Powershadow to be obsolete soon.

[login123]

Eventually, old HAL the Haunted Computer here will fail, and I'll have to move on to w7, w8, or some such.

 

Powershadow has always been my last line of defense, and has worked perfectly with no impact on operating speed, startup or shutdown. Nothing has ever stuck after a restart. But it's not for w7, and it doesn't look like they're gonna develop it further, although they said they were in an email. So eventually it'll have to be replaced.

 

I've installed many many apps including anti malaware, net framework 4, printer software (don't read this Hazel ) ... have caught viruses (two of which restarted HAL), have edited the registry, etc. etc. Nothing sticks. No need to worry about questionable websites, no need to fear a bad installation, no need to scour the registry for leftover installer junk, etc.

 

It's been a tremendous comfort to know that whatever happens will be gone after a restart. Many thanks to Humpty who introduced Powershadow here, who has now passed on. Au revoir, Humpty.

 

You guys on here have a huge breadth of knowledge, so I'm asking, does anyone know of a similar app that works w/ win7? I don't care about protecting this HD against snoopers from the FBI or Interpol, nor about hiding my tracks, am just looking for a good virtualizer type app.

 

I've tried returnil, acronis try & decide, vmware, virtualbox, and timefreeze. They work, but slow things down. And the process of restoring an image takes a few minutes instead of just a restart.

 

Thanks a million in advance.

 

BTW for any of you old toots who still use wxp or w2k, Powershadow still works and it's free if you can find the links.

[hazelnut]

First Power shadow is still available here.

 

http://download.cnet.com/Power-Shadow/3000-2094_4-10359673.html

 

What about researching Shadow Defender?

[login123]

First Power shadow is still available here.

 

http://download.cnet.com/Power-Shadow/3000-2094_4-10359673.html

 

What about researching Shadow Defender?

 

Doing so now. Thanks.

 

edit: looks really good. In the next day or 2 will make a backup image then try the 30 day free trial.

 

edit: Powershadow is also still available from the sites referenced in the old "Freeware" topic on this forum.

[Super Fast]

-> Returnil (free for home users) ->http://www.returnilvirtualsystem.com/returnil-system-safe

-> Wondershare time freeze (trial) -> http://www.wondershare.com/pro/time-freeze.html

-> Comodo Time Machine (free) -> http://www.comodo.com/home/data-storage-encryption/data-recovery.php (My pick of this group)

-> Harddrive Guard (trial) -> http://www.hdguard.com/

-> Faronics Deep Freeze (trial) -> http://www.faronics.com/standard/deep-freeze/

-> Shadow Defender (trial) -> http://www.shadowdefender.com/

 

I listed a few for you, but out of those, I like Comodo Time Machine the best so far.

 

Maybe you can find something that works for you!

[login123]

Super Cool, Super Fast. I'll try those. Eventually. Has taken all day to get this far. Thanks.

[DennisD]

Returnil and Sandboxie are my stalwarts.

 

Which version of Returnil have you tried?

 

I've stayed with the 2008 version, and have never experienced any slowdown or in fact any other problems.

 

It's simple and straightforward if while installing, you skip the "virtual partition" and set it up to use RAM and not Hard Drive space to do it's "virtual" thing.

 

I'm a sad installaholic like yourself, and I need Returnil like I need to breathe.

 

I keep a 2008 version installer, and there's also a link in my signature to a download. Installed, Returnil 2008 is only just over 6mb, and when running you'd be surprised at how little resource it actually uses.

 

Just to clarify. I use Returnil to test software, but Sandboxie to surf, and I have never had an infection of any kind. In fact with Sandboxie there's very little for CCleaner to do.

[login123]

....

Which version of Returnil have you tried?

...

It's simple and straightforward if while installing, you skip the "virtual partition" and set it up to use RAM and not Hard Drive space to do it's "virtual" thing.

...

I'm a sad installaholic like yourself, and I need Returnil like I need to breathe.

 

I have that 2008 version, thanks. I think Powershadow uses free hard disk space, but that RAM option would probably be faster.

 

I stay shadowed while on the net. The biggest disadvantage is that any changes are gone after restart, but ironically that is also the biggest benefit. If some software requires a restart (many do not) I usually just don't install it. If a change must be made then restart, make the change, and "shadow up" again.

 

Am now working on my black belt in Install-Kwon-Do.

[DennisD]

I started off like yourself with PowerShadow when the 2.8 version was free, and bless Humpty's cotton socks for introducing it here, and then I tried Returnil, which I stuck with for quite some time, but I became completely fed up with not being able to save bookmarks and similar stuff, which is when I changed to Sandboxie.

 

That was quite some time ago, and now I never go anywhere without it. Virtually that is.

[login123]

OK...different system here: save the bookmark to usb, then next startup drag it to the "real" favorites folder. Clumsy, yes.

 

But, a question, maybe no easy answer, and I am not courageous enough to try it.

 

Say you are running Sandboxie but not returnil, and you get a bug that restarts the computer, presumably for the purpose of installing itself. Would the bug still be in the sandbox?

 

That restart thing has happened here twice with no explanation available...I am not delusional and it was not a hardware/heat/etc issue.

 

It actually happened a third time, but that was a guy showing me that GoToMyPC could do a remote restart (didn't work).

[DennisD]

 

But, a question, maybe no easy answer, and I am not courageous enough to try it.

