Suggest "Freezing" software that allows a frozen session across reboots.

[paulescobar]

I have searched the forum, and read many topics.
But I still have a question.

Is there a "Freezing" software that allows a frozen session across reboots?
(By "freezing software", I mean stuff like DeepFreeze & SteadyState)

For example, I want to test installations of various software.
But in many instances, the installer needs to reboot to complete.
Many "freezing" software don't allow reboots within a frozen session.

I have tried "DeepFreeze". But it doesn't allow multiple reboots in a frozen session.

I have tried "SteadyState". But it messes up my Windows settings.

I have heard of "ShadowUser". But I hear that it has basically been abandoned by its developers.

I have heard of programs like EAZ-FIX. But I hear that they take long to load previous states.

Are there any other programs?

My criteria is as follows:
1) Should not take long...to exit from frozen session & return to normal.
2) Should use little to no resources...when not in frozen session.
3) Should be a software that still has dedication of developers.

Thanks for any help.
And feel free to question me if more info is needed.

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,
Have you considered virtualization?
Mrk

[raakii]

* I have heard of "ShadowUser". But I hear that it has basically been abandoned by its developers.

So wat if it is abandoned by it is developers, this softwares is a good one , esp if u wanna test a few softwares,

I think the viruses , which break through its defenses occur only very rarely and not frequently


* I have heard of programs like EAZ-FIX. But I hear that they take long to load previous states.

hmmm.........eaz-fix or ayrecovery these softwares are very very fast..use it and see

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "Hello,
Have you considered virtualization?
Mrk" }-

I'm only vaguely aware of stuff like VMWare.
I've heard about it, but never tried it.

I guess the main reason I haven't tried it is that I fear it takes up system resources.
I imagine both my windows programs and the "virtualization" program battling over memory and processor.

So I'd rather have some program like DeepFreeze.
Where its in use when I need it.
But disabled when I don't.

[raakii]

Deep Freeze is utter waste ,there are softwares likes shadow defender

but these softwares dont keep sessions across reboot, so does not give u any solution.

You may even try Altiris SVS , it doent require reboots an it is good

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "* I have heard of "ShadowUser". But I hear that it has basically been abandoned by its developers.

So wat if it is abandoned by it is developers, this softwares is a good one , esp if u wanna test a few softwares,

I think the viruses , which break through its defenses occur only very rarely and not frequently" }-

I will settle for "ShadowUser"...if no one suggests anything better.

But I'll just hold off until more people post in the topic.


-{ Quote: " * I have heard of programs like EAZ-FIX. But I hear that they take long to load previous states.

hmmm.........eaz-fix or ayrecovery these softwares are very very fast..use it and see" }-

I originally thought Eaz-Fix was good.

But then I read this collection of reviews (for duplicate Rollback Rx):
http://www.neatnettricks.com/SoftwareReviews/review_Rollback.htm
Stuff like this freaked me out:
-{ Quote: "RollbackRX slows down your system performance: my boot time went from 28 seconds to 87 seconds after installation. The RollbackRX rollbacks are very slow. While Rollback RX adds a minute or so to your boot time, after boot and login has finished it then synchronizes the “anchored” files and folders and this process takes about 15 minutes and prevents you from doing any effective work with your computer until this process finishes." }-

I wouldn't mind trying it, if more people contradicted the "slow" claims.

[raakii]

My opinion , never never use these two options in rollback rx eaz-fix or ayrecovery
1)Synchronize Files-Utter waste ,eats away ur C drive space and causes lot of problems.

use this option Default one:take snapshot during restore and synchronize the files u want by right click and select synchronize,or use virtula dive


2)Remove logo during start up -saves u 5 seconds during startup
remove the program startup list using msconfig


startup increases :as it has to otherwise the software will never work , all Writes has to pass through its driver , and u need to load these drivers ,

startup time increases by 7 seconds for me (many give false information)

i dont like rollback rx and use only ayrecovery( i dont know the reason)

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "You may even try Altiris SVS , it doent require reboots an it is good" }-

Thanks for the interesting suggestion.

