The unofficial Shadow Defender Support Thread.

Discussion in 'sandboxing & virtualization' started by Cutting_Edgetech, Feb 14, 2011.

  1. marzametal

    marzametal Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2014
    Posts:
    766
    Haven't seen any switches for install/uninstall... but I have for entering and exiting Shadow Mode.
     
  2. sdmod

    sdmod Shadow Defender Expert

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    Posts:
    1,159
    Adric, I've replied on The Official Shadow Defender Forum as follows
    .............

    I've had a reply from Tony, as follows.

    ................................................


    Re: member question
    supportATshadowdefenderDOTcom
    12:12 PM

    To: Patrick
    Hi Patrick,

    Yes, SD supports silent installation.
    Please run the setup.exe with argument '-silent', like this:
    SD1.4.0.579_Setup.exe -silent

    Best regards,
    Tony


    ...................................................

    On 2015/3/15 22:31, Patrick wrote:

    Hi Tony,

    A member has asked a question which I can't answer.
    ................................................
    click-click

    Newbie
    *
    Posts: 3

    Silent Install
    « on: Today at 06:51:17 AM »
    I rebuild my system quite often and have the system and app installs running pretty much unattended. Does the SD installer have any switches to allow for a silent install without user interaction?


    .....................................................





    .....................................................

    best wishes

    Patrick




    ...................................
     
  3. Adric

    Adric Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2006
    Posts:
    1,760
    Thanks, I saw that on the SD forum. Since I needed to untick a few options and select no to restarting after install, I ended up using an AHK macro to auto install it. No user
    interaction required. Quasi to a silent install.
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2015
  4. marzametal

    marzametal Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2014
    Posts:
    766
    I currently use version 1.4.0.519

    I was wondering how to gain access to burning a cd or a dvd whilst in Shadow Mode. I tried today but nothing detected. After I exited Shadow Mode, everything was fine. Sorry for not searching through the thread, I am about to do so now...

    EDIT: Never mind, issue solved by upgrading to the latest version... now I have to put up with the dodgy Windows Service entry (small price to pay).
     
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2015
  5. Robin A.

    Robin A. Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2006
    Posts:
    2,557
    This may be a configuration-related problem. In several years, I´ve never noticed it in any of the Shadow Defender versions I have used.
     
  6. marzametal

    marzametal Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2014
    Posts:
    766
    Aha, I will keep up the testing. For the sake of it, I upgraded to the latest version and I had DVD and CD access. I might try and downgrade as a double check. Thanks for the info Robin.

    EDIT: I just tried .519 and I managed to burn a CD and a DVD. Damn, some app must have had control over the optical drive when I tried last time. Sorry for the hassles...
     
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2015
  7. caspian

    caspian Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2007
    Posts:
    2,363
    Location:
    Oz
    I burn CDs all that time with SD enabled. I've never had an issue.
     
  8. marzametal

    marzametal Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2014
    Posts:
    766
    Never mind, for some reason it works now, even after going back to .519 ... phew!
     
  9. TerryWood

    TerryWood Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2006
    Posts:
    1,037
    Where can I obtain a download of Version 1.4.0.519?

    Thanks

    Terry
     
  10. sdmod

    sdmod Shadow Defender Expert

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    Posts:
    1,159
    Pmd you Terry
     
  11. caspian

    caspian Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2007
    Posts:
    2,363
    Location:
    Oz
    Wonderful, I'm so glad it worked out for you.
     
  12. bjm_

    bjm_ Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    Posts:
    4,453
    Location:
    .
    1) Q: File Exclusion List ~ Do I have to click Apply each time for the files in my File Exclusion List.

    2) Q: Commit Now ~ Do I have to click Apply each time for the files listed in Commit Now.

    What if I have the same file listed in both modules.
    What's best practice ~ Exclude or Commit file that I'll always want to keep ...eg: bookmarks
     
  13. bo elam

    bo elam Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2010
    Posts:
    6,144
    Location:
    Nicaragua
    Hi bjm. While in Shadow mode, changes to files and folders that you placed in the Exclusion list, bypass Shadow mode. This changes take place automatically as they are being done. The only time you click Apply is when you are adding or removing a file or folder from the list.

