yay! found a solution, posting it here for reference
i downloaded autohotkey zip (google search it) then i fired up AU3_spy.exe
selected the window that i wanted (in this case solidworks), then i noted the class and title name
i then added these with wildcards and the "pattern match" option on under "disabled apps" and it worked.
the window finder built into stroke it seems like a hit an miss whereas autohotkey reveals all the information that you need to make a custom entry.
thanks for the help