Online Armor new public beta

[MikeNash]

Hi Folks,

Just a quick note to let you know we've unleashed a new public beta over at the OA support forums for both OA Free, and OA.

Anyone is welcome to try it - if you need a key for it, the evaluation key on our download page will work.

Cheers

Mike

Recent changes from the public release include:

General
Resizeable GUI
Remove Spamshield
Multiple Desktop Support
Fixed bug with uninstall protection
Fixed unresponsive tray icon
Added hotkeys disable option


Autoruns Enhancement
Dramatically increased autoruns detection locations (Thanks to Tony Klein)

Safety Check Wizard
Realtime update during SCW
Faster Saving

OASIS
Online Armor Software Information Service has been significantly updated.
Added two new servers and load balanced
More technical info is sent to OASIS (and presented to the user)

Firewall
Optimized Performance for Torrents
Automatic Network Identification(Interfaces)
Computers Tab
Show VPN Interfaces
Manage Windows Firewall status (active, not active) during OA Install
Added firewall log viewer
Block network connection on boot (optional)

HELP
Re-written help file online, now includes video help

Program Guard
Install Mode added
Allow blocking of trusted programs
Run a program (normal or safer) from program guard screen
CPU Limiter added to control runaway processes
CPU Affinity control for multi CPU boxes


Edit - marked with Not included in Free version

[Dieselman]

Awesome Mike. Load times and boot up times cut in half. Lets just hope pings are lower when I game. I uninstalled Comodo just to try this out. Thanks.

[glentrino2duo]

Hi Mike! Thanks for this new beta release, am downloading it now.
Just a quick question: In that changelog, which are for the free one?

[Dieselman]

Ok web browsing still slow even with Web Shield off.

[MikeNash]

-{ Quote: "Hi Mike! Thanks for this new beta release, am downloading it now.
Just a quick question: In that changelog, which are for the free one?" }-

Just *'d it

[MikeNash]

-{ Quote: "Just *'d it" }-

It's just been pointed out to me that "Just *'d it" could perhaps be interpreted in the wrong way....

What I meant to say was "I just *'d my original post, to indicate the items that were not included" -- where *'d is pronoucned "starred"

As opposed to "just <expletive> it"

Just in case anyone thought I swallowed a swear dictionary today.

[jtcst]

Hi Mike,

When I right click an item in the program menu and click "Run Safer", it opens the program instead of running safer.

-
"Mark Gor" ;)

[MikeNash]

-{ Quote: "Hi Mike,

When I right click an item in the program menu and click "Run Safer", it opens the program instead of running safer.

-
"Mark Gor" ;)" }-

Yes, that's right. This option is to provide a way to run a program you normally run normally as "safer" (or vice versa)

To set a program to run safer, you choose the advanced options, like this:

http://www.tallemu.com/webhelp/RunSafer.htm

[jtcst]

-{ Quote: "Yes, that's right. This option is to provide a way to run a program you normally run normally as "safer" (or vice versa)

To set a program to run safer, you choose the advanced options, like this:

http://www.tallemu.com/webhelp/RunSafer.htm" }-

Okay, thanks. I thought it was a bug. :)

[Diver]

Hmmm, build 74. It will be ready when its done.

[Kees1958]

-{ Quote: "
Autoruns Enhancement
Dramatically increased autoruns detection locations (Thanks to Tony Klein)

" }-

Three change additional requests

Adding basic file protection
Toni Klein he is my favourate info source of static registry protection. Great to include it in freeware version, why don't you include my favourate file protection as well, see pic

Executable option
You already provide the option to YES/NO gett a warning when a new program runs. I would also like the option (when not warned for a new program) to run new programs as safer,

Provide 4 predefined settings
1. Paranoid
- warns when a new program runs
- runs all internet facing aps as safer (P2P, Mail, Chat, Browser, ect)

2. Behavior blocker mode
- do not warn when new program runs (only a tray message)
- run new program as safer
- run internet facing aps as safer