    The Commit list in the UI is for you to save more than one file at once. You can also save/commit files by right clicking the file you like to save and clicking Commit.

    If you have a file or folder in your exclusion list, you don't need to Commit changes to those files or folders. In my exclusion list, I added file places.sqlite for saving Firefox bookmarks out of Shadow mode, nothing else. And right click Commit for files that I download that I want to save out of Shadow mode or files that I made changes to while in Shadow mode and I want those changes to be there after rebooting.

    Bo
     
  14. bjm_

    bjm_ Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    Posts:
    4,453
    Location:
    .
    Thanks....guess, I'll clean up Commit Now UI as redundant. Cheers
     
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2015
  15. marzametal

    marzametal Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2014
    Posts:
    766
    Nice explanation dude... I saved it.
     
  16. sdmod

    sdmod Shadow Defender Expert

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    Posts:
    1,159
    Just to mention that whilst in Shadow Mode, if you have already committed a file and then remember that you have to add something to that file, (image file, text file or whatever) then when you have finished working on the file and it is complete and saved normally, you have to commit again to have that updated file saved when you leave Shadow Mode.
    If you don't remember to do that then you might be adding to an image or document and when you re-boot your updated work is gone. :(

    With downloads is Shadow Mode it's also easy to forget to commit. Make a mental note of anything that you have added in that session that you want to keep. I always individually virus check/scan any downloaded files that I am thinking of keeping with Malwarebytes and Avast before I 'commit to Shadow Defender'.

    Patrick
     
  17. pegr

    pegr Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2008
    Posts:
    2,280
    Location:
    UK
    No. Files and folders in the File Exclusion list are permanently excluded from virtualisation. Before redirecting a disk sector into the virtualization cache, a check is made to see if the file that the disk sector belongs to is in the File Exclusion List. If it is, the disk sector is written straight through to its real location within the file system on the disk, without redirection.

    Yes. Each time a file listed in Commit Now is changed, the change has to be applied in order to make it permanent. This doesn't have to be done immediately a change is made but must be done before rebooting or it will be discarded. Apply forces all associated disk sectors that have been redirected into the virtualization cache for the files listed to be written to their real location within the file system on the disk. All cumulative uncommitted changes to the files listed will be made permanent when Apply is clicked.

    It's pointless to do this, but it won't cause a problem. Commit Now only commits changed disk sectors that have been redirected into the virtualization cache for the files listed. If a file is also in the File Exclusion List, changes to the file will not have been redirected into the virtualization cache and will already have been made permanent.

    Neither. Best practice is to keep all personal data on a separate data volume that is usually kept in Normal Mode and not virtualized. Having a separate data volume also simplifies the process of using imaging software to backup and restore the system volume, and reduces the risk of data loss should the system volume become corrupted for any reason. If there is only one physical disk, it can be partitioned to create a system partition and a data partition.

    Another advantage of a separate data volume is that it can be put into Shadow Mode on a temporary basis to protect personal data from modification in situations where the risk of running into ransomware might be a consideration. Unlike the system volume, data volumes can usually enter and exit Shadow Mode without a reboot, making this something that is quick and easy to do.

    If not using a separate data volume then definitely use the File Exclusion List for personal data. The loss of valuable personal data by forgetting to manually commit changes is just not worth the risk. Even where there is a separate data volume, the File Exclusion List is still useful for situations where the application doesn't allow the user to relocate their personal data created using the application. This may be the case with bookmarks, although browsers should allow either the bookmarks folder or the entire browser profile folder to be relocated.

    Here are some general guidelines for using File Exclusion List and Commit Now.

    File Exclusion List

    File Exclusion List is best reserved for use with personal data files (if there is no separate data volume), but not application program data files. Changes to application program data files may be accompanied by changes to the registry. If only the file system changes are excluded, there is a risk the system could be left in an inconsistent state following a reboot.

