The unofficial Shadow Defender Support Thread.

I think it was about saving changes across system reboots and then discarding changes when exiting shadow mode. Like installing a program that requires a system reboot. SD does not know how. SU knew how to do it.

 

Well, I did say 'save all changes when rebooting out of shadow mode' didn't I? If Floyd 57 meant saving changes rebooting in shadow mode, obviously it can't be done. I used to have ShadowUser and very rarely I used the persistent reboot, although back in the day most programs needed a reboot when installed, nowadays it is not needed. As I mentioned, changes can be retained rebooting out of shadow mode, but I can't see why would anyone use this option...

 

I have never used this option.

 

I haven't either on Win 10, it is better to use Macrium in this case, incremental backup (1-2 minutes) then install whatever you are trialing, if you are happy you keep it, if you are not a quick restore will wipe everything out with no problems. Although I must admit I use SD to test programs most of the time, but even when I'm happy with the install, I always reboot in normal mode and re-install the program I was testing, as I already mentioned SD is primarily designed not to keep changes...

 

Yes Osaban, that's exactly how I use Shadow Defender.
I install and test every application first in Shadow Mode and if the application seems to be something that I like and is robust and 'clean', I will reboot and install it on my real system.
One of the main benefits of operating this way is that, sometimes software developers are blinkered, thinking only of their own software's installation and operation, and after installation you might find that their applications have been disruptive to your system leaving files all over the place and bringing with them chaos, in some way, acting like a virus, so in one simple re-boot from Shadow Mode you can expunge the 'parasite' or 'monster' and then breathe a sigh of relief.
Also sometimes we may try to install something that turns out to be a 'rogue' that looks good but is just plain nasty. Some softwares might like to make 'phone homes' or have intrusive requirements to run or have unexpected facets or impact on other existing apps or the functionality of your system
The result of all this is (being able to look and test first in Shadow Mode is that (I think) you end up with a much 'cleaner' real system.
In the old days before Shadow Defender and Sandboxie you could install a piece of software on your real system that mangled everything requiring quite a lot of 'digging' and research or sometimes in the worst case, a complete re-installation of your operating system would be required. If you had a lot invested in your evolved system the face would go white and the stomach turn over when the moment of dreadful realisation arrived.

Shadow Defender and Sandboxie are my 'friends' and have saved my neck many times over the years.

 

Exactly in the same way I do it too. For the testing of software Shadow Defender has become indispensable for me. The reasons are described very well in sdmod's above posting.

Indeed.

 

SD uses alternate data streams, I disabled that with spy shelter

 

Hi,

* My other question is how does Shadow Defender work with SpyShelter Firewall?
Any conflicts? Any thoughts?
* Also, how would you disabled with SpyShelter Firewall? To reboot and discard
the changes while its shadow mode?
Or reverse? Shadow Defender?

Kind regards,

 

@Moose World The only thing I saw is that spy shelter will warn about alternate data streams being created by shadow defender , which I disallowed
everything else I allowed and it works

typically you should allow alternate data streams from browser, as it is used to tag files as coming from the Internet which in turns make them suspicious and special security rules are applied

there are no conflicts

 

@Moose World, I've had no issues whatsoever using SD along with SS (Free) for well over a year. Early this year I added WVSX to the mix and all 3 are 'playing' well together.

 

@lucd
@pvsurfer

I truly appreciate the information with additional details.
Are you using Windows 10 64 bits OS with fastboot disable?

Kind regards,

 

yes if you don't it will restart as if it was normal but its still shadowed which is confusing, disable hibernation and encryption don't allocate additional Ram, leave zero

 

@Moose World,
SpyShelter and Shadow Defender form an excellent security combo. Together they comprise my entire system security and have been running for several years on our PCs without any conflict (imho nothing else really needed)!

Edit: ...and fwiw, I completely agree with @lucd's advice

 

@Wendi,

Thank you@Wendi for your insight with the details.
Are you using Windows 10 64 bits OS with fastboot disable?

Kind regards

 

We all have normal vision, it is completely unnecessary to abuse the font size and bