AI Stripper changelog.

Closing AI review returns focus to the workspace. Accepted values remain editable and stay attached to the correct source image.

Same-format processing stops when removing EXIF orientation would change how the image appears. Format conversion normalizes it instead.

RGB and grayscale PNG color-key transparency now survives WebP conversion and uses the selected background during JPG conversion.

Metadata-free AI analysis copies also discard inherited JPEG comments before a request is sent.

Invalid settings value types fall back cleanly, and JPEG marker scanning uses a bounded native byte search.

The bundled 10-page PDF documents the new editing behavior and orientation safeguard.

Apply, Skip, Stop, and manual review dismissal release the modal grab and return keyboard focus when the review owned it.

Closing an inactive review does not force AI Stripper in front of another application.

Select a queued image and edit Output name. Both Strip metadata and Strip + write fields use that file's chosen name.

Outputs stay beside their sources. Existing filenames receive -2, -3, or the next available number, including when a chosen name matches the original.

The queue previews output names and scrolls horizontally. The export format supplies the extension; Reset or an empty name restores the -stripped default.

The 10-page PDF includes the new naming controls, validation rules, and examples. It ships with the signed installer.

Settings now shows masked dots when Windows Credential Manager contains a key for the selected AI provider.

The mask never becomes a replacement credential. Saving Settings without a new key leaves the stored value unchanged.

Focusing the masked field clears the placeholder so a replacement can be entered, while Clear saved key keeps its existing behavior.

Accepted Title, Subject, Tags, and Comments now appear immediately in the main rewrite form for a single selected image.

The fragile borderless main window was replaced with a native application window styled with a dark title bar.

The running app now groups by its installed executable instead of a custom identity that could differ from an older pinned shortcut.

A second launch brings a hidden background window forward without using the minimized-window restore path.

A second launch now finds the borderless application through the Windows top-level window list, restores it, and brings it forward.

Packaged testing confirms the second launcher exits while the original window handle remains active.

Corrected the custom window style so Windows treats AI Stripper as a normal taskbar application instead of a tool window.

Added one AppUserModelID to the process, Start menu shortcut, and optional desktop shortcut for consistent taskbar grouping.

Added a named Windows mutex so another launch exits instead of creating a duplicate interface.

OpenAI suggestions now retry two short connection failures before stopping.

Every retry uses the same idempotency key so a reset does not become a separate suggestion operation.

Raw Windows socket errors are replaced with direct guidance after all three attempts fail.

Setup can force-close a hidden older AI Stripper process when it keeps the installed executable locked.

The installer close filter targets AI Stripper without restarting unrelated applications.

Added per-image Title, Subject, Tags, and Comments suggestions through OpenAI or Google Gemini using the user's own provider API key.

Added GPT-5.6 Luna, GPT-5.4 mini, GPT-5.4 nano, Gemini 3.6 Flash, and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite choices.

The app requires approval every time Suggest metadata starts. The optional feature remains disabled until a provider key is configured and the user starts it.

Each request contains one metadata-free JPEG rendering resized to a maximum of 1600 pixels. It excludes the source filename, folder path, source metadata, Author, Copyright, and other rewrite values.

Users can edit, apply, skip, stop, and follow queue status before suggested fields are used. Author and Copyright remain under direct user control.

Provider API keys now live in Windows Credential Manager instead of the application settings file.

Fixed intermittent WinError 32 failures when converting batches inside Dropbox and other actively synchronized folders.

Removed hidden sibling temporary outputs and changed conversion to verify completed bytes before writing the final collision-safe file.

Fixed a Windows Z-order bug that could place the WebP conversion dialog behind the main window while it held the modal input grab.

Options and Settings dialogs now receive explicit Windows ownership and foreground activation.

A Windows UI test now verifies that the conversion dialog stays visible above the application while it owns the modal input grab.

Release tests now explicitly cover JPEG APP11, PNG caBX, and WebP C2PA manifest carriers while retaining the documented limits of pixel-based soft bindings.

The Windows installer now requests administrator permission before installation.

The standard destination moved from the current user Local AppData folder to the system Program Files directory.

Selecting a protected Program Files directory on another drive no longer fails with an access-denied error.

The user manual and installer guidance now describe the permission model accurately.

JPG, PNG, and WebP conversion sliders became substantially easier to see.

A Settings control now stores output format, conversion choices, author, and copyright for the current Windows user.

The main window and application modals gained app-rendered dark title bars.

The release added a signed Windows installer, stable upgrade identity, signed uninstall support, a Start menu group, and an optional desktop shortcut.

The application, PDF manual, changelog, and third-party notices ship inside the installed package.

The application was renamed from EXIF Stripper to AI Stripper and received the Clean Frame visual system.

The release added lossless same-format WebP metadata stripping and rewriting.

JPG, PNG, and WebP conversion arrived with format-specific controls and clear re-encoding notices.

Multi-file selection and native Windows drag and drop replaced the managed Inputs and Outputs folder workflow.

Outputs now save beside the source with collision-safe -stripped naming. Originals are preserved.

The rebuild added notification-only update checks, a 1280 by 720 interface, a dark PDF manual, signed one-file packaging, and SHA-256 release manifests.

Added PNG XMP, iTXt, and tEXt compatibility fields while retaining the EXIF-based rewrite path for JPG and PNG.

Updated the activity text and startup message with the Sputnik product name, copyright notice, and SputnikFX.com.

Reworked the application around a smaller window, expanded the metadata form, moved the log, removed decorative dividers, and added dark scrollbars.

Added the Windows icon, scrolling, and a tighter first-release layout with improved logo placement.

Released metadata removal for JPG, JPEG, and PNG without changing encoded pixels.

Added optional Title, Subject, Tags, Comments, Authors, and Copyright values with strip-only and strip-and-rewrite workflows.

Processed an Inputs folder into verified Outputs and packaged the Python runtime and required libraries into one executable.