AppGuard 4.x 32/64 Bit - Releases

This is why I miss the 32 bit days. you used to be able to do this with Malware Defender it had superior file and folder rules where you could create file/folder access rules specifically for each individual app in any location. You could even deny apps from "Creating New Files" in certain locations. And from memory you could do the same with EQsecure. I am yet to find a windows 7 64bit program which can do this. Malware Defender was a real piece of art with a double edged sword.

Anyway Cutting_Edgetech Secure folders will do the trick for you, simply have your private folder hidden and have Anki Flash Card on the trusted list

 

Desktop is not a good place to run your browser from. You could I guess allow user space program launches guarded, but in browser's case, or in general too, I'd put that exe in system space when it is considered a safe program. And make that browser run guarded from there and also with Privacy flag ON.

 

Afaik the Enterprise version already had a feature called Trusted Enclaves, that was able to do this, and even block applications not running as Guarded from accessing certain folders.
Barb said at the time they were looking into adding it in to the home version. It would be great if this could still be done.

 

I agree, it would be great if this could be done. I did suggest it to Barb a couple of years ago: -

AppGuard 3.x 32/64 Bit

 

As it stands, if there are certain softs that will not work with AG then you have to make a choice... AG or the soft.

AG is best suited to someone who configures their system with AG-compatible softs and literally wants to lock-down their system = not changing it very often...

AG's functionality can be made a lot better by various means, but until AG has the willingness to do so it will not change.

 

I don't recommend running web applications from the user-space, but if you still want to run Iron from the user-space then you can do the following. Go the the user-space tab, and click Add. Then navigate to the Iron Chrome portable folder. Select the folder, and set the include flag to "No". AG should allow Iron to run, but will only offer very limited protection for Iron then. The best thing to do is run it from the Program Files Folder, and add Iron as a Guarded App.

 

I run my portable browsers (and other 'internet facing' apps e.g. portable Sumatra, etc.) from c:\portable apps\, then add those folders as guarded, and set a read/write exception (for app update purposes) and I do not have c:\portable apps\ under user space, include=no. @Cutting_Edgetech - is this a workable solution?

 

Yes, i'm still waiting on hash functionality to be added to AG. Hashing could be another option for whitelisting, and blacklisting. It would open the door up for many more possibilities. It would allow for more specific control over what is allowed to run versus using the PowerApp feature. It would probably be easier for many users to understand as well. One of the biggest advantages that comes to mind is the user could safely allow executables to run in the user-space; especially when they are not signed.

 

How are you setting the folder as guarded?

 

@hjlbx and I have been unable to get Quarri MyPOQ to work Post #3573 and #574, despite trying several AG configurations - but I am not 100% sure that AG is the problem; I have not tested this solution on a non-AG system

 

Under Guarded Apps tab, Add program>browse to portable app folder, set off/on/on unless it is a browser in which case on(privacy)/on/on.

 

If I remember correctly the way I made a folder guarded in the past was I set the user-space include flag to "Yes" for the folder in question, and then made the folder an exception read/write folder. I have not had to do this in a long time. To me it's way more complicated than running the app from Program Folders. Lets see what Pegr has to say about this. He has done this much more than I have.

 

Do you mean to say you are making the application Guarded, or the folder?

 

The folder e.g. Firefox Portable, but I guess I could have drilled down to firefoxportable.exe?
Edit: Retrying, it looks like I drilled down to the .exe in each case to add the guarded app.
But added the containg folder as read/write exception.

 

You have made the application Guarded then. You said you made the folder guarded in your original post so that was what was confusing me. I believe to make the folder Guarded the user-space include flag has to be set to "Yes". You have the include flag set to "No". Then you make the folder a read/write exception folder. Do you want to make the folder guarded also? I have not done this in a long time so maybe Pegr can weigh in on this as well. AG works best when applications are launched from Program Folders if that's an option.

 

Just a minor clarification: I don't have the portable app folder in user space at all, i.e. no include=no required. Maybe my configuration is more clunky than just putting portable apps under program folders, but in some cases these apps need to be in the root c: folder (e.g. GEGeek Toolkit portable apps) i.e. not in a Program Files directory. Seems like @pegr is the man, let's see if he has a view. I am a relative novice with AG and it isn't that intuitive.

 

The helper agent was executing from user space (programdata) but we tried various workarounds without success. I have uninstalled it now.

 

Oh boy! I have several apps that require such folder ProgramData or %AppData%\\Local\Temp to their updation stuff or any other function. The only thing I am able to do so far is to lower AppGuard shield to Install Mode. By no means I would recommend to do this anyways.

 

It is AG. If AG is removed then soft works fine.

I have a bunch of softs from Barb @ BRN. All suggested fixes from BRN have not worked. Uninstalling AG fixes the issue completely.

So, like I said, with certain softs - and it might be a rare case - one will have to choose between AG and the soft.

 

Yeah I know, sometimes legit unharmful software "violates" AG's policies and the thing gets broken.

 

@Peter2150

Yeah... we tried all possible exclusions... Power Apps, User Space, Exclusion Folders, etc. Bad Ju Ju with that soft. If I had to make a choice between the two I would choose AG.