ChatBack Changelog

Key Improvements & Fixes

• Desktop Shutdown: Fixes desktop shutdown when Chrome or Edge reuses an existing browser process. Closing the last ChatBack window starts shutdown after a short grace period; refreshing or keeping another ChatBack window open keeps the app running.
• External Browser Sign-In: Uses an ordinary Chrome or Edge window for manual Google sign-in with ChatBack's separate saved profile. Close that window or click 'I've finished signing in' to verify the session and resume extraction.
• Running-App Guard & Cleanup: Includes bounded browser-cleanup repair and installer running-app guard. Setup and uninstaller refuse to modify installed files while ChatBack is actively running.
• Uninstall Data Retention: Makes 'Keep data' the default uninstall choice, and unattended uninstall with suppressed prompts preserves user data.
• Checkout & Licensing: Corrects the EARLYBIRD checkout parameter for automatic 50% discount application. Explains invalid keys and activation limits clearly without mistaking them for connection failures.
• Formatting & Layout: Corrects Word document property order for underlined text, keeps the library Read button label on one line, and wraps complete action buttons on narrow cards.
• Invited Tester Licensing: Supports owner-issued, machine-specific QA Pro licenses for invited testing with local cryptographic signature verification and explicit expiry dates.

Key Improvements & Fixes

• DOCX and PDF conversions: stay with their source chat in Local Browsing after switching modes or rescanning. Existing conversions are reunited when their saved source information confirms the relationship; separate demo and full captures remain distinct.
• Format badges: open the correct saved file, including repeated conversions and compacted Markdown variants. The green MD badge opens the built-in reader, like Read.
• Word temporary files: no longer appear as conversations. Attached PDFs/DOCX files are distinguished from whole-chat exports, and deleting a chat includes its associated conversions.
• Open in Gemini and Chat link controls: use your Windows default browser and preserve the original conversation URL.
• Normal desktop launch: no longer shows a terminal window. Diagnostic logs remain available locally; startup failures display an error and log location. Developers can use `--console`.
• Enhancement: The app opens maximized. The header adapts to available space, the Pro badge avoids overlapping the mode selector, and Switch Account uses an icon with a tooltip.
• Enhancement: Updated welcome text and bundled licensing/privacy information to reflect the approved product model: perpetual ChatBack v1.x, all released v1.x updates, two device activations and seven-day offline validation grace.

Key Improvements & Fixes

• Deep Extraction Order & Turn Fidelity: Improved preservation of conversation chronological order and repeated messages during deep extraction.
• Deep Research Report Handling: Enhanced handling of Google Gemini Deep Research reports, including explicit partial-export reporting if required report content cannot be captured.
• Document Formatting: Improved DOCX image preservation and PDF handling of tables, literal symbols, and repeated spaces.
• License & Demo Controls: Resolved startup license and demo control edge cases, including remaining-export selection quota limits.
• Responsive Local Reader: Improved offline reader rendering behavior and application layout adaptation at narrower window widths.

Note: These improvements have scoped validation; they do not guarantee that every Gemini conversation or third-party document layout can be reproduced identically.

Known Formatting Limitations & Guidelines

Markdown retains standard LaTeX notation for use in any math-capable viewer. ChatBack's local reader and PDF export feature math rendering, but this does not imply support for every arbitrary LaTeX command or native Word equations. Keep your original Markdown archive and companion _assets/ as your reference master.

Adaptive Multi-Mode Extraction Engine

Initial commercial launch of the extraction engine. Features multiple adaptive extraction profiles calibrated for rapid short conversations through to massive multi-hundred-turn research threads with high message yield.

Deep Research & Canvas Report Capture

Full structured archival of Google Gemini Deep Research side-panel reports, preserving multi-turn research contexts, sub-sections, and source citations.

High-Fidelity Math & Media Preservation

Preserves LaTeX inline and block math formatting ($...$ and $$...$$), code blocks with syntax styling, and extracts original embedded conversation images directly to local media folders.

Flexible Output & Searchable Reader

Export to Markdown (.md), Microsoft Word (.docx), and PDF with standardized YAML metadata headers. Includes offline searchable reader with instant full-text query capabilities.

Windows Inno Setup & Code Signing

Streamlined 64-bit Windows installer targeting C:\Program Files\ChatBack with clean isolated user data, digitally signed with Certum Code Signing certificate (Verified Publisher).