I just looked it up, and came across this site:
http://lifehacker.com/software/installation/hack-attack-safely-install-software-in-a-virtual-layer-162910.php

I guess I'm skeptical.
The way it works is kind of worrying for me.
Not sure if it'll let me test the installation in a real-world setting, due it it isolating the software. Plus, I read that it has trouble with an install like IE7.

But I'm adding it to my list.
I'll test it later, and see if my worries pan out.

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "My opinion , never never use these two options in rollback rx eaz-fix or ayrecovery
1)Synchronize Files-Utter waste ,eats away ur C drive space and causes lot of problems.

use this option Default one:take snapshot during restore and synchronize the files u want by right click and select synchronize,or use virtula dive


2)Remove logo during start up -saves u 5 seconds during startup
remove the program startup list using msconfig


startup increases :as it has to otherwise the software will never work , all Writes has to pass through its driver , and u need to load these drivers ,

startup time increases by 7 seconds for me (many give false information)

i dont like rollback rx and use only ayrecovery( i dont know the reason)" }-

Thanks again.
I'll test this also, keeping in mind your suggestions.

[tradetime]

As already suggested, I think many who do extensive testing of softwares requiring reboot use virtualisation such as VMware player. I also suspect a critical and must have tool for anyone testing many softwares is a reliable imaging software, so that when it all goes horribly wrong you can simply restore an image.
If you consider Virtual ware not to give you a real world testing environment then the solution would seem to be to acquire said reliable imaging software, image your system, and test it, then install your software normally, knock yourself out with it, and restore the image when done.

[raakii]

altiris svs does not support reboot softwares

I think the best thing is to use shadow user ,but that software just does not have alternative .Eaz-fix is a different kind of software, so is altiris svs . Hence topmost priority has to be shadow user(even tough it has loopholes my fav for testing if u consider trying out a software).Eaz-fix installation is a pain , if ur c drive is not new and has old data.

[raakii]

Imaging software:go for drive snapshot or Shadow protect but recovery is not instantaneous.

[farmerlee]

-{ Quote: "I will settle for "ShadowUser"...if no one suggests anything better.

But I'll just hold off until more people post in the topic.




I originally thought Eaz-Fix was good.

But then I read this collection of reviews (for duplicate Rollback Rx):
http://www.neatnettricks.com/SoftwareReviews/review_Rollback.htm
Stuff like this freaked me out:


I wouldn't mind trying it, if more people contradicted the "slow" claims." }-
Nothing slow about eazfix/rollback rx from my experiences, i use both on different systems. Boot times are pretty much the same after installation and theres no noticeable impact on performance. To revert all changes requires a simple reboot which takes just a few seconds longer than a regular boot. I'm an impatient person and i definitely wouldn't be using these programs if they were slow.

As mentioned above, virtualisation is a good option if you have the required system resources. Virtualbox is free and can do what you require.

[Tony]

Theres firstdefense-isr rescue.
Although it only has 2 snapshots, you can use one for testing purposes and if you dont like it, then you can copy/update from the other snapshot and restore the snapshot to how it was previously.

No slowdown when booting up either.

[Osaban]

-{ Quote: "I have searched the forum, and read many topics.
But I still have a question.

Is there a "Freezing" software that allows a frozen session across reboots?
(By "freezing software", I mean stuff like DeepFreeze & SteadyState)

For example, I want to test installations of various software.
But in many instances, the installer needs to reboot to complete.
Many "freezing" software don't allow reboots within a frozen session.

I have tried "DeepFreeze". But it doesn't allow multiple reboots in a frozen session.

I have tried "SteadyState". But it messes up my Windows settings.

I have heard of "ShadowUser". But I hear that it has basically been abandoned by its developers.

I have heard of programs like EAZ-FIX. But I hear that they take long to load previous states.

Are there any other programs?

My criteria is as follows:
1) Should not take long...to exit from frozen session & return to normal.
2) Should use little to no resources...when not in frozen session.
3) Should be a software that still has dedication of developers.

