To begin making your own Sentry theme, you should start with a template or preset. Click the "Preset theme" dropdown box and select any item to show the colors and fonts that it uses.

Next, change the attributes of the theme by clicking buttons and dropdown boxes below.

For example, to change the font used to draw Sentry's uptime and system time clock, click       this button. A font dialog-box will appear.

Then, to change the color of that font, select a common color from the dropdown box located      here, or click the "More…" button next to it to choose a custom color.

When you are done editing the colors and fonts, click "Save as theme" and enter a name for your theme.

Remember, any time you want to quickly change colors, just choose a theme from the "Preset theme" dropdown box above.

Show away message – Check this box to display a message at the top of Sentry's main screen to inform things such as other people why you are not at your desk, where you have gone, and when you will be back.

Prompt to enter away message at startup – When checked, asks you to enter an away message or choose from a preset when Sentry starts.

Default away message – Enter the away message you would like to be shown by default when Sentry is running.

Messages – Click this button to edit and choose from up to 10 preset away messages.

Style – Click this button to change the properties of the Default away message text field.

Let users leave me a message – Check this box to allow passers-by to leave you messages to read when you return to your computer.

Message Icon – This is the icon that will be displayed to represent each message that has been left for you. You may use the built in icon, or choose your own 16x16 bitmap.

Include name besides icon – When checked, shows the name of the person who left the message next to the icon.

Toolbar should be on – Choose the position you would like the toolbar to be placed in the "Leave a message" window. 

Extra Name & Subject fields – Checking this box will provide a place for people to enter their name and subject of a message, in addition to the message text itself.

Window Size – Adjust the height and width of the "Leave a message" window. Measured in pixels. 

Fonts and Colors

Font – Click this button to change the font used in the "Leave a message" window.

Font color – Click this button to change the font's color to something other than the standard colors.

Background color – Click this button to change the color of the input fields used in the "Leave a message" window.

Preview – Click this button to preview what the "Leave a message" window will look like to others when they want to leave you a message.

Run at Windows Startup – Check this panel to have Sentry automatically secure your machine each time Windows starts.

Prior to loading Explorer Interface – Has Sentry start immediately, before any other programs can be loaded or anything done in Windows. This is the recommended setting.

As a normal startup program – Sentry loads at the same priority level as other "auto start" applications. Your desktop will most likely be exposed for a couple seconds.

Use SentryLaunch – Check this panel to use SentryLaunch, a program that will instantly load Sentry when you click its icon in the system tray. SentryLaunch will also load Sentry after a few minutes of idle time, much like a Windows screensaver. (See also: SentryLaunch)

Load Sentry

On mouse event

Single click – Launches Sentry after clicking on the SentryLaunch icon only once.

Double click – Launches Sentry after clicking on the SentryLaunch icon twice (double-click).

Explicitly through menu – Launches Sentry only after right-clicking the SentryLaunch icon, and choosing "Launch Sentry" from the popup menu.

On hotkey event – Here you can define a hotkey (a combination of keys pressed, such as Ctrl, Alt, and S) that will automatically load Sentry, in addition to the mouse event you specified above. To set this hotkey, click into the input field under "On hotkey event", and hit the key sequence while the cursor is blinking in that field.

Auto Hide non-Sentry windows – Prevents other windows from popping up over Sentry while Sentry is running.

Change Sentry password – Changes your master password.

Log activity to file – Check this panel to enable the log file, which records events as they happen to a file that can later be reviewed.

What to log:

Sentry start and end – Log file writes an entry when Sentry starts and stops protecting your system

Incorrect passwords – Log file writes an entry each time an incorrect password is entered to view messages, change options, or to exit Sentry.

Leaving of messages – Log file writes an entry each time a message is left.

Changes in options – Log file writes an entry whenever options are changed.

Limit size of log file – When this option is enabled, Sentry will limit how large the log file can become. Whenever the file exceeds the specified size, Sentry will archive the old log file and start a new one.

Change archive index – Change the current index of archived log files. You will normally never need this option.

Show security events in Sentry window - When enabled, Sentry will display information on security events on the main screen as they happen. An example of a security event is a bad password being entered. In such cases, the incorrect password will be shown on the main screen.

Setting custom graphics

Note the thumbnail image that shows where the custom graphics will appear on the main Sentry window.

To enable a custom graphic:

1)       Check the item you wish to pick an image for.

2)       Click the browse button on the corresponding field to browse for an image file.

3)       A dialog box like the one below will appear. Chose a file and click open.

 Results

After selecting the desired image, your custom graphic is now loaded in the position you chose.

The ScreenSavers tab in Sentry's option window provides settings for allowing ScreenSavers to run within Sentry's secure environment.

To let ScreenSavers run within Sentry, check the panel marked "Allow Screen Savers to run over Sentry".

Below, a list of installed ScreenSavers will appear. Select the one you want to use as the default ScreenSaver.

Each option is described below in detail.