What’s new in Hedgerow

What changed in each released version, newest first. Hedgerow can check for updates for you, and the download is always the latest version.

Hedgerow 1.2.8

Smarter rules, an even grid with gaps between zones, and a clear edge on every zone.

New: from this version on, updating from inside Hedgerow keeps your zones on screen while the new version installs, then restarts Hedgerow straight away.
Fixed: after you change Windows' display scale two steps in a row (for example to 150 %, then 175 %) and back, zones from an earlier version return exactly where they were, instead of moving and doubling in height.
Changed: zones on the grid have a gap of at least 16 pixels between them again, so neighboring zones no longer touch. A zone on the grid still holds exactly one icon per cell: its icons are spaced to line up with the cells, with no empty space at its edge.
Changed: the grid spans the work area evenly. The gaps are the same across and down, and the space left over after the whole cells is shared out between the gaps and the margins, instead of collecting at the right and bottom edges. Your zones are re-snapped in place when you upgrade.
Fixed: when you change Windows' display scale while the Hedgerow window is open, it stays on screen, with its title bar reachable.
Changed: each zone has a thin two-tone edge, a dark line outside a light one, so you can see where it ends on bright, dark or busy wallpaper. It takes no space inside the zone, and high contrast keeps its own outline.
Changed: the tray menu and the right-click menu on icons follow Windows' dark mode.
Changed: the zone menu has access keys (press the underlined letter), and a tabbed zone's tab items are under This tab, so the menu is shorter.
Changed: dialogs use Hedgerow's colors, as the Home window does; their main button is no longer Windows blue.
Changed: on the Rules page, every rule's zone and count line up in one column.
New: a rule condition can say is not, and a rule can match any of its conditions instead of all.
New: rules can look at when an icon arrived, its size, its kind (image, document, video, audio, archive, installer), whether it was downloaded from the internet, and where a shortcut points.
New: a rule can pull files in From another folder, such as Downloads. Matching files appear in a zone and stay where they are. A small badge and the tooltip say where one lives, Show in Downloads (Ctrl+Shift+E) opens its folder, and Delete sends the real file to the Recycle Bin.
Changed: layouts saved by this version can't be opened by earlier versions.

Hedgerow 1.2.7

Zones have a visible edge in high contrast.

Fixed: in high contrast, each zone has a thin outline in your theme's text color, so you can see where it ends on a desktop of the same color.

Hedgerow 1.2.6

Dialogs follow Windows' Text size.

Fixed: dialogs, such as the Save snapshot prompt, follow Windows' Text size like the rest of Hedgerow. Before, they stayed at the usual size.

Hedgerow 1.2.5

Narrator reads Hedgerow more completely: status messages, the New zone button and list positions.

Fixed: Narrator now reads status messages as they appear, such as "Saved '…'." on the Snapshots page and the results in Settings, Rules and Appearance.
Fixed: Narrator reads the Zones page's New zone button. Before, it said nothing when the button had focus.
Fixed: Narrator gives the right position in lists ("2 of 6") after you delete and undo a rule.
Changed: Narrator reads each zone on the Zones page with what it holds, its items and rules, its display and its state, not just its name.
Fixed: after Save, Restore or Delete on the Snapshots page, the keyboard focus returns to that button.

Hedgerow 1.2.4

Icons line up on a grid of whole icons, and a round of polish from the 1.2 checks.

New: Grid size under Settings, Arranging. One grid cell is now one icon: pick 32, 48, 64 or 96, or a custom size from 16 to 256.
Changed: zones snap to whole icons. A zone with a different icon size resizes in whole icons of its own size. Your zones are re-snapped in place when you upgrade, and when you change Grid size or Windows' Text size.
Changed: icons inside zones are spaced further apart, 8 pixels across and 36 down at the usual text size, so labels have room. The gaps grow with Windows' Text size.
Changed: the grid shown while you drag is drawn as lines between cells.
Removed: the per-monitor Automatic grid, Columns and Rows settings. Hedgerow drops them from your settings.
Fixed: after a display scale or resolution change, zones on the grid no longer overlap or grow. A zone can come out a cell smaller, and on a full grid one may be left off the grid where it fits.
Changed: switching display scale or resolution and back puts your zones back exactly where they were. A zone you move in between keeps the spot you gave it, scaled to the screen.
Fixed: a tab dragged out of a zone onto the grid no longer lands on top of another zone. It goes to the nearest free spot of its size.
Fixed: in high contrast, placeholder text such as "Icon name" uses your theme's gray text at full strength, which is easier to read.
Fixed: in high contrast, the open rule's editor sits on your theme's button color, so its boxes, "Choose zone…" and "◌ Unfinished" are readable. A selected rule's text and drag handle use your theme's highlight text.
Fixed: in high contrast, the Edit button on the selected rule shows when the pointer is over it.
Fixed: on the Snapshots page, the buttons scroll when a long message and large text leave too little room.
Changed: a second snapshot saved in the same minute is suggested a numbered name, such as "Snapshot 16 Oct 09:30 (2)".
Changed: at large text, the map on Home shows zone names in small tiles in a smaller size instead of hiding them.
Changed: zone tints in the Zones and Rules lists are round dots showing the tint as it looks over a light desktop, so dark tints no longer look like empty checkboxes.
Changed: the Suggest zones list uses up to half the page in a tall window before it scrolls.

