ADinf32 3.03 released

[Peter2150]

Originally Posted by FanJ

BTW:
Are those apps you mentioned able to inform you about changes on every file?

No, but I don't really care. Sandboxie, sandboxes anything that comes down the pipe from the internet and when the internet app is closed the sandbox is emptied. The others alert me to anything trying to run I don't know about, so knowledge of each and every change in close to 300000 files just isn't a worry for me.

[FanJ]

Originally Posted by Peter2150

No, but I don't really care. Sandboxie, sandboxes anything that comes down the pipe from the internet and when the internet app is closed the sandbox is emptied. The others alert me to anything trying to run I don't know about, so knowledge of each and every change in close to 300000 files just isn't a worry for me.

Peter2150,
You are fully entitled to your opinion; no doubt about that.

Anyway, don't expect me to post further on this topic

[Peter2150]

Originally Posted by FanJ

Peter2150,
You are fully entitled to your opinion; no doubt about that.

Anyway, don't expect me to post further on this topic

I didn't mean it to sound quite that harsh, but watching for changed files, means something has already happened, if there is a change. With Sandboxie, the problem is caught before it gets to that stage, and is easily removed.

[MerleOne]

There are situations, for example a BSOD, where you NTFS filesystem appears to be fine whereas some files have mysteriously been transformed to zero-length files. I think ADInf 32 can catch that. So it's not only for detecting unwanted changes in normal use, where you can rely on sandboxie.

[Peter2150]

Originally Posted by MerleOne

There are situations, for example a BSOD, where you NTFS filesystem appears to be fine whereas some files have mysteriously been transformed to zero-length files. I think ADInf 32 can catch that. So it's not only for detecting unwanted changes in normal use, where you can rely on sandboxie.

Yes, but at what length of time. I beta test quite a bit of kernel level software, so BSOD's are not a stranger to me. Generally if a file is damaged it's a system file, which may render the OS unbootable. That's when FDISR comes into play, I just use it and it sets the system back right.

For the random occasional BSOD, I've never seen file damage. Confirmed by an occasional run of chkdsk.

Don't get me wrong, I used to use software similiar to this a long time a go. Just today in many cases I think it's time is past.

[raakii]

It is not of use for me in case bsod, since settings all the files in the windows back takes just around 2 minutes using a quick imaging software,though this software , can be used for purposes other than recovery(like finding changed files for making soft portable).

[bellgamin]

Originally Posted by FanJ

Peter2150,
You are fully entitled to your opinion; no doubt about that.

Anyway, don't expect me to post further on this topic

Agree. He is getting somewhat negative & contrarian in many of his recent posts. I usually avoid those threads.

[FanJ]

Originally Posted by Peter2150

I didn't mean it to sound quite that harsh,

That wasn't my intention neither, Pete.
Let's agree to disagree, OK?
You don't see a purpose for such a program and I do see a purpose. Well, that's OK, isn't it?

[FanJ]

Warning for those of you who might have already downloaded the 3.03 upgrade:

The README! text file (in ad32_303.zip) has been changed to give better instructions!

So in case you did download ad32_303.zip already, download it again and read that file!

[Peter2150]

Originally Posted by FanJ

That wasn't my intention neither, Pete.
Let's agree to disagree, OK?
You don't see a purpose for such a program and I do see a purpose. Well, that's OK, isn't it?

Totally, and who knows, at some point, I may change my mind. That has happened.

Pete

[FanJ]

I found something and had contact with Dmitry Mostovoy about it.

More soon...

[FanJ]

OK,

1.
Files in ad32_303.zip had still version-number 3.02 (or if you like, 3.2); that is now corrected into 3.03 (or, if you like, 3.3).
So now ADinf32 should show you now the new version number.
I could post a screenshot showing the differences compared to the download from recently (using Karen's DirPrinter and BeyondCompare). Let me know if you want me to do that.

2.
About that change in the README! file in ad32_303.zip :
I cannot point you enough to the importance of that new guideline !!! Read it, please!

[bellgamin]

It is true that AdInf only detects potential problems AFTER the fact. AFAIK, that same statement is true for any and all Integrity Checkers (IC).

Even so, an IC plus back-up tapes are MAJOR *last-chance* bulwarks for any Network Admin who wants to keep his job if the fit hits the shan.

An IC can spot stealthy stuff that gets past all other defenses. Having spotted a rift, the back-up tapes can save the day.

Of course, "professional ICs" for (say) Windows do NOT run under Windows, but under some other OS -- so that they cannot be deceived by some of the latest stealth techniques that may have taken over the Windows file system. That is, those ICs examine Windows files but use another (non-Windows) OS to do so.

On the other hand, "home-user ICs" (such as AdInf and TinyWatcher) DO run under the Windows OS. Therefore, there is a small possibility that certain stealth techniques can fool them.

Like ALL ICs, AdInf can be configured as to what it does & does not monitor. An IC that monitors ALL files would be more trouble than it's worth because the normal daily usage of a computer inevitably results in myriads of benign but essential file changes.

The particular IC that I use does a scan on my first boot-up each day. It is configured to only scan my KEY files (nothing like 300000 of them!) where any unexpected changes are potentially significant. This scan only takes a few seconds.

My other security includes SBIE, Prevx, & Avira. Even so, my IC does spot *surprises* once in a while. So far those surprises have always been benign stuff that I had (indirectly) allowed & should have expected. It's sorta like my smoke alarms -- I've never had a fire yet, but I still make sure to keep the alarm system armed & working.

In my opinion, an on-demand IC -- used together with a systematic back-up routine -- can provide a significant extra layer of protection. . . . .
+ "Useful protection" for home users
+ "Essential protection" for major networks.

[FanJ]

Finally I had the time to upgrade my ADinf32 Pro 3.02 to 3.03 on my XP Home SP3.
And I did run a scan with it: no problems here

I didn't want to take any chances (it is too important for me), and I did buy a new licence.

Now about that important guideline for upgrading in the file README! in ad32_303.zip :
I'm glad that it was recently changed because the original guideline was wrong.
However I did it in another way.
It says:

3. Copy all files from the temporary folder to
C:\Program Files\ADinf folder overwriting existing files.
4. In C:\Program Files\ADinf folder find file with extention .exe and strange arbitrary
generated name (something like ashjexne.exe). It is ADinf32 executable file that has
arbitrary name for protection from virus attacks.
5. Rename file adinf32.exe to name that was found in step 4.

The way I did it:
I downloaded ad32_303.zip
I unzipped it to a (temporarily, if you wish) location.
In that location I renamed the file adinf32.exe to the name of the file in my adinf folder with that "strange" name.
And then I copied the files of that 'temporarily' folder to my adinf folder.
(And then I copied my new licence file to that folder).

So:
In your adinf folder there should be NO adinf32.exe file.
THE adinf executable file in your adinf folder is the one with that strange name!

I hope this might help a little bit.

[MerleOne]

Actually it also works fine if you just rename the links created with the 3.02 version (desktop and start menu ones) to point to adinf32.exe. The only thing you risk is to have adinf32 disabled by a few viruses, but I have an AV for this.

[FanJ]

For your info:

The 3.03 upgrade is now not only for Russian and English but also for German language.

The site gives now, under ADinf32 Specifications, the supported Windows versions:
Windows 95
Windows 98
Windows ME
Windows NT
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows 2003

(I guess that the 64-bit versions are not supported ...)