The Best Anti-Malware Protection There Is--Image Backup

The Best Anti-Malware Protection There Is--Image Backup - PC Mag Security Watch

 

Image Backup is used to backup the OS(mainly), but how about files/data store on other hard disks? Also making a image? Its time comsuming if the hdd is very large

Backup also needs to consider for the storage method

 

Image backup is a strong option to combating malware but I wouldn't say the best. Virtualization/sandboxing is also pretty much on the top rung of the ladder. With virtualization you don't have to worry about "losing work". Its perfect for the work place. It would stink if you just finished a presentation and had to revert back to 2 days earlier restore point. I would much rather recover the file from the virtual enviroment and move on.

 

Prevention is always better than cure,in terms of the smooth operation of a PC,but if the 'real' system has been infected nothing beats rolling back to a pre-infected image.

 

It needs to restore the MBR too, to be sure, and especially restore a disk image from an external support and using True Image or Ghost or...from cd. And if you have many partitions on the HD, to check them too.

 

It flabbergasts me to this day that people will slog away for hours or even days on end trying to remove, either by themselves or with someone's help, a major malware infestation from their rig when all they need is a recent reliable image that can be easily restored in mere minutes. Unfortunately they think about this when it's too late or, worse yet, their stubborness obscures their common sense when someone emphatically recommends it to them. Even if they succeed in removing the 35 trojans or rootlits or whatever crap, what irreperable damage has already been done by the malware that can't be fixed? It's apples to oranges - a major ordeal compared to a trivial inconveniance. BTW I wholeheartedly agree image backup/restore is the best cure for malware infections.

 

Yes Macrium is my weapon of choice.

Like Wat0114 says it's astonishing that even those who are aware of imaging products,choose not to bother using them.Even more so when there are great free options to choose from.

 

i heard about comodo time machine is it a image program for back up?

 

CTM and applications like it are for "rolling back" or returning the computer to a specific time via a system "snapshot".(ie: when the snapshot was taken).

Rollback is great for trying new software or other tasks without having to create a separate virtual machine. An effective rollback application allows for
jumping forward and back among the snapshots, selecting the one desired at will and allowing for rapid system changes at the users' discretion.
Snapshot creation typically takes only a few seconds.

An imaging application such as Acronis, Paragon, Macrium, etc. utilize what I term a "clean slate" approach; essentially starting over with a fresh install via the image.
Using this method, all subsequent system changes since the time of the image to be restored are lost unless those changes are also imaged or saved in some other way.
Creation of a new image can take anywhere from a few minutes to, perhaps, an hour or more depending on the size of the partition to be imaged.
The same is true for restoring an image.

I employ both methods but for different reasons and wish I had started years earlier than I actually did.

 

wtsinnc which methode is better?i will humble listen to your advise

 

jmonge;

There are many in these forums whose expertise regarding imaging and rollback software leaves my level of knowledge in the dust.

-Still, since you asked.
I like Comodo Time Machine.
It's free, and while I did have problems with it in the past, version 2.6.138262.166 has performed flawlessly.
According to those who have more experience with rollback applications, Leapfrog's First defense Instant System Recovery (FDISR) is said to be the best but it's not freeware. RollbackRX and Shadowdefender are two others that get a lot of praise.
There are others; the only way for you to know which is best for your needs is to try them.

Also experiment with Returnil; they offer a free version, and you might also want to take a look at GesWall.
Neither of these use snapshots for rollback but both are capable of protecting you from unwanted changes caused by malware.

For imaging, I prefer Paragon backup Professional, but it isn't free.
I prefer it because it allows for both the creation and restoration of an image without the need of being installed.
Macrium is another backup application that I like and use (and it's freeware) but as with the rollback programs, you need to try several and see which you prefer.
Acronis, and Norton Ghost are well known non-free applications, and freebies such as Easeus Backup and Restore, DriveImage XML, and Redo Backup are also worth a look.
-Obviously, there are many others.

I'm certain others will offer advice, probably more clearly and concisely than I.
The big things are to use something that is known to be reliable and that is easy for you to understand, even if it takes a little "hands-on" experience.

