Better for testing software: Returnil or Sandboxie

Just wanted opinions on which app is better for testing software, Returnil or Sandboxie.

1. Which works best and is most stable for testing software?
   
2. Which will protect you best if the software you are testing contains malware?

 

I 've used both, but i 'd say that for more "complicated" programs (that need extensive access to system files, registry), i 'd go with Returnil. With Sandboxie i 've had programs that couldn't install properly. Never with Returnil, because it is system-wide virtualization.

SandboxIE, as is shown by its own name, wasn't made with entire disk virtualization in mind, but rather as browser sandbox.

Both are rock stable though.

 

what if the softwares need a restart before testing?

 

It depends :
1.- drivers installed?: Returnil, Sandboxie would need some tweaking to allow this.
2.- Reboot needed?: Sandboxie

 

Returnil can't help with programs that need restarting.

I 've never tried that with Sandboxie. Usually reboot is needed from "complicated" programs that dig deep into windows and so i think Sandboxie wouldn't be able to handle them properly.

 

IMO the best option for testing software that doesn't require a reboot to install is Altiris SVS.It allows for various changes to be reset with one command,useful to try different configs.Also the 'package' can be exported and imported back as required.

 

Slightly offtopic perhaps but relevant: Windows SteadyState from Microsoft is free and will allow you to test programs that require a reboot.

 

I wouldn't use altiris (now known as symantec workstation virtualization) if i was testing something known to have malware as its not a security app and isn't really designed for that. However for testing genuine software its probably the best option imo. Installing software for testing is pretty simple and you can remove it without needing to reboot.

 

That's correct,it doesn't market itself as a security application so it's probably best not to run anything dubious with it.Where it's great is to run a beta version of software without needing to uninstall the current version.Also it's good for running applications that normally conflict with one another.