    For that reason, with antivirus programs, it is simpler and safer to allow definition updates to be reapplied following a reboot rather than using the File Exclusion List to make exclusions. For users on slow dialup connections or who have a limited usage allowance, the situation may be different; but for users on fast broadband connections with unlimited usage allowance, this shouldn't be an issue.

    Commit Now

    Commit Now is best reserved for use with application program data files, but not personal data files (for reasons already mentioned). An example would be to list an application configuration settings file in Commit Now to enable program customisations to be tested and quickly applied, or undone by rebooting. This example assumes that the settings are all held in the file, independent of the registry.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2015
  18. innerpeace

    innerpeace Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2007
    Posts:
    2,121
    Location:
    Mountaineer Country
    Hi all! I recently had my SSD die so I reinstalled Windows 8.1 and I installed SD version 578. I skimmed through and read about the dual boot issue but that's not an issue for me. Are there other issues I should know about? Should anything be disabled in Windows for SD to work smoothly? Are you all still disabling hybrid boot? I only use SD on demand occasionally for short periods of time. I also only use the RAM as write cache.
     
  19. marzametal

    marzametal Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2014
    Posts:
    766
    Now, I like this idea... but... one question before I start smiling...
    When you say "separate data volume", do you mean a partition or an entirely separate hard disk drive?
     
  20. pegr

    pegr Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2008
    Posts:
    2,280
    Location:
    UK
    From a virtualization perspective, it doesn't matter whether it's multiple partitions on a single disk or single partitions on separate disks. Shadow Defender will display them all as separate volumes that can be virtualized independently.

    From a backup perspective, data should always be backed up to a separate hard disk. Backing up to another partition on the same disk would provide some resilience, but it wouldn't help in the event of a hard disk failure.

    In my case, I have only a single internal hard disk that is split into two usable partitions: System and Data. The system partition is in Shadow Mode most of the time and the data partition is in Normal Mode most of the time. Both partitions are regularly separately backed up to an external hard disk: Full image backups for the system partition and incremental file backups for the data partition.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2015
  21. bjm_

    bjm_ Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    Posts:
    4,453
    Location:
    .
    If you're not a tech writer...you missed your calling. :thumb:
    RE: separate data volume...definitely need to explore....any threads to guide me...
    My Exclusions List is for browser and personal data.
    My Commit Now will be as you advise. Program data files independent of the registry. Note: Never thought about it that way. Light bulb moment. ;)
    Personal data v Program data. Gotcha!

    As always. THANKS !!!
     
  22. pegr

    pegr Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2008
    Posts:
    2,280
    Location:
    UK
    Do a Google search for "separate data from system" and you will get links to websites that give clear and easy-to-understand guidance on how to separate your personal data from the OS and move it to a separate partition.

    The procedure to move browser data to another location will be browser dependent, but a Google search should provide links that tell you what to do for each of the main browsers. If you are using an email client (e.g. Outlook, Thunderbird, etc), there will also be a procedure to relocate your email client data.

    As always, make sure you backup all of your data before you start. If you are using imaging software, make a complete disk image of the system as it is now. You need to have a recovery plan, just in case something goes wrong.

    Finally, if you are not confident in doing this and you don't have the means to restore your system if something goes wrong then leave well alone! Whilst it's advisable to separate the data from the OS, it isn't essential. You've got a working system at the moment and you need to make sure it stays that way.

    Regards
    pegr
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2015
  23. marzametal

    marzametal Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2014
    Posts:
    766
    @pegr - If I may ask... what other security software are you using along side SD?
     
  24. bjm_

    bjm_ Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    Posts:
    4,453
    Location:
    .
    yeah, I gave up on client based email....I've got several web based emails...
    yeah, I've got DiskWizard for my Seagate
     
  25. pegr

    pegr Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2008
    Posts:
    2,280
    Location:
    UK
    Real-time: AppGuard and HitmanPro.Alert. On-demand: HitmanPro. Behind a router with Windows firewall enabled, no AV.
     
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.