Good luck !

 

A good number of advanced users here use the 'rollback' type approach. I don't care for it really because if your snapshots become corrupted, problems ensue. Someone told me that you can copy the snapshot from one of those programs and archive it, then restore to that snapshot in the same way you could with imaging tools like Macrium. I don't remember who or which program, but if true (and I have no reason to believe it is not true) then a rollback tool like that offers good reliability.

I prefer to use imaging software such as Macrium because I can create and restore from anywhere: hdd, network share or optical/usb drive. I like having the macrium plugin working from bartpe/winpe. I like the methods I can use to get to the restore process. Even the syslinux restore cd Macrium makes works.

All of that is fine and everything, but there is a catch to it. You still have to account for your data. Going back to a clean image is one thing, but over-writing all our saved data is another.

I see it breaks down into two different approaches, generically. The first group is backing up everything. Thier images might be very large. The second group is only backing up the OS, not the data. I fall into the second group.

So, if you prefer to image everything, you do just that. You just need to be sure you move your data before you restore your image. It requires less prep work and you don't have to change how you do things.

If you prefer to be able to restore whenever you want (every week maybe) you need to develop a scheme where your data is never on the OS, unless you are fine with losing it. It is more troublesome, coming up with the solution that lets you create/restore images on demand. But, it also offers much more flexibility.

Myself, the c: drive is only a temp workspace where I do whatever I want. It is only 80gb SSD drive. I don't store anything of importance there. I can restore an image tonight if I so choose and for the most part, have no loss of production.

But, I also have to remember that some things are stored on the c: drive. I have to put them back if I want things the way they were. For example, maybe a game profile belongs in MyDocs. I have to put it back before I can play. It also means that I have to save that profile if I have changed it before I restore. Perhaps I have made a new level in a game and don't want to lose that progress. I personally have some scripts that do all of this for me, so it is painless. Others may not be able to or want to, so it might be more of a pain for them.

My only point is, that when using imaging, yes, it is a superb way to know you can go back to a clean state. But, you must put some thought into it before you do so, lest you have an "oopsy".

Sul.

 

exacto

 

thanks wtsinnc,thanks Sully good advises

 

i may try comodo time machine

 

You SHOULD!! It's AWESOME!

And i'm not being a fanboy it's my experience and opinion

 

thanks alot yes i may try it tonite now does it run good with comodo antivirus?

 

I 100% agree that routine Imaging of the Windows System Partition is the best anti-malware protection (I use Image for Windows, Image for DOS, Image for Linux).

I keep my Windows XP Pro partition "lean" (only Windows OS + installed programs + a few office and other relatively small files). This allows my monthly image to DVD(s) to be one or two single layer DVD's. I make a monthly Full Image and weekly Differential Images to other internal hard drive(s).

I really like the simplicity of doing Image Restores from DVD(s) since Terabyte's Imaging Softwares make the first DVD bootable. When you boot the first DVD you are given a choice of "Yes" or "No" which is really great for the average Windows PC user. If I do a Restore on my PC's, I always restore from an internal hard drive using either Image for DOS or Image for Linux since the Restore time is much faster than Restoring from DVD(s).

 

Or the third group, the one I belong to , who images their O/S and backups up all their important data, in both cases to two separate physical drives. Every single time I change or create some data I consider valuable, I back it up to the two separate locations, and sometimes even three (my USB drive) I've even got some sensitive stuff such as licenses encrypted using Truecrypt.

 

Haven't tested it with Comodo AV but with my setup it's word like a charm

 

it should be just fine

 

Can anyone recommend me a GOOD, light imaging software?

 

I personally use:

ShadowProtect Desktop for imaging, bad thing... it's kind of expensive.
Deep Freeze for system restore when trying new software and stuff. Rollback Rx is also awesome, I tested it and got not a single prob.

 

-Ghost v11(Windows/DOS)
-Driver Snapshot
-Image for Windows/DOS/Linux

 

BTW, what's that so-called feature in SpywareBlaster "System Snapshot"?