Virtual Drive only available in PAID VERSION?

When Did you REMOVE the virtual drive from the free version?
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I had the paid version. Decided to not renew and let it become an unpaid version.

Whenever I click on virtual disk - open -- I get the "purchase screen" BUT I still have virus protection - which I should not!

I deleted the paid version, and cleaned out the registry, downloaded the FREE version. Fought an RVSMON.SYS created Blue Screen Of Death error "D4" until I removed AVAST.

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Now I have the new unpaid version running and I am RIGHT BACK TO THE "EXPIRED PAID" version crap!
Real Time Protection - ENABLED!?!?!?
Up to date virus definitions?!?!?!?

Virtual Disk only with PAID version!?!? Since WHEN?

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I want access to the files on my virtual disk!

I have used Returnil for a really long time -- What have they done to this software?

(XP MSE up to date)

 

looks like it is included in free version. something might have gone wrong in the remove/install
http://www.returnilvirtualsystem.com/products

 

Hi CaptCos and welcome to the forums

The free version does not require purchase to use or create a Virtual Disk. As you can see from the attached screenshots, I was able to create and mount a VD without any issues.

Mike

 

I suspect there might be interference as you note a BSOD until you uninstalled Avast!. You may be one of the ones that are subject to the rare issue where installation order is important. To resolve, try the following:

1. Make sure your settings in RSS have the VD dismounted. I know you are reporting that you are unable to open the VD, but please check the Virtual Mode > Tools > Virtual Disk screen to ensure that the VD is in fact, dismounted.

2. Open the directory where the Virtual Disk file is located (see my screenshots from the previous post) and move the Virtual Disk file to a backup drive for temporary storage

3. Uninstall RSS and Avast! with full restarts for each to ensure all files are removed

4. Do a general system partition defragmentation

5. Reinstall RSS 2011 and then select a "Free" license during the installation and complete the install with restart of the computer

6. Go to your backup drive and then move the Virtual Disk file back to the exact same directory you backed it up from in #2

7. Restart your computer

8. When back in your account in Windows, open the RSS GUI and then go to the Virtual Disk screen (Virtual Mode > Tools > Virtual Disk tab)

9. Select the "mount" option to the right side (RSS should have automatically detected the VD file)

10. When the disk is mounted, verify its presence in your Windows XP "My Computer" screen and then attempt to open the disk to access the contents

Does this resolve the issue of Virtual Disk access? If yes, go ahead and reinstall Avast! and update it as required. Once this is completed with the usual restart to complete the Avast! install, monitor your system and both programs for proper function.

Mike

 

Still not working

Ok Removed AVAST rebooted
removed returnil rebooted
reinstalled choosing free version rebooted

My virtual drive has to be accessed by opening and it does not have the same directory name. I do this because returnil deletes the virtual drive on an installation rollback so I move it every time I am going to do something to returnil. NEVER had a problem before doing OPEN drive and they pointing to it.

Reboot

Attached File - opening screen which shows virus protection enabled

Attached File - results of trying to OPEN virtual disk

virus protection should not be running - correct?

So what is buried deep in the registry that is doing this?

 

Yes, you can install the VD to a different disk, but in this test to resolve the issue, please put it into the default directory and let me know the results.

That is unexpected so I suspect a damaged database file. The uninstall/reinstall should have cleared that.

If you are talking about the Virus Guard component, it makes no difference so can either be on or off at your preference.

If you mean that the VG should not be available in the free version, that is not correct as the full antimalware component IS available to all users regardless of whether they have a paid or free version. If it isn't, then there is another issue in your scenario to investigate.

Nothing. RSS doesn't make use of the registry for preferences, licensing enforcemnt, and/or antimalware updates and is why I suspect the database damage I mentioned earlier.

See your PM and reply with the information I request privately so I can investigate this further at the server level.

Mike

 

@CaptCos

Have you registered the free version? I don't know if RSS 2011 is designed this way or if it was just a fluke on my wife's computer but I had to register the free version before it would allow me to create a Virtual Drive.

 

FORGET THIS - SEE POSTS BELOW - What is the default directory for the virtual drive?

 

SOLVED? - It is working

Did I miss the part where I was told I "MUST REGISTER" this software to use it?

It looks like there is a programming problem. Where 2 parts of the program do not seem to be communicating.

Installed as FREE - not TRIAL version. But it cannot be used as free version - it is acting like a broken trial version. Wants to access Internet to update virus definitions so I denied all access to Internet through the firewall because the Returnil that I know, does not need Internet access. Every few minutes Returnil tries to update definintions but firewall blocked. I did the preferences-communication-update-NEVER and it still continued to try.

