The unofficial Shadow Defender Support Thread.

http://www.shadowdefender.com/ is still at .578 so how can there be a .579
I email'd Support twice with no reply. How do I check via SD UI for updates. I have an option ~ Auto check but, when does this run and how does SD notify for an update. I started with .578 so have no clue as to how to update to .579.
If I'm in Shadow Mode and SD check's for update. Then on restart where's the update.

 

Although Shadow Defender 1.4.0.579 is legitimate, I don't think it has been fully released yet. Tony (the developer) does not have it as a release on his website. I would download the the latest full version 1.4.0.578 from here

To set your automatic update to on
Right click on your tray icon
left click 'Open Shadow Defender'
left click 'Administration'
left click tick 'Check for updates automatically'

I don't use this way of updating so I don't know if you get a popup or reminder.
Some of Shadow Defender's functions do not work on XP. eg registry exclusion.
Maybe other members who have experience in upgrading this way could give you further details.

Patrick

 

Thanks so much for your interest. SD finally replied with the following cryptic message <<The latest version number is stored in a database which SD will check for updates, but version 579 has not saved in this database yet >> So, it does seem odd SD checks while I'm in Shadow Mode and then what ? Most peculiar. No info re update with SD Help. If mirror is the preferred update protocol then SD site should imo prompt mirror. I would naturally prefer direct from vendor / publisher site. For now I will presume .579 is in limited release awaiting feedback. Or, is pulling .579 from Official SD Forum proper protocol. Quote from: Patrick on January 23, 2015, 11:57:24 AM
I've had a reply from Tony (the developer),Shadow Defender 1.4.0.579 is legitimate but only a small change was made from the previous release.

 

Perhaps Tony intended build 579 to solve a special issue and it may not apply to all users. As for me, I only install and use releases from his official download page!

 

There may be a typo floating around #3889 519 v 579
519 is legit ~ http://www.shadowdefender.com/history.html as to 579 IDK
Version 1.4.0.519 - April 25, 2014
New: Track 0 virtualization.
New: Hidden boot volume will be shadowed automatically when system volume is shadowed.
Fixed: Some minor bugs.

 

I know (from Tony) that version 1.4.0.579 is a real (it is not a typo) but he often used to allow versions through download (if you knew the version in advance) but they are usually not full released versions so like beta. The only true versions are the ones that he documents and releases from his own site. It's been like this on and off over the years.
Personally, unless you are like an unofficial beta tester, I'd stick with the current official released version downloaded from his site if your system is important to you, rather than use your pc to test.
My advice with any of these sorts of softwares is, unless you are just testing on a pc and system that you don't care about or unless you have good backups just wait a couple of weeks after a new release before installing to your system. That way you are less likely to get caught out and suffer damage (as I did) if the version turns out to be buggy.
I made the mistake of installing a 'cutting edge' brand new version (which was later withdrawn by Tony) and the bugs weren't apparent straight away so I backed up to all my available drives and then had horrible bugs which completely messed my system up.
With this sort of software that was my own fault for not doing as I have advised above. If I'd waited for a time before backup, I would have been ok.
A lesson learned the hard way. I felt very stupid when I realised what I had done.

I have tried this unofficial latest version and as I posted above I found (for me anyway) that it caused a few problems which I recognised because they have occured in older versions. I wrote to Tony (as above) but (as yet) have received no reply.
I've been banging on for years about these loss of Windows and apps settings reverting to default at times. Tony is aware of it because I have written to him many times over the issue. This is one of those subjects that has yet to be formally addressed and communications have always been a problem. You may think that I am being disloyal in some way by bringing these matters to the wide attention of a forum but I believe that it is better to be 'transparent', progress understanding and aid the development process if all interested parties have the opportunity to play their part.

Patrick

 

OK ~ great info ~ THANKS ~ guess, I thought maybe typo as the release notes for 519 seemed like what was being discussed as the changes to 579.
Official site is OK for me. Cheers

 

Question: Rt. click Commit by Shadow Defender. Upon rt click Commit by SD. I see dialog okay and commit appears to happen. But, when I look in Commit Now. The file is not there ? Then I commit via Commit Now and file shows. Does rt click Commit by SD work ? Comment ?