 

Say you are running Sandboxie but not returnil, and you get a bug that restarts the computer, presumably for the purpose of installing itself. Would the bug still be in the sandbox?

 

That restart thing has happened here twice with no explanation available...I am not delusional and it was not a hardware/heat/etc issue.

 

It actually happened a third time, but that was a guy showing me that GoToMyPC could do a remote restart (didn't work).

 

I've never experienced anything like that fortunately, but I think it would take something pretty clever to get out of the Sandbox.

 

I'm not gonna say a Sandbox is 100% tight and secure, although I have to have faith in it, and believe it's probably very close to that based upon my own experience.

 

Of course there are back doors into your computer which you have to believe your A/V and Firewall have covered. If you can get your computer into a 100% "Stealth" state then that's probably the best you can do, and you can check that out with Gibson Research's "Shields Up" tests.

 

"Shields Up":

 

Lowly old Windows Firewall always achieves a 100% stealth rating with those tests, and having your computer and it's open ports invisible to the net is as much as you can achieve really, but cast iron 100% invulnerability just cannot be guaranteed by any methods you use short of staying off-line.

 

Windows Worms Doors Cleaner is worth a look. (Freeware XP only)

 

Does that help answer your question, or am I just waffling here?

 

I have been known to.

[hazelnut]

As far as I know a reboot always empties the sandbox.

 

Download a program while sandboxed then when you close your browser and it asks you asks you if you want to recover the program out the sandbox, just reboot. Then see if the sandbox is empty.

 

P.S. I have sboxie set to NOT use immediate recovery but only to show when I close the browser, that way I don't forget I have a downloaded program in my downloads folder.

[cc1]

...But, a question, maybe no easy answer, and I am not courageous enough to try it. Say you are running Sandboxie but not returnil, and you get a bug that restarts the computer, presumably for the purpose of installing itself. Would the bug still be in the sandbox?...

 

Hi login.

 

I've been using Sandboxie for a few years now and, like others here, I've never experienced a breach.

 

Regarding your question, I don't think Sandboxie would permit malware to restart the computer. But, you may want to ask on their forum to confirm. And there are several Sandboxie features that can be used to harden your sandbox. (I use Start/Run Access and Drop Rights in the sandbox I use for internet banking.)

 

I did a quick search on their forum to see if anything popped up that specifically answered your question; the closest I could immediately find are here, here, and here. You may have better results with a more extensive search.

[slowday444]

Comodo CTM user here. Have never had a problem on XP desktop, had one problem on Vista laptop. Visit their forum first and read the horror stories then make your decision. Reasonably sure it works on 7 also but don't know about 64 bit. Or pay $ and get Rollback RX, from whom Comodo allegedly stole the technology. The other side of the story is they purchased it from AyRecovery (another clone, the fourth being EAZ-FIX). It no doubt is basically the same software, perhaps an older version of, that Comodo tried improving. I absolutely love it! A snapshot takes one or two seconds and restores are merely reboots. Again though, do this at your own risk! The risk is minimal if you have a backup app that can restore mbr as that is what gets screwed up because CTM loads first. I screwed up the laptop early on because I tried to uninstall CTM with windows as opposed to its own uninstaller. My monthly sequence is uninstall CTM, defrag (only use CTM's while CTM is installed), image with Paragon and then reinstall. Because Paragon can repair/restore the mbr I saved the laptop. That was about 18 months ago. Never a problem since on either PC!

[login123]

It always is sort of overwhelming, in a nice, friendly way, how friends from all over the globe pitch in to help when needed. I cannot say thank you often enough.

 

This WXP setup is darned near bulletproof, but it took over 4 years to be sure of that. The next setup will be much easier to test. I have learned enough while hanging around here to feel confident when tinkering with windows software.

 

When I have to move on from wxp, I'll start experimenting with those apps you all recommended. This will play out over a long time, probably until old HAL here will no longer start. But when the move to W7 or 8 or whatever is necessary, I'll be sure to post up anything new and exciting. 'Course, it usually turns out that everybody already knew it and Doug Knox has written a script for it, but I'll post it anyway, ya never know.

 

For right now there is a bunch of reading to be done. Must get up to date on all those apps. Many thanks to Hazel, Dennis, Super Fast, cc1, Slowaday, and anyone who thinks of something else later. You guys are the best.

[Corona]

As far as Win7 64 bit, it's fully compatble with most 32 NTFS programs. I haven't tried every single tiny VS app with Win7 nor am I apt to try. But old Photoshop 5.5 works on it. Ripping CDs from the 80s & 90s works on it (with no rights hassles like XP or Vista).

Most junk you throw at it will fall in the x86 folder. And they work.

[login123]

As far as Win7 64 bit, it's fully compatble with most 32 NTFS programs. I haven't tried every single tiny VS app with Win7 nor am I apt to try. But old Photoshop 5.5 works on it. Ripping CDs from the 80s & 90s works on it (with no rights hassles like XP or Vista).

Most junk you throw at it will fall in the x86 folder. And they work.

 

Thanks Corona, that's good news for sure. Any reduction of speed, for the main os or the older apps?

[Corona]

As far as I can tell everything loads and runs faster. Then again my old PC was so old that it's not a good comparison. But having 6 gigs Ram instead of 512K sure makes a big difference.

[login123]

As far as I can tell everything loads and runs faster. Then again my old PC was so old that it's not a good comparison. But having 6 gigs Ram instead of 512K sure makes a big difference.

 

Guess so...