3. Expert mode
- warn when new program runs

4. Custom mode
- tick boxes for
a) warn when new program runs
b) run new aps as safer
c) run internet facing aps in safer mode

Regards Kees

[MikeNash]

-{ Quote: "Hmmm, build 74. It will be ready when its done." }-

That's what we're aiming for. I think 74 is a very good build,based on the feedback I have received so far (although I have not yet been through the forums this morning :) )

[trjam]

Mike, I didnt see the word "Vista" in the top post.;)

[MikeNash]

-{ Quote: "Mike, I didnt see the word "Vista" in the top post.;)" }-

I'll be posting separately about Vista at the appropriate time :)

[trjam]

I know it isnt far off from your internal forums. I still am ready.;)

[lucas1985]

Mike,
What's your take on Vista SP1? Good or bad for security vendors?

[MikeNash]

-{ Quote: "Mike,
What's your take on Vista SP1? Good or bad for security vendors?" }-

Quite honestly, I've been so busy with this release cycle I haven't had a chance to look. One of the lads was downloading it yesterday - so I guess we'll know soon enough as we're going to be working with it for sure in a few days.

[Timo Schmidt]

World Of Warcraft stuttering-problems fixed with this build? ^^

edit: OK - I read the TallEmu-Forums and with the latest build those problems aren't fixed :(. So I continue to use CFP 3.0...


Greetings and continue your good work TallEmu (perhaps sometime we'll see a fix for WOW :D)


Timo

[MikeNash]

-{ Quote: "World Of Warcraft stuttering-problems fixed with this build? ^^

edit: OK - I read the TallEmu-Forums and with the latest build those problems aren't fixed :(. So I continue to use CFP 3.0...


Greetings and continue your good work TallEmu (perhaps sometime we'll see a fix for WOW :D)


Timo" }-

We really need a WOW'er to install our logging version. It would be a great help.

[Timo Schmidt]

-{ Quote: "We really need a WOW'er to install our logging version. It would be a great help." }-

What's a "logging-version" - some sort of debug-version? ^^

[MikeNash]

-{ Quote: "What's a "logging-version" - some sort of debug-version? ^^" }-

Yes, that's exactly right. It records all events on the computer and we can use this to determine probable cause of some problems

[Dieselman]

I am a gamer. I play WOW,COD4,BF2,TF2. and many others. Gaming and OA don't get along. This latest build gives me even more pop ups then ever. I did not try WOW with OA yet in this build but last time Mike told me to disable logging. Now you want me enable it? Why do I get pop ups for everything I open. Standard mode only I am using. Screen savers, msconfig, Nvidia control pnale. Firefox Flashgot. Everything I open give me a pop up. Went back to Comodo.

[Fuzzfas]

-{ Quote: "I am a gamer. I play WOW,COD4,BF2,TF2. and many others. Gaming and OA don't get along. This latest build gives me even more pop ups then ever. I did not try WOW with OA yet in this build but last time Mike told me to disable logging. Now you want me enable it? Why do I get pop ups for everything I open. Standard mode only I am using. Screen savers, msconfig, Nvidia control pnale. Firefox Flashgot. Everything I open give me a pop up. Went back to Comodo." }-

I don't know about games, but, if you want to avoid pop ups in OA, you need to go the program list and set the programs you trust , as "trusted". Allowed (orange colour more or less) programs, are allowed to execute, BUT, for further functions (like setting global hooks for example), they WILL ask again. On the contrary, if you mark the same program as trusted (green colour), it won't ask you.

[Dieselman]

-{ Quote: "I don't know about games, but, if you want to avoid pop ups in OA, you need to go the program list and set the programs you trust , as "trusted". Allowed (orange colour more or less) programs, are allowed to execute, BUT, for further functions (like setting global hooks for example), they WILL ask again. On the contrary, if you mark the same program as trusted (green colour), it won't ask you." }-
I know about trusted. Thats not my point. You can only trust things after you get the pop up. When OA scans your start menu not everything is scanned. It scanned WOW but then still gave me a pop up. 20 min with OA and each and every app I launched gave me a pop up. Sure after all 200 apps are learned then no more pop ups. And since OA free doesnt come with a back and restore feature nor does it update then when the next release comes out you need to uninstall and reinstall then relearn all your apps again.

