realize how much having Process Lasso's ProBalance installed mattered!