 

Hi bjm, when you commit a file by right clicking, you ll find a copy of the file after you reboot, in the same place where you committed the file. If you right click commit a file at the desktop, you ll find it there. Or if you right click on a text file where you added something to it, you ll find the text file with the changes after reboot. Same if you create a folder and add files to it, if you right click it to commit, you ll see the folder after reboot in your real system. You don't have to go in Commit Now for nothing if you use the right click option.

Bo

 

Yes bjm, bo is right.
Just remember, In Shadow Mode if you use use right click commit in explorer or desktop on a file or folder that is going to change or be changed by you (eg a word document that you are working on) before the end of the Shadowed session you must commit it again before re-boot to have the most up to date version of that particular file or document saved to your pc.
If I went into Shadow Mode, created and worked on a Word document for a while, saved it, committed it, then decided to work on it again and added to it and saved it again then I need to right click commit again in Explorer or else I'd have the earlier version of that document saved and would lose that last bit of work that I'd added.

Patrick

 

Is there any way to move diskpt0.sys?

I tried to use symbolic link (mklink), but it worked just for one drive.

I moved c:\diskpt0.sys and d:\diskpt0.sys to D:\SD\C\diskpt0.sys and D:\SD\D\dispt0.sys and then, I made both mklink. Everything seemed to work fine, but when I wanted to exit Shadow Mode, C hadn't done it. For D worked fine.

I want to do that because C is a SSD and I want to write there as less as possible.

Thanks.

 

Thanks Bo and Patrick....seems ? for Commit Now to display for Commit Now and not display for Commit by SD. Rt click at end of shadow session will satisfy even though rt click item does not populate to Commit Now. Thanks

 

Hi bjm. Don't think of the Commit now window as a log for files and folders that you have committed by right click. It doesnt work that way.The Commit now window is another way for saving files out of Shadow mode. You can use it to save more than one file or folder at once, instead of right clicking individual files and folders one by one.

Bo

 

Good evening everyone, I need a favor:

Because I'm having some problems with the latest version of SD (1.4.0.578, I would like to know if can still find the previous version (1.4.0.561)?
where can I find it? ... unfortunately on the official website is no longer available ...

 

You are having some problem with 1.4.0.578 and I don't know your overall situation but
I also have had problems with that version and 1.4.0.561 overwriting my settings in certain apps and have gone back to (what is for me) a more stable version 1.4.0.519.
I use xp sp3 32 bit
If you still want 1.4.0.561, pm me with your email address and I'll send it to you.

Patrick

 

Yes, that's what I've been thinking. Commit Now as a Log. My bad! Good info explanation. Thanks as always

 

ENTER SHADOW MODE ON BOOT

Hi everyone

I have a problem which is probably my lack of knowledge rather than an issue with SD.

When I click the radio button in Mode function to "enter shadow mode on boot" then click ok, it immediately goes into Shadow Mode with the SD icon at the top middle of the page.

When I shut down via the Win 7 orb then shut down and restart, SD reboots in Shadow Mode. Which is fine.

Question - Have all the changes been discarded using this method of entry to Shadow Mode?

When I am in shadow mode and previously selected "enter shadow mode on boot", if I want to shut down and reboot (to delete any changes) but go into Mode Setting to exit Shadow Mode when it reboots it is NOT in Shadow Mode.

Question

1) Is the only way to remain in Shadow Mode on reboot by using Enter Shadow Mode on reboot then rebooting NOT VIA the SD console but by using the Win 7 orb then rebooting.

I hope this is clear.

Thanks

Terry

 

Whenever the PC is restarted from a Shadow Mode session, all changes are discarded unless you explicitly choose to commit them first via the SD console. The default action is to discard all changes when shutting down or restarting. Either way, entering Shadow Mode on boot starts a new virtual session as changes from a virtual session cannot be carried over except by committing them first.

If the Enter Shadow Mode on Boot option is selected, the PC will always restart in Shadow Mode however it was shutdown. For example, if the PC crashed with a BSOD, it will still restart in Shadow Mode if this option was previously in force. In order to exit Shadow Mode when this option is selected, you would need to use the SD console to Exit Shadow Mode.

 

Ugh!! ... if the latest versions cause problems, then maybe you should still keep the "old" release 1.4.0.519, which so far works perfectly!

