A question about virtualization programs (SandboxIe, Safespace, Returnil) etc

To be honest, I know about these but have never used them because I'm behind a router, have an AV and have never been infected. But that doesn't mean I'll never get infected, so I want to try them out.

How do you use these when I am actively downloading programs, videos from youtube etc, running flash apps, and the browser (Firefox) also needs access to the filesystem for various addons (Scrapbook, saving bookmarks) etc.

Is there an easy way to designate a set of folders which are not virtualized?

 

What I mean is I don't want the files I choose to download, or the ones Scrapbook needs to read/write, to go through the virtualized stage, and have to remember to recover them. But any automatic downloads by a bad website (which will go to my windows system folder) should be caught.

e.g. from reading about FD-ISR it seems to have this capability where your data folder can be shared across images. I want something like that.

 

Hi

Well I think you can use a policy sandbox (GesWall, DefenseWall).

 

I think what the OP wants is that downloads that go to the data folder don't be caught by the sandbox, but if something comes and goes to lets say, system32 folder, it should be stopped.

If that's the case, I would go with SBIE, and enable inmediate recovery. Downloads are just delayed by ONE CLICK. And if you see anything that goes to another folder, just don't recover it from the sandbox.

 

Hi

I would have thought with the OP's needs GesWall/DefenseWall will be easiest. Downloads are just delayed by ZERO CLICKS (I think).

 

What you want to do is easily accomplished with Sandboxie. Simply enable direct access for those files, such as the ones mentioned in above quote. Poof! Mission accomplished.

 

Thanks, I did not know about the file access settings in SandboxIE. I think that suits my needs, I'm off to try that out !!