Now I find the registration screen shows TRIAL (which is recommended). - See attachment.

I ALLOW Internet access. The definition file is updated and I get a new version available message.

Allowing Internet connection DOES NOT solve the VD problem.

SO - I REGISTER using fake info and when the license comes back "New license has been assigned" I can now access the VD wherever it is -

PROBLEM SOLVED.

It sound to me like there is a programming problem. Where the TRIAL version is on by default UNTIL registered as otherwise.

Hope I gave you enough info to find the problem.

I DEFINITELY MISSED the part where the anti-virus program is now INCLUDED in the free version!!!!

 

New Post or Continue on this one?

I have Returnil blocked by the firewall.

I have the Real-Time protection DISABLED.

I have the Preferences-Communication-Updates = NEVER

Yet Returnil is still continuing to "update" as is evidenced per my attached file.

Part of the same problem?

I turned off Returnil by using task manager to remove the rvsgui and the rvsmon. Then I restarted Returnil and it is still trying to update the files.

(I started using Returnil in 05 or 06? so I have seen the changes. But something is broken here.)

 

This may happen if you had a trial version previously and then upgraded or (as in your scenario) a paid version where the license has expired. The installation ID would remain the same if you did not re-register the client and so the server would try to enforce the previous licensing, even if it were expired and thus tried to move you to a Trial version.

Once you re-registered with new information as the free version, the client registered that way so you should have no further issues with the licensing there.

What is being updated is the Cloud based policies and this is a known issue the team is working on to correct in a future build.

Mike

 

Old License verses new?

Sorry but I deleted ALL references to Returnil when I downloaded the new version and cleaned the registry. I block Internet access through the firewall so how did it get my old license? You said there is nothing in the registry so there should have been no "installation ID" from a previous install. The only installation ID should have been from my newly downloaded version or is it hidden somewhere else on the computer and fails to get removed.


As to the updating, I was wondering if it was this cloud thing. - I do not even use "The Cloud".

You know it is activating every few minutes? This bugs me because I do not even allow my antivirus software to communicate on its own.

 

This is because the client does not control the available feature sets given a specific license. This is all determined by the registration server after the client has successfully connected.

Yes, and as described above, the server is where the licensing is stored and why you need to have at least one connection to the Internet to properly register your copy of the software. Once registered, the connection to the server is no longer required until/unless you need to reassign your current license or register a new client.

See the reply above. Though the Installation ID is calculated and stored internally within RSS/RVS 2011, it has no meaning until the server is brought into play as it determines the validity of any licensing and then sends a command to the client saying you are "this" and you can activate the following features based on that type of client with the license itself then assigned to that Installation ID.

When you have a system that is unchanged as far as hardware and OS, the calculated Installation ID will be the same, even if you have completely uninstalled a previous copy of the software. The fact that the ID is the same means that the server will see it as the same client as well.

Please describe this in greater detail as the client only needs to register once; successfully. If it is unable to communicate, it should quite down and only attempt to connect at low priority to complete this process. Afterwards, there are two types of communications that occur:

1. Search for updates: There is a bug with the Cloud updates component where this simply happens even though you have deactivated the Virus Guard component as well as automatic updates. This update takes two forms: Black list (malware) and White list (known good files). If you deactivate the automatic updates for the Virus Guard, you will still get our own engine updates rather than both the Cloud and Frisk related portions of the VG.

2. Malware behavior and file sample data collection: This upload can include both good and bad files that are not yet known. This information is sent to the server and then analyzed to update the black and white lists related to our own antimalware engine as opposed to the Frisk related signatures which are updated through the general automatic signature database updates.

For number 2, check your upload queue to see if you have a large number of files and/or data being uploaded to the server for analysis as I describe above. If you do not want to participate in this, you can deactivate the malware data collection feature in Virus Guard > Settings > Data Collection Policy section.

Mike

 

I do not allow data collection at this time because the Returnil I know does not need to connect to the Internet. So no queues to upload. Turned off - in fact I have turned off everything that seemed to want to communicate outside of my machine.

In the Status - Overview tab, There is Protection Status Group, Product Status group and License status group.

Then about every 2 minutes (110sec, 134sec, 105sec) there is an "Update Status" group section that appears which shows the "Progress of Update" progress bar. This stays visible for between 20 and 30 seconds and then the "Update status" disappears for another 2 minutes.

The Idea that this "cloud updater" needs to run so often is just plain wrong.