 

Neowin provides the download link for build 561 (directly from SD) here.

 

Patrick, can you describe the settings overwrites you are experiencing?

 

Cruise,
The problems that I am having are types of problems that go back a long way and have usually just been a nuisance generally and intermittently.
Shadow Defender has always (for me, even going back to Windows 2000) occasionally caused the loss of settings sometimes Windows settings , sometimes apps settings. The apps settings are always apps (that I think) are kernel level apps, anti virus reverting to default settings and allowing connection etc)
In the early days it was Nero (becoming unregistered), Daemon Tools, Alcohol 120%...Those sorts of things. It was a thing that didn't happen after every Shadow session re-boot, just sometimes.
A version was released recently that completely mangled my XP sp3. It was the fist version that was supposed to address some issues about hibernation. I didn't notice the problem straight away because it wasn't initially apparent and stupidly I prematurely backed up my system to two drives. Tony removed this version almost immediately when I told him of the problem.
With that version my sound went back to default settings, My theme went back to the gaudy xp default and wouldn't allow me to set it back) I had to remove the XP default theme altogether to allow my chosen theme to be set as settings wouldn't stay. My internet connection was destroyed. I could connect but if I disconnected or re-booted I would get rashangup 668 errors and the only thing that I can do is close down pull power plugs and modem and restart...then I can connect again. This is not repairable by all the usual methods (repair lan, repair winsock, re-set TCP/IP.
Also it had some effects on other apps like password agent in that it wouldn't allow proper useage because the settings (now and again) made the app open to desktop rather than in the tray and I noticed that keyscrambler would lose it's ability sometimes.
I am fairly sure that I do not have a virus. I run Malwarebytes, Avast Pro, Sandboxie, I do not allow autorun from USB stick.
I believe that what is happening is that Shadow Defender(sometimes more than others) is sort of running below Windows XP ability to maintain it's own settings and user settings and those kernel apps are at times losing the status and function to maintain their own settings. This is not noticable all the time.
I am not an expert but I think that Shadow Defender is running so deep that it is a balancing act to get it right. I've gone back to using version 1.4.0.519.
There was one very bad version of Shadow Defender a long time ago (When I was using Windows 2000) that would install but not have an engine and after that installation it didn't allow any other version of Shadow Defender to install either (except version 1.1.0.278 which was a very stable version back then)

One thing that might be or relevence to this problem is that I noticed that many of the versions of Shadow Defender including including 1.4.0.519 and maybe the next one always on installation were caught by avast as a virus ( I ignore this and regard as a false positive because this has happened from earlier versions and as I remember Tony said a long time ago that this happened because of the nature of the app).
The recent versions of Shadow Defender do not come up with any challenge from avast.



I am still a big fan of Shadow Defender and will always use it if it doesn't give me problems. I just wish that this particular sort of problem could be ironed out as the stability and predictablity of Shadow Defender is very important for users.

Patrick

 

Patrick, I assume you have discussed your overwritten settings with Tony? What was his take on it?

 

Cruise
I have e-mailed many times to Tony over the years but he has never really given me an answer as to why this happens or how to fix it or what his 'take' is on it. He just seems to ignore it if I put it in an email even if I am very explicit. I'm not saying that he ignores the entire email but he just (for some reason unknown to me) fails to address the problem and feedback. I get the feeling. that like others he may feel that it is just some idiosyncrisity of my system.
I know that my level of damage is rare and it was just that version a couple of versions ago in which it occurred but over the years a lot of the little niggles that members have had, seem to be about these sorts of things. They seem disparate but I think/suspect they are a mainly the same problem. You don't see Shadow Defender users all reporting a single problem, what you see is people reporting an odd glitch in their system or apps. Everyone else thinks, 'Well, mine is running great, It must be something unique to their system'
I think that this is something that is triggered by certain sets of circumstances and it might pop up as one thing for one person but manifest as something completely different for another. I've been nagging on about this for years but because others maybe don't have the same problem as me at the same time it never really seems to have been taken seriously that and develops any weight of consensus as an issue. I think that it is a fundamental unaddressed issue.

Patrick

 

Hi Patrick,
Have you explored this behavior with another system sandbox. eg: TTF