Shadow Defender alternative ?

As far as I remember there was huge debate about Phantom Armor when it first appeared because of questions over the legitimacy of the product. I don't know what conclusions were arrived at but there has been so much weirdness, conjecture and cloak and dagger stuff around Shadow Defender and other softwares.
I personally still like Shadow Defender 1.1.0.325 and nothing has come near to it yet in my opinion.

Patrick ex Shadow Defender mod

 

Don't use Phantom Armor...it's suspicious soft! I tried one year ago to install it once, but his job was very strange, and all attempt to uninstall was failed...PA always got up with the system regardless of what I turned off or deleted. Look at this threads
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=284217
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=284218&highlight=phantom armor

 

Thanks @sdmod and @ichito
Phantom Armor looks like suspicious. (having anonymous domain, similar names and webpage apparance(a copy of Shadow Defender Page), mailto link to shadowdefender etc...)

Unfortunately, there is no longer a Shadow Defender support forum on Shadow Defender's website. And new versions of this product looks no longer safe.
I ve found the direct download link of SD1.1.0.325 but it does not work.

Code:

www.shadowdefender.com/download/SD1.1.0.325_Setup.exe

when i try, i'm directed to SD1.1.0.331. So, is there a possible way to use SD1.1.0.325 version ?


I ve found an indirect one but not sure whether its secure. LİNK

MD5 : 101cdc867f7771faae6810483ef16439
Is it he last stable, secure version of shadow defender v1.1.0.325 ? Also here another setup (former one) MD5: 101cdc867f7771faae6810483ef16439 before 23.Feb.2010. But coudn't find the download link of this setup.

I had installed SD long time ago. And i don't remember clearly but, at these times, when i scanned the download link of SD on virustotal, there was only one suspicious Result (this maybe Sophos, not sure). But now; here Result: 3 /43.
How should it be interpreted ?

Thanks in advance.

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?f=DUDOX9LK
The last file

 

Thanks @mrpink.
I did some research on SD1.1.0.325_Setup files. I scanned the setup files on some online automated malware analysis services and found the one with MD5:4ed0f50233680ffc37fbe5cf8057c634 (to my personal opinion) seems more safe than the alternatives.

But i'm still unstable whether i ll use this one or not.

 

Using 331 for quiet a while now. Everything is just fine. It has even lesser false positives on virustotal.com than 325 version. But oh well that doesn't mean anything.

But I mean quit being paranoid ~ Snipped as per TOS ~. Version 331 works just well there is nothing strange about it...

 

Is this a legit software?

 

I have no idea. I have never heard of it.

WHOIS says that the website is registered to a company named "Domain ID Shield Service CO., Limited" which is located in Hong Kong.

http://www.whois.net/whois/systemrevert.com.com

 

Looks like their hiding behind this.......
http://www.onlinenic.com/idshield/

For what its worth, Virus Total, Jotti and URL Void all came up clean.

 

Thanks for the replies; I'll try System Revert, soon.

 

Looking for a shadow program in order to test programs that needs a reboot like Bitdefender and others.

I think Drive Vaccine, can do it, but not sure.

Thanks in advance !

 

There aren't any really doing what you are asking. Something like RollbackRx and VMPlayer are probably more suitable.

 

According to this survey (in German):
http://subsetlines.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/schnellesystemwiederherstellung.pdf

the following programs offer the possibility you are looking for:
- Baseline Shield (http://www.eazsolution.com/en/baselineshield.php )
- Drive Vaccine (as you assumed) (http://www.drivevaccine.com/ )
- HDGuard (http://www.hdguard.com/en.html )
- Acronis True Image (image program, with the feature: "Try and Decide") (http://www.acronis.eu/homecomputing/products/trueimage/#overview )

 

I could be wrong but none of the applications you have mentioned can restore a complete shadow session across reboots with the exception of "Try and Decide" from Acronis but it works as a feature of an imaging system. They can all virtualize the system like Shadow Defender but they cannot reboot with the same virtualized session.