Thanks for any help.
And feel free to question me if more info is needed." }-

ShadowUser hasn't been really abandoned by its developers: It is still on sale with no discount (69 $, pricey considering current competition), but it hasn't been, alas, updated for Vista, presumably the reasons are with the high degree of piracy. I've been using it for years without any problems, although I must admit that to test programs and new configurations, First Defense ISR Rescue is more suitable by design (I do use it with great satisfaction on my Vista system). I hear that Drive Vaccine is similar to ShadowUser, but I haven't tried it hence I can't say anything.

There's also 'Smart Restart' by Centurion Technologies, http://www.smart-restart.com/products.php which I'd like to have some feedback.

[SpikeyB]

-{ Quote: "For example, I want to test installations of various software.
But in many instances, the installer needs to reboot to complete.
" }-Do you have any examples of software you would like to test?

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "Do you have any examples of software you would like to test?" }-

Are you going to test something yourself?
If so, then any "Microsoft.Net Framework" installation would be a good sampler:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=262d25e3-f589-4842-8157-034d1e7cf3a3&displaylang=en
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0856EACB-4362-4B0D-8EDD-AAB15C5E04F5&displaylang=en
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=10cc340b-f857-4a14-83f5-25634c3bf043&displaylang=en

Otherwise, in general, I'd be using it to test things like PhotoShop plugins, Windows Updates, and any new software I haven't tried before.

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "Imaging software:go for drive snapshot or Shadow protect but recovery is not instantaneous." }-

I don't mind an "imaging" software in principle.
My only concerns are:
1) The space images take
2) The resources software uses when I DON'T need it.

Meaning, I'm concerned that the images created will be huge.
And I'd like software that doesn't leave tasks and services on while I'm not using it.

Any "imaging" suggestions, according to that criteria?

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,

If your windows / root partition is small (e.g. 20GB) and taken up only up to about 50%, then with good compression, you can compress the images of these drives down to 3-4GB.

My personal example: a 8GB Windows C: drive used to produce a 2.5GB image, and after SP3, this goes up to 3GB. My Ubuntu root that takes about 5GB produces a 1GB image with bz2 compression.

I have an external hard disk dedicated to keeping images from 4 machines, and all in all, in the last year, the space taken is approx. 50 images = 120GB or so.

Mrk

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "Hello,

If your windows / root partition is small (e.g. 20GB) and taken up only up to about 50%, then with good compression, you can compress the images of these drives down to 3-4GB." }-

Thanks for your post! :)
The examples put things into perspective.

In my situation, the hard drive would be 160GB.
With around 120GB used / 40GB free.

I don't have an external hard drive.
So I guess "imaging" isn't a good option for me.
As I need speed and low space usage.

[farmerlee]

-{ Quote: "Thanks for your post! :)
The examples put things into perspective.

In my situation, the hard drive would be 160GB.
With around 120GB used / 40GB free.

I don't have an external hard drive.
So I guess "imaging" isn't a good option for me.
As I need speed and low space usage." }-
You'd have to partition your hard drive so you have the operating system on one partition and personal data on another. That way your backup image size can be kept to a minimum which helps to speed things up. An image of my XP partition is around 2gb in size which only takes 2 minutes to restore.

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "You'd have to partition your hard drive so you have the operating system on one partition and personal data on another. That way your backup image size can be kept to a minimum which helps to speed things up. An image of my XP partition is around 2gb in size which only takes 2 minutes to restore." }-

But here's my situation:
160 GB hard drive...
120 GB used...
40 GB free space.

Care to take a guess as to what size this image would come to?

I can live with an image 10GB or under.
But anything over that is a problem for me.

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,

What sort of things you got on your drive. What takes 120GB? Besides, if you were to repartition, as suggested, you could go a long way toward cutting that down.

My estimate is approx. 50GB image size - too big and impractical.

Mrk

[Peter2150]

-{ Quote: "But here's my situation:
160 GB hard drive...
120 GB used...
40 GB free space.

Care to take a guess as to what size this image would come to?

I can live with an image 10GB or under.
But anything over that is a problem for me." }-

To do the kind of testing you are talking about you need to have adequate resources on your machine. Use of a VM machine would really be best, but honestly I don't think you have the resources on your hardware.

I do the kind of testing you are talking about in a VM machine, and the directory for that machine is slightly over 60gb.

