Should i install something else?

If you are talking about data backup (data folders and data files), I use this freeware, which is quite popular at Wilders :
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp
It backups only the changes in my data partition, which is of course much faster than a full backup.
DriveImage XML (freeware)
http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm
If you are talking about system backup, you need Image Backup.
If you have system and data on one partition, you also need Image Backup, if you want to reduce the backup time, you have to use incremental backups.

 

Erik, I believe that this Second Copy is a different creature altogether than Karen's program.

Acadia

 

Hi,

thanks for explanation Erik, i think i need Image Backup only at once after a fresh instalation my Windows. I have two partition as you first C:\ - system, aplication, games
second D:\ - documents, music, photos.
So, at the end i think i don't need runing Image Backup software in scheduler mode to Imaging my C: partition. What is your opinion in this case?

At the same time i will have running Returnil (not still, sometimes).

 

Where do you store your emails and email-addressbook and bookmarks ?

 

I'm happy user of Gmail box. I don't have any email's on my disks, when i using Thunderbird i using IMAP protocol and not download emails. Bookmarks are saving each time when i'm starting Opera browser - i'm mean automatic synchronize with My Opera Account.

 

So emails are not on C or D, because they are on internet.
I don't know Opera. Account means bookmarks are on the internet, C or D ?

 

I don't have games, because I don't like games, so my C = Windows + Applications.
If I was a gamer, I would store them in a second or third snapshot, but Returnil doesn't have that possibility, I guess games are like applications and therefore belong to C.

The fact that C doesn't contain any data is an advantage.
If C didn't change, you only have to backup D.
If C did change, you have to backup C and D.

Personally, I only backup D every day and only the changes.
I don't backup C, even when it changed, because I don't want possibly infected images and my system hardly fails.
Instead of that I zero and restore-update-backup a clean image and that is my new actual C. I don't do this every day of course, once a week or 2 weeks or 3 weeks, maximum a month.
That is also my only chance to kill possibly quiet malicious low level changes on my harddisk and I have a clean updated image for an emergency restore at the same time.
If I had a normal system, instead of a frozen, I would certainly do my backup this way. I don't depend on security to keep my system malware-free, Wilders is full of security failures and the regular malware posts prove it.

In your case I would have minimum :
1. One clean image of an activated Windows only, which is a very usefull image.
2. One clean image of my system : Windows + Applications (+ games).

It doesn't matter which Image Backup you use as long it works without failures.
ISR-softwares, including Returnil are more vulnerable, because they are constantly online.
Anything what is constantly online can be attacked and any OS or software can be a target.
An actual system is constantly online, while a clean image is hardly online.
That's why I replace my actual system regularly with a clean image, instead of restoring an actual image, that re-infects my system.

 

Hi,

yes, my emails never stored on my HDD.
Opera save bookmarks and speeddial page on own servers.
More explains: http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog/my-opera-synchronization-explained

 

Hi,

to sum up this thread, now i have these security on my computer:

Red color - removed from previous configuration
Green - add to previous configuration

so let's start:


Antivirus:
• Avira AntiVir Premium 8 [running]
___
Anti-spyware:
• SuperAntiSpyware (free) [on-demand]
• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (free) [ on-demand]
• Spybot Search&Destroy (free) [on-demand]
___
Anti-malware:
• ThreatFire (free) [running]
___
Data execution prevention:
• DEP (on for all programs)
___
Firewall:
• Comodo Firewall Professional with Defense+ (free) [running]
• Router with NAT
• WinXP Default Firewall
___
Sandbox:
• Sandboxie (free)
___
Virtualization:
• ShadowDefender
___
WebBrowser:
• Opera 9.5 (free) + http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm




Thats all, what is your opinion about this configuration?




Regards,

 

I have a similar setup, but without the AV/AS-scanners and ThreatFire : too incomplete and too much work.
How do you test and uninstall reboot-softwares without a trace ?

 

I don't know if i understand, you mean Backup software?
Now i'm using 15days trial Paragon Drive Backup 9.
But i have only one image of my system partition which i do after format and install all application.
To test for example new software or games i'm using normally ShadowDefender, after restart my system is clean as before.

 

ShadowDefender will be useless, if you want to install a software in frozen mode that requires a reboot during the installation, because the software will be gone after reboot.

Image Backup is a solution, if you backup your actual system first, then test the software and then restore the image of your actual system, if you want to get rid of the tested software without a trace.

The golden rule : never do something new on your computer without having the possiblity of rolling back to a previous state. I've read too many posts with problems and losing time, because they couldn't rollback.

 

You need Imaging software, something like Acronis True Image.

http://www.acronis.com/

IMHO I would ditch TreatFire and Sandboxie. If your running ShadowDefender all the time they will redundant and not needed. (and a waste of resources and hard drive space).
And if something goes really wrong all you have to do is restore your last good clean image.

 

Does ShadowProtect Desktop offer always free automatic updates to the newer versions?