 

Indeed, you may be right, Osaban. I referred to the following sentence in the above mentioned report:

"Virtualisierung über Neustarts hinweg möglich: Ja"
=
"Virtualization possible across reboots: Yes"

But indeed that may (only) mean: a new virtualization immediately after the reboot is possible, but not the continuation of the last virtualized session.

Thanks for your remark.

PS:
But on the other hand I am not so sure.
Because the author of the report ("subset") writes concerning "Shadow Defender":

"Virtualisierung über Neustarts hinweg möglich: Nein"
=
"Virtualization possible across reboots: No"

And "Shadow Defender" (which I use by myself) has the feature "new virtualization after reboot" (by using the option "Schedule"). So the "No" concerning "Shadow Defender" in the above report must have another meaning.

 

Virtual programs are easy to use but it is easy to get confused with the terminology. Those guys testing these applications don't often get to know what these applications do or don't, because of the limited time they have for testing and writing reviews.

There was only one virtualizer capable of doing what the OP is asking: ShadowUser Pro from Storagecraft which has been discontinued. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt because it is quite possible for any of these companies to come up with this feature any time. I'd be the first to buy it, and there would be a wide exposure on this forum.

 

I've tested but I don't know somehow something was going wrong.
For me Shadow Defender was the number one. if it goes like that I'll be obliged to use Deep Freeze.

 

From their respective website :

Baseline Shield

It's said that : "Baseline Shield offers great flexibility. You can set Baseline Shield to restore system on reboot, logoff , every hour, every day, 1st boot up of the day or every week."

Drive Vaccine

It's said : "Restore on an hourly, daily or weekly schedule"

I think with these progs it will be possible to test programs that needs a complete reboot.

 

You know, you and Peter123 could be right, and these programs might have added (Drive Vaccine I'm referring to) snapshot technology to the virtual system which would make it possible to 'test software needing a reboot'. Their explanations are not thoroughly convincing, and sometimes they outright mislead readers by telling inaccuracies about imaging programs.

My understanding is that Drive Vaccine can virtualize a system like many other programs + it can create a baseline snapshot of the system which can be updated later after your tests are over. A sort of hybrid program which works as a virtualizer and as an ISR (instant system restore). If that's the case, yes you can test programs with a reboot and if you like it you can update the baseline snapshot.

At this stage I can only hope you can try it, and report back your findings.

 

Thanks Osaban for your interesting comment !

I totally agree with your point of view, the big problem is that we're living in a business world, and Marketing is more present on advertisements than its corresponding specifications (sorry for my bad english).

I installed Rollback RX and I was wondering where the snapshots are saved.

Who knows their locations ?

 

I am positive that HGGUARD has a mode which allows installation of an app requiring a reboot.

Rollback Rx's snapshots are hidden in raw sectors of the C-drive/partition (marked as 'not used' by Windows). Each Rollback Rx snapshot is a bit-map of those Windows used-sectors containing all of the files on the protected volume (and registry settings) at the time the snapshot was taken. I believe you will find Rollback Rx to be indispensable.


Hope that helps!

Scott

 

Is there any FREE programs similar to Rollback, Returnil and Shadow Defender, where I can use W7 and install programs etc and not worry about messing up my whole system and can revert back if needed?

 

Returnil has a free version.......
http://www.returnilvirtualsystem.com/products

 

Ok thanks, but what if a program messes up my Windows 7, according to the free version it's unable to System Restore and Rollback, making the free version rather useless, right? So if I want to install a new program and it messes things up, I am stuck with it and cannot Restore or Rollback using the free version.

 

Yes, but (as mentioned before) Returnil won't work for programs requiring a reboot to complete the installation.


@Mozart,

There is CTM (similar to Rollback Rx in operation), but it has been reported to be buggy. So imho Virtual Box is the very best free solution for installing/testing programs (and operating systems) without any fear of messing up your system!

Scott