Pete

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "Hello,

What sort of things you got on your drive. What takes 120GB? Besides, if you were to repartition, as suggested, you could go a long way toward cutting that down.

My estimate is approx. 50GB image size - too big and impractical.

Mrk" }-

I'm a graphic artist.
So files are mostly media like stock video, audio, and images.
And installed software is media-related editors.

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "To do the kind of testing you are talking about you need to have adequate resources on your machine. Use of a VM machine would really be best, but honestly I don't think you have the resources on your hardware.

I do the kind of testing you are talking about in a VM machine, and the directory for that machine is slightly over 60gb.

Pete" }-

Thanks for the info.

.......

I don't think Virtualization is worth it, given that it can't duplicate my current setup yet takes so much space.

I don't like Eaz-Fix too much because of its lingering processes and restriction of disk defragmentation.

........

I'm starting to settle on a scenario...

1) For installation testing, I'll use ShadowUser since its quick and allows for frozen-session reboots.

2) For dependable backup, I'll buy a jumbo external hard drive & use imaging software.

........

Thanks to all the posters.
On my own, I would not have learned so much.
Your suggestions have introduced me to interesting software and new concepts...within a short amount of time.

I think I have a good base understanding now.
I can build on that by experimenting.

I'll still read responses and consider new posts if necessary.
But essentially, this problem is solved.

[pandlouk]

There is a Russian(?) ISR software that can retain changes during reboots... but I don't remember its name.

I think Peter2150 and some other members have tested it. Maybe someone else remembers the name.

Panagiotis

edit:
I found it. Disk Write Copy (http://www.diskwritecopy.com/eng/products.html)
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=209483

[paulescobar]

-{ Quote: "I found it. Disk Write Copy (http://www.diskwritecopy.com/eng/products.html)
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=209483" }-

Thanks for the tip and the links.
Looks like it's a bit new and unknown.
But it'll be worth a try if something goes wrong with ShadowUser.

[tradetime]

If I had 120GB of "my stuff" on my c drive whatever that might be, but important enough to keep, and no external drive to back up to, no image, then I don't think I'd be risking it testing software, too much can go wrong. Just my thoughts

[Peter2150]

-{ Quote: "There is a Russian(?) ISR software that can retain changes during reboots... but I don't remember its name.

I think Peter2150 and some other members have tested it. Maybe someone else remembers the name.

Panagiotis

edit:
I found it. Disk Write Copy (http://www.diskwritecopy.com/eng/products.html)
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=209483" }-

I don't think they ever got it to work. I downloaded it and that feature was disabled. I signed up as a beta tester, and asked. They said the feature was disabled as it didn't work. Also said they would contact me when they got it working to test. I've never heard a thing.

Pete

[BazileCCS]

Dear users of wilderssecurity.com.

My name is Basil.
I am working in CCS Company.

I am confident that this forum has garnered a lot of professionals.
If you have any questions about software Disk Write Copy, ask them to me right here.
I will answer all of the opportunities quickly.

[raakii]

I have tested it, the incremental shadow mode feature is better than that of shadowuser (continues even during improper shut down),but the problem is

once the shadow mod is turned on the startup is delayed instantly unlike other shadow softwares

[BazileCCS]

-{ Quote: "I have tested it, the incremental shadow mode feature is better than that of shadowuser (continues even during improper shut down),but the problem is

once the shadow mod is turned on the startup is delayed instantly unlike other shadow softwares" }-

Hi raakii!

Which of the versions you tested?

If you believe that the work might be convenient, as it would look like?

Thank you.

[Rico]

Hello BazileCCS,

FYI - McAfee SiteAdvisor shows your web site as red or dangerous.

Take Care
Rico

[BazileCCS]

-{ Quote: "Hello BazileCCS,

FYI - McAfee SiteAdvisor shows your web site as red or dangerous.

Take Care
Rico" }-

Hi Rico!

Maybe they are afraid of competition? :)

But seriously, we are not aware of why McAfee have problems with our site.
Our company is official software partner of Intel and we have certificate from the Microsoft for sign our code including kernel code for Vista x64.

Thank you very much for this information Rico!
And thank you for you question.