ModePilot

A native Windows application that switches your Acer Nitro's firmware power mode — Quiet, Balanced, or Performance — and synchronizes NVIDIA WhisperMode. A remake of ProfileSwitcherForNitro.

Requirements

• Windows x64.
• Acer firmware exposing ROOT\WMI:AcerGamingFunction (the interface used by the original project).
• A compatible NVIDIA driver for WhisperMode, and a logged-on local console user.
• Do not run the original profile-switching application's automation at the same time: both applications control the same firmware/NVIDIA state.

Install, upgrade, uninstall

Install with ModePilot-Setup-x64.exe: run it as a normal user and approve elevation. It installs to %ProgramFiles%\ModePilot, registers and starts the LocalSystem service, adds a Start Menu shortcut, and offers an unchecked desktop-shortcut option. See build.md to build the package yourself.

• Upgrade: choose Exit from the tray menu first (X only hides the GUI), then run the new installer.
• Uninstall: Setup stops and removes the service and deletes only installed program files and shortcuts. Per-user settings in %LocalAppData% and other user-created files are untouched.

Modes

Mode	NVIDIA WhisperMode
Quiet	Enabled
Balanced	Disabled
Performance	Disabled

Select a card to apply its mode. The active card reflects firmware readback, and status refreshes after each change and every 30 seconds. Clicking the already-active mode retries a failed NVIDIA step without repeating a confirmed firmware write. A confirmed request shows a brief overlay at your chosen screen corner.

Manual and Automatic

• Manual shows the three mode cards, Nitro+P cycling, and the tray's Next power mode.
• Automatic follows the focused application and whether the laptop is plugged in or on battery. The cards are replaced by the current mode, defaults, and application rules; manual cycling is disabled.
  • Defaults are Balanced when plugged in and Quiet on battery. Each application rule can override both modes.
  • Use Browse… to pick an .exe, or Running apps… to choose a visible program. Rules match the full executable path, not just the file name, and save immediately.
  • An unknown power source leaves the mode unchanged; an unreadable foreground application uses the defaults.

Switching Manual/Automatic is blocked while a mode request is in progress.

Shortcuts

Input	Result
Release Nitro alone	Toggle the GUI shown/hidden; no mode change
Nitro+P (Manual only)	Cycle Quiet → Balanced → Performance → Quiet; each distinct P press cycles once
Nitro+M	Switch Manual ↔ Automatic, from either mode, even while hidden
X / Alt+F4	Hide to the notification area; the GUI keeps running
Tray Exit, or Alt+Space → Exit ModePilot	Actually quit the application

Double-click the tray icon to restore a hidden window.

Settings

Open Settings from the gear icon beside the theme switch, or from the tray menu. The adjacent info icon opens a short guide to Manual/Automatic modes and the Nitro shortcuts. Changes save immediately.

• Auto start with Windows — starts the GUI in the notification area at sign-in. Off by default; per-user, no administrator permission needed.
• Sync Windows power plan — off by default. While on, a confirmed firmware mode also selects the matching Windows plan: Quiet uses Power saver, Balanced uses Balanced, and Performance uses Ultimate Performance when that plan is installed, otherwise High performance. If Windows hides the standard plan and shows an OEM copy, that copy is used. ModePilot does not create a missing Ultimate Performance plan. The plan is applied again when status confirms the firmware mode, including after startup.
• Notification corner — corner for the confirmation overlay; Bottom right by default.
• Language — English, Mandarin Chinese (Simplified), Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, French, Bengali, Portuguese, Indonesian, and Urdu, listed using their native names. Arabic and Urdu use right-to-left text. Switching updates the interface, tray menu, and help immediately; service and hardware diagnostic details remain in their original language.
• Theme — follows Windows' light/dark app setting; the sun/moon override lasts only for the current session.

Automatic rules, language, notification corner, and power-plan sync are saved in %LocalAppData%\ModePilot\settings.json.

Limitations

• v1 controls Acer firmware power mode and NVIDIA WhisperMode. An optional setting can also select the matching Windows power plan. CPU settings, fan curves, and Turbo are not controlled.
• Whisper targets the active local console session; Remote Desktop session selection is not implemented.

Documentation

• Build instructions — build from source, manual installation, packaging, and signing.
• Architecture — hardware behavior, IPC, input policy, and source layout.
• Testing — verification commands and manual checks.