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Light Virtualization Question


Tom AZ

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I use light virtualization all the time (e.g., Returnil, ShadowDefender, Time Freeze) to test new software. Does this type of virtualization also provide the same type of "reboot protection" when fiddling with Widows and system related tasks (e.g., registry edits, driver installs/uninstalls, etc.)?

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Hi, Tom.

For Powershadow, running on win xp, answer is 99.99 percent yes. Sadly not available after win xp.

Not 100 percent because one can't be sure of anything.

I've run PS for years, made deep changes, all gone after restart.

 

edit: I set my firewall to prevent it accessing the net. Maybe not necessary, but I do.

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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For Powershadow, running on win xp, answer is 99.99 percent yes. Sadly not available after win xp.

Are you saying Powershadow hasn't been developed since Win XP or that the performance of PS isn't as good after XP?

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Steady State has no longer been supported by Microsoft since June 30th 2011.

 

Also -> http://windows.micro...elp/end-support -> Support for Windows XP is ending on April 8, 2014. Support for Vista SP1 ended on July 12, 2011.

 

You can use the older XP SP3 till April 8 of 2014. Just make sure you don't use the newer OS called Vista. It's been unsupported almost a year now. :lol:

 

XP... Because sometimes newer, isn't always better!

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Are you saying Powershadow hasn't been developed since Win XP or that the performance of PS isn't as good after XP?

 

Sorry for the delay, Tom.

From what I read, both those statements are true. Have read that PS simply won't work on vista or any ms OS after it, but have not tried it.

Have also read that PS makes a change in sector 15 of your hard disk. I checked that, it's true, not sure which sector but I saw the change with a hex editor. That is probably why PS won't work w/ vista or 7, that kernel check feature in those OSs probably stops it. I emailed Powershadow developers a few years ago, they said that they are going to make PS work with later microsoft OSs, but they have not done so, afaik.

 

Couple of things if you are considering using it.

- Fix your firewall to stop PS from phoning out. One of the free versions did phone home. I set Outpost firewall "Application Settings" to block Shadowsetting.exe and Shadowtip.exe. That worked. Don't think that is necessary for PS version 2.6 (the only free one available now) but I did it anyway.

- Every time I installed it on a newly formatted hard drive, I got the message that "Windows Has Recovered From a Serious Error ... " when I restarted, but no harm was done.

- PS can be started so that it blocks changes to your system drive, usually C:, or so that it blocks changes to any partition on the hard disk. You make that choice after you boot up, at the time you start PS. Or you can just run the OS normally and not start PS at all.

- If you do start PS, any changes to any "shadowed" drive will be gone when you restart.

- Am not sure if the changes are reversed when you shut down or when you restart.

- I keep any experimental software on a USB hard disk, and if I want to install it permanently, I just wait until the next restart, and install it before starting PS.

 

I know a lot about PS's behaviors, but not about the technical, coding reasons for the behaviors. From that persepective I am 99.99 percent sure it is effective and harmless. If you want to try it, I can refer you to some posts over at Wilders about it, and will share whatever I know from experience.

 

edit: In case you didn't see it, more here: http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=33082&st=0&p=196903&&do=findComment&comment=196903

 

I wish the guys on the Piriform team would develop something like it, they make such super software, they would get it right. <-- Shameless, self serving plug. :)

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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