Purpose of Rvsystem.img

Discussion in 'General Returnil discussions' started by cyberdiva, Jun 15, 2010.

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  1. cyberdiva

    cyberdiva Registered Member

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    I have a copy of Returnil, version 3.0.6517.4958. Today, when I was looking for excessively large files that I could delete, I came across the file Rvsystem.img in the directory C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Returnil on WinXP Pro SP3. The file was 1 GB in size. Why should there be so large a file with today's date when I haven't used Returnil in a while and have set up only a very small virtual storage area within Returnil? What would happen if I delete this Rvsystem.img file?

    Thanks in advance for your help.
     
  2. Cudni

    Cudni Global Moderator

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  3. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    Hi cyberdiva,
    Cudni is correct that the RVSYSTEM.img file is the Virtual Partition (RVS 2008 and older) or the Virtual Disk (RVS 2010). Please be sure you dismount it in the RVS GUI before deleting it (if that is what you are looking to do here).

    You should also mount it and check to see if there are any documents/data you might have saved in it and back that content up if applicable.

    Mike
     
  4. cyberdiva

    cyberdiva Registered Member

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    Thanks very much, Cudni and Coldmoon, for your prompt responses. I thought that the virtual disk that I set up was smaller than 1 GB, but when I went to look, I apparently did set it up that way, and I think I'll leave well enough alone.

    When I opened Returnil, I was told a new version was available and I should download it. I closed down all my security programs, downloaded the file, and tried to install it. I was very disappointed to find that Returnil is still as temperamental as ever when it comes to installation. Even though all my security programs were closed down, it still claimed that there was a broken installation, so it couldn't complete the installation process. I should reboot and try installing again. Frankly, I don't believe that there was a broken installation on my system. I've come to feel that that's just a lame coverup for "we're sorry, but our installation process is really pretty awful and often fails to work for no apparent reason. Please reboot and try again." :rolleyes: I did reboot and this time all was well. Returnil still claimed that I needed to update to 3.1.8774, but when I looked in About, I was told that I had 3.1.8774.5254.

    Anyway, I guess I'll keep the Virtual Disk as it is, now that I know that that's what Rvsystem.img is. I have almost nothing stored there, but I think I made it that large "just in case."

    Again, many thanks.
     
  5. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    That is strange that you would still be having issues with damage. All testing we have done in-house, with our beta testing teams, and the majority of our user/customer feedback do not show this particular issue. This means that there appears to be something unique about your system that is a direct cause or makes it easier to arrive at this state.

    Can you watch and see if anything leaps out at you while you are using the computer in daily use? Watch for alert/blocking messages from your other security apps and take a glance through your Windows Event Viewer (Administrative Tools > Event Viewer) from time to time to see if you are seeing application and/or system alert messages related to RVS or anything unusual.

    This simply should not be happening and we want to nail down the cause as quickly as possible.

    Thanks
    Mike
     
  6. cyberdiva

    cyberdiva Registered Member

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    Hi, Mike. I'm glad to hear that most people are no longer having these problems. I was frankly very surprised that I still was, since I was under the impression that Returnil had fixed whatever had been causing them in the past. As you say, it may be that there's something peculiar about my system (my desktop computer runs WinXP Pro SP3), but I'm not aware of anything. I run scans every day with Malwarebytes Anti-malware Pro, and they come up clean. And I recently ran a scan as well with my anti-virus program, not because I thought there was a problem but just because I like to do so from time to time. It too turned up no problems. And my computer has not been behaving strangely. So I'm mystified. If I have time, I might try to take a look at the Event Viewer, though when I've done so in the past I've rarely found it helpful. I don't know who its explanations are meant for, but certainly not for me.

    Anyway, thanks very much for your response. As far as I'm concerned, you're Returnil's biggest asset.
     
  7. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    Thank you for the kind words :)

    This could very well not be related to any malicious, spyware, or PUP content. Windows has a tendency to grow quirks the longer the period is between clean OS installs and as the number of upgrades, patches, installs/uninstalls of various programs increase over time.

    It appears to be less of a factor in the newer OSs like Vista and 7, but neither of them have been out as long as XP so the jury is still out on whether things are really getting better or not...

    Mike
     
  8. cyberdiva

    cyberdiva Registered Member

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    Today I enabled Returnil for the first time in a while, and I found to my surprise that the Y drive that I had created to store files that I wanted to save while in Returnil was no longer there. My file manager (Directory Opus9) showed the Z drive (which is the duplicate of the C drive when Returnil is enabled) but not the Y drive it usually showed. Was this caused by my upgrading to version 3.1.8774.5254-REL a few days ago? Does upgrading wipe out Virtual Disks? But then why was the Rvsystem.img file that I asked about at the start of this thread still shown on my system? Also, I clicked on something in Returnil and was shown a file list with three files--I'm pretty sure they were the three files I had moved to the Y drive quite a while ago. I'm not sure how I found them now, but if they're still in the Y drive, why isn't the Y drive recognized, and why does Returnil tell me I can create a Virtual Disk, implying that I haven't done so?

    Thanks in advance for more help. :oops:
     
  9. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    Are you using the 64 bit version of XP? Also, which list did you open to see them? Thirdly, did you end up moving the IMG file?
     
  10. cyberdiva

    cyberdiva Registered Member

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    Hi, Mike. You can probably ignore the business about the three files. I poked around just now after reading your message and found that what I had probably clicked on was Returnil's File Manager. That's where the three files were listed. I had also saved two or three files in the Virtual Disk (Y drive), and I guess I mistakenly assumed that that's what these were.

    But I don't know why the Virtual Disk is no longer here. It was there in the past, and I did nothing to get rid of it. But now Returnil tells me "Virtual Disk Not Created," and the Y drive does not show up in Directory Opus 9 (my Windows Explorer replacement file manager) as it used to.

    I am using the 32-bit version of WinXP, and I have not moved the IMG file. It's still where it was, in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Returnil\.
     
  11. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    Is the file name still RVSYSTEM.img?
     
  12. cyberdiva

    cyberdiva Registered Member

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    Yes, though it is not all in uppercase, the way your question put it. It's Rvsystem.img, and it's still 1GB in size.
     
  13. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    No problem as I use the caps on the name so it is easier to see the characters in the name, not because the form of the name is a problem.

    What is in your C:\ProgramData\Returnil folder? (Hidden so you need to show hidden F&F in Windows Explorer)

    Mike
     
  14. cyberdiva

    cyberdiva Registered Member

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    Mike, I think you're referring to the Windows 7 file structure. As far as I know, there's no Program Data folder in WinXP Pro, at least not on my computer. I already have the computer set to show hidden files and folders, and there's nothing by that name. I have a netbook that runs Windows 7, and there is a folder named Program Data there, but as far as I can tell, not in XP.
     
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