Hedgerow 1.2.3

The style panel now wears Hedgerow's colours, as the Home window does.

Style… on a zone opens a panel in Hedgerow's colours: Done, the opacity slider and the chosen icon size are no longer Windows blue. High contrast still uses your system colours.

Hedgerow 1.2.2

Home opens on a map of your zones, rules are one ordered list, and every icon says why it is where it is.

Everything in 1.2.1 and 1.2.0, below.
Check now on the Settings page checks for an update whenever you choose it, whether or not daily checks are on.
When an update is ready, Update now is on the Settings page too, beside the result, as well as on Home.

Hedgerow 1.2.1

Home opens on a map of your zones, rules are one ordered list, and every icon says why it is where it is.

Everything in 1.2.0, below.
Fix: dragging icons from one zone into another works again; 1.2.0 refused the drop over every zone.

Hedgerow 1.2.0

Home opens on a map of your zones, rules are one ordered list, and every icon says why it is where it is.

Rules are now one list, read top to bottom: each rule says When ... → zone, and the first match wins. Match order is gone.
A rule can combine conditions with and, such as "name matches Screenshot* and more than 30 days old".
Changes take effect when you finish a rule, say how many icons moved, and can be undone; the first change saves a snapshot.
Point at an icon to see why it is in its zone. Icons placed by hand are listed on the Rules page, where you can unpin them.
Extension lists accept commas and spaces as well as semicolons.
Your rules and their order carry over. Layouts saved by this version can't be opened by earlier versions of Hedgerow.
Home opens on a to-scale map of your monitors and zones. Select a zone with a click or the arrow keys, and press Enter to show it on the desktop. A Desktop card counts loose items and offers Suggest zones.
The Home window has a new look in the Hedgerow colours, with one header and a "?" help button on every page. It follows Windows' Text size, and nothing is cut off at large text.
Style a zone from the zone itself: Style… opens a panel beside it that previews every change live. The panel can be moved and resized.
Empty zones say why they are empty, and rolled-up zones show how many items they hold.
Deleting a zone can be undone. Snapshots get dated names, such as "Snapshot 16 Oct 09:30".
The Zones and Snapshots lists scroll sideways when their columns don't fit, with the arrow keys or Shift+wheel.
Fixes: zones never rise above another window, and a dragged icon follows the cursor.

Hedgerow 1.1.0

Hedgerow now has a home, a desktop menu, smarter zones and a proper installer.

A Home window: live cards for your zones, what was sorted today, the desktop zone and your last snapshot, with one card that gathers anything that needs attention.
A Zones page that shows every zone and what is in it, with Show on desktop and the other zone actions in one place.
Suggest zones: Hedgerow proposes zones from what is on your desktop and creates the ones you tick, after saving a snapshot so you can undo it.
Hedgerow is reachable from the Start menu, the tray icon, Ctrl+Alt+H and the desktop right-click menu, including the first-level Windows 11 menu.
A new look: the Living H icon in the taskbar, tray, Start menu and window.
A signed installer that installs for you alone, upgrades in place and removes Hedgerow cleanly, keeping your zones and settings unless you choose otherwise.
Optional update checks: Hedgerow asks once, then checks at most once a day and only installs an update after you say yes. You can turn it off in Settings.
Fixes: hotkeys no longer fire while you are typing a shortcut, and a hotkey that cannot be registered is now reported.
A 30-day free trial, then a one-time $14.99 license, entered on the Settings page and checked on your PC. After the trial your zones keep working; creating and changing them needs a license.

Questions about a change? Email support@cairnea.com. We reply within two days.