[Peter2150]

-{ Quote: "I know about trusted. Thats not my point. You can only trust things after you get the pop up. When OA scans your start menu not everything is scanned. It scanned WOW but then still gave me a pop up. 20 min with OA and each and every app I launched gave me a pop up. Sure after all 200 apps are learned then no more pop ups. And since OA free doesnt come with a back and restore feature nor does it update then when the next release comes out you need to uninstall and reinstall then relearn all your apps again." }-

After you install and run SCW, reboot, then when back up, open the gui, go to the program tab, uncheck the hide trusted box, and then trust everything there. Assuming you really trust everything, this will greatly reduce the pop up's

Also not turning off firewall logs isn't the same as the "logging" version.

Pete

[Dieselman]

Not true. I know how to use OA. I know about the trusted and show trusted. But it does not scan everything in your start menu and this has been an issue since the beginning. Even though it knows and trusts program it still asks you.

[Dieselman]

Hey Mike if you need a guinea pig I guess I will be it.

[alex_s]

-{ Quote: "but last time Mike told me to disable logging. Now you want me enable it? " }-What Mike did mean is _logging_ version of OA (specially compiled debug mirror for the regular build). Another point is firewall logging. You can keep it turned off in any case.

[alex_s]

-{ Quote: "Not true. I know how to use OA. I know about the trusted and show trusted. But it does not scan everything in your start menu and this has been an issue since the beginning. Even though it knows and trusts program it still asks you." }-I never had too many popups with OA and this is what I like it for. But .. there is a lot of the different situations which can hardly be predicted. Though, there is a very easy way to go - learning mode.

[Dieselman]

-{ Quote: "What Mike did mean is _logging_ version of OA (specially compiled debug mirror for the regular build). Another point is firewall logging. You can keep it turned off in any case." }-
I got it. Its a debugging version to try and pin point the problems with gaming and OA.But isnt this what OA's own beta team is suppose to do. WOW is free to download and free for 14 days if you pick it up at Gamestop. Not exactly my job to find bugs in a firewall. If thats the case then I want the full free version.

[larryb52]

can't wait till it goes vista, I'll be all over it...

[Dieselman]

-{ Quote: "I never had too many popups with OA and this is what I like it for. But .. there is a lot of the different situations which can hardly be predicted. Though, there is a very easy way to go - learning mode." }-
Tried learning mode. Even after it learns things it still prompts you at times.

[Scoobs72]

I think learning mode is meant to be left on for a few days to give it an opportunity to learn everything. For me the beauty of OA has been how few pop-ups I get. Do you have a lot of processes starting up at boot?

[Dieselman]

-{ Quote: "I think learning mode is meant to be left on for a few days to give it an opportunity to learn everything. For me the beauty of OA has been how few pop-ups I get. Do you have a lot of processes starting up at boot?" }-
No I keep my msconfig well trimmed. Only NOD32, Comodo and my Logitech gaming software ( G15 Keyboard and G7 mouse ). The problem is I have over 200 apps. About 20 are games. I takes awhile to learn all them and I also change my pc around alot using Windowblinds and I change my screen saver about once a week.

[Scoobs72]

-{ Quote: "The problem is I have over 200 apps. About 20 are games. I takes awhile to learn all them and I also change my pc around alot using Windowblinds and I change my screen saver about once a week." }-

That's a lot of apps!! I think I have about 50 and OA scans them all. I then just trusted all the ones it missed (that I trusted myself). I'm not sure why OA is not scanning all your apps - maybe there is an upper limit. How many does it scan/miss?

[Dieselman]

-{ Quote: "That's a lot of apps!! I think I have about 50 and OA scans them all. I then just trusted all the ones it missed (that I trusted myself). I'm not sure why OA is not scanning all your apps - maybe there is an upper limit. How many does it scan/miss?" }-
If you go into there forums this has been a problem since build .31. There is no limit from I know of. I heavily use my pc. I might try OA again but for now I am hooked on Comodo cause its all free and not limited. I also like finding things by icons and not just names since I have so many apps. It takes awhile to scroll through everything but its easier to find an icon. ZA even has icons listed with names.

[alex_s]

-{ Quote: "I got it. Its a debugging version to try and pin point the problems with gaming and OA.But isnt this what OA's own beta team is suppose to do. WOW is free to download and free for 14 days if you pick it up at Gamestop. Not exactly my job to find bugs in a firewall. If thats the case then I want the full free version." }-Beta team is not hired team. Almost all the teamers are _commercial_ users who like OA and wanna help it, but nobody can force anybody to install something. Thus happened, that there is not any WOW player inside OA betateam. At least I personally do not know just a single one. As for me, I'll hardly install WOW or any other such a game to my computer. I have it for work and I'm just out of that age :)

PS. If it was 10-15 years ago, then who knows :)

[alex_s]

-{ Quote: "Tried learning mode. Even after it learns things it still prompts you at times." }-
Sure it does. But could you be more specific ? If you do you'd help to diagnoze and fix the problem, if you just saying "there is something somewhere ..." it is hardly can help.

[MikeNAS]

-{ Quote: "Autoruns Enhancement
Dramatically increased autoruns detection locations (Thanks to Tony Klein)" }-

This starts to look so GOOD! Now I must have to buy this to test Full Beta version.

-MikeNAS

[lucas1985]

-{ Quote: "Quite honestly, I've been so busy with this release cycle I haven't had a chance to look. One of the lads was downloading it yesterday - so I guess we'll know soon enough as we're going to be working with it for sure in a few days." }-
Thanks :)

[MikeNAS]

What I really like to see is cheaper license which can only be used with beta versions. New "real" releases comes so rarely and new beta versions comes so often.

[Dieselman]

-{ Quote: "Beta team is not hired team. Almost all the teamers are _commercial_ users who like OA and wanna help it, but nobody can force anybody to install something. Thus happened, that there is not any WOW player inside OA betateam. At least I personally do not know just a single one. As for me, I'll hardly install WOW or any other such a game to my computer. I have it for work and I'm just out of that age :)

PS. If it was 10-15 years ago, then who knows :)" }-

10 Million people play WOW. I built a gaming machine thats what I am going to do on it. I am 38 years old and love to game. Nothing wrong with that but yes if your gonna make a product then you should make sure its compatible on all ends. There is nothing wrong with having somebody get a free copy of WOW and try it out. EVGA employees ( Nvidia card makers ) all play the most recent games so they can diag driver problems. I have posted this problem to Mike since version .31 and so have others and nothing is done about it.

[Peter2150]

-{ Quote: "There is nothing wrong with having somebody get a free copy of WOW and try it out. EVGA employees ( Nvidia card makers ) all play the most recent games so they can diag driver problems. I have posted this problem to Mike since version .31 and so have others and nothing is done about it." }-

Key work is employees. Beta testers aren't employees. The each test in their own environment, and test different aspects. I suppose you could PM Mike Nash, and ask him if he'd like a hardcore gamer as a beta tester.

See what you don't realize is a lot of folks don't have an easy way to reset their machines after installing something so they don't want to install something thats hard to get rid off.(they should though). I do, but it takes time to download WOW, install it test, and then to a restore to get rid off it afterwards(I don't want to leave it on my machine). I don't have the time to do that.

Pete

[Dieselman]

-{ Quote: "Key work is employees. Beta testers aren't employees. The each test in their own environment, and test different aspects. I suppose you could PM Mike Nash, and ask him if he'd like a hardcore gamer as a beta tester.

See what you don't realize is a lot of folks don't have an easy way to reset their machines after installing something so they don't want to install something thats hard to get rid off.(they should though). I do, but it takes time to download WOW, install it test, and then to a restore to get rid off it afterwards(I don't want to leave it on my machine). I don't have the time to do that.

Pete" }-
Understood. Actually only takes about an hour to install and set up WOW after all the patching is done.

[Diver]

What a bunch of dreamers with Vista and all sorts of feature requests. Let them finish the project on their terms. Its a good concept as it is. If they added every thing on every wish list, it will never get done and be a bloated mess.

[MikeNash]

-{ Quote: "What I really like to see is cheaper license which can only be used with beta versions. New "real" releases comes so rarely and new beta versions comes so often." }-

That's seems like a nice, and fair idea on the surface - but I think after a long delay to the first build of OA2 (where we went to kernel mode, and firewall), we released already one update and are days away from the second. There are also other things that you will start to see (like OASIS) which will make the updates more frequent.

The current release is stable enough, so we don't want to (tempting as it is sometime) to rush out a new version in response to every issue.

We're between a rock and a hard place - release more frequently, and we'll be accused of "not getting it right before release" - release less frequently and we don't release enough or are "always in Beta".

I've gradually gotten used to the fact that we'll be criticised no matter what we do, and so, unless our customers start to complain we will continue with our approach "release when it's ready". Even with this approach, we will find post-release bugs - but they should be much reduced.

Anyone who wants leading/bleeding edge can always take a beta, as I think we might continue our practice of making some of them publically available - but the folks at home who just purchased OA to protect them don't expect unstable updates to come down the pipe on auto update.


Mike

Just a note - since OA is continuously improved, we will always have a beta :)

[Wordward]

Hey Mike. I don't care how long OA stays in beta as long as it prevents malware and you don't start charging people in the event they get infected using it, like another "free" security program some are using. LOL. Also, Although it has truly been a long wait for the new release, I would think this one should be so good that there won't be a need for another one right away, right? You know, like some other "free" security program some are using, that now after its second or third release still has some small annoyances that apparently allow novice users to effectively lock themselves out of their PC's because of an error on their part. LOL.

[Dieselman]

-{ Quote: "Hey Mike. I don't care how long OA stays in beta as long as it prevents malware and you don't start charging people in the event they get infected using it, like another "free" security program some are using. LOL. Also, Although it has truly been a long wait for the new release, I would think this one should be so good that there won't be a need for another one right away, right? You know, like some other "free" security program some are using, that now after its second or third release still has some small annoyances that apparently allow novice users to effectively lock themselves out of their PC's because of an error on their part. LOL." }-
Why dont you read this Wordward. Comodo isnt at fault for the lock out.Check your own post.
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=198877

Also read here.

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=199420

[Wordward]

Is anyone noticing a pattern here? I post my personal opinions on things, and Dieselman gets angry. LOL. Anyway, my point is that OA isn't hiding anything by asking money for a quality security program, and yet offers a pretty decent free one with free support, and as far as I see very, very, few problems. I'm not saying that Mike doesn't like or even enjoys making money, but it seems he's up front about what his goals are for the program, and works day and night to help people with any problems that do occur. I just don't see this happening with Comodo as of late, but maybe this will change who knows. Until then I can't help but to get behind a program and a person that I truly think has both his and my best interests at heart, and so far Mike and OA has done nothing to make me think other wise, where as Melih and Comodo has. That's all. Now go play your games with your favorite choice of security programs, and quit worrying what I have to say about mine.

[Peter2150]

Time out!!!!! This thread is about Online Armor's new public beta, not about Comodo vs OA.

Pete

[Wordward]

I apologize for my part in it Peter2150, it was not my intention to go on, but I did want to make my feelings known. I of course realize this wasn't the place for it, so I will simply add that I recently tried OA Free beta 69 and it ran without a hitch. This makes me think that the final release will be nothing short of spectacular and another good reason to use either version of Online Armor.

[ejderpencesi]

ll there be XP 64bit support or we ll wait for later versions?

[dja2k]

There is a new beta build of Online Armor available today. It is version 81 and you can get the download links in the Online Armor forum. Enjoy!

*Remember this is still a beta build and should improve some bugs from prior beta release.

dja2k

[Dieselman]

Thanks for the heads up. I haven't had a chance to install the logging version. Gonna see how this version does when I game and keep an eye on my WOW latency. I will get back to ya.

[Yoda1953]

Wrote this at the OA free forum:

Somehow

- Avira free

- Sandboxie 3.22

- Online Armor free 81 beta HIPS activated

- Threatfire 3014

cannot coexist, I mean Sandboxie won't initialize with OA HIPS activated

When I deactivate HIPS of OA everything runs OK

And yes I set everything of sandboxie as trusted in the configuration Programs

I hope I'm clear.

Running XP SP2

Does anybody know this issue? Thanks

[Peter2150]

Hi Yoda

See my response to you in the OA forums. Posting the same question on multiple forums, is generally not a good idea, as it wastes peoples time. Post it at the most appropriate place and then await a response.

Pete

[bellgamin]

The latest beta non-free is running straight & clean for me. Soooo many great new features! I will special mention just two examples (but ALL the new features & fixes are very handy & muchly appreciated). Here are my 2 examples...

1) The "run safer" feature is simply superb -- a lot easier to use than "Drop My Rights."

2) The new feature: "Allow blocking of trusted programs" finally lets me get Windows auto update & other such ap-cray under control.

All in all, I have no complaints -- only compliments. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

[Dieselman]

The run safer option is alot easier then using Sandboxie. 90% of pop ups have been eliminated also due to the fact that OA scans your drives and start menu for known programs. Took 10 min or so to scan everything but the whilelist on OA's part has increased 2 fold.

[twl845]

-{ Quote: "The latest beta non-free is running straight & clean for me. Soooo many great new features! I will special mention just two examples (but ALL the new features & fixes are very handy & muchly appreciated). Here are my 2 examples...

1) The "run safer" feature is simply superb -- a lot easier to use than "Drop My Rights."

2) The new feature: "Allow blocking of trusted programs" finally lets me get Windows auto update & other such ap-cray under control.

All in all, I have no complaints -- only compliments. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:" }-
How perfect does Mike have to make it before he releases the final version. He has been saying any day now since December. I don't care how perfect it is, someone will have a problem with some feature. LOL :)

[Fuzzfas]

-{ Quote: "How perfect does Mike have to make it before he releases the final version. He has been saying any day now since December. I don't care how perfect it is, someone will have a problem with some feature. LOL :)" }-


Don't put him in a hurry :) You can always run the latest beta. I don't think there is anyone more willing to put out the final than Mike, since he is making a living out of it.

I still have a stability problem.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9548/16735642um7.png

Event 1002, is "the shell stopped unexpectedly and explorer.exe was restarted".

Let him fix this and after you can ask the final version. ;D

[Yoda1953]

-{ Quote: "Hi Yoda

See my response to you in the OA forums. Posting the same question on multiple forums, is generally not a good idea, as it wastes peoples time. Post it at the most appropriate place and then await a response.

Pete" }-

Ok will do. Sorry :-[

[phillip559]

Hey Mike

So has this new version of OA solved the bandwidth issues of the previous version?

I remember you said the slow net speed issue would be solved in the new version and beta version.

Just wondering.

[Fuzzfas]

-{ Quote: "Hey Mike

So has this new version of OA solved the bandwidth issues of the previous version?

I remember you said the slow net speed issue would be solved in the new version and beta version.

Just wondering." }-

I am not Mike, but if your slow speed, refers to 2.0.1.31 (the last stable version), then i could say that yes, the problem is solved many betas ago.

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "One thing I forgot to mention is that I'm not using the Beta version of the program. I'm using the Free Available program" }-That being the case, I have taken all related posts concerning the leaktest discussion and placed them in a thread of their own since they are un-related to this threads topic....."Online Armor new public beta"

New leak test thread---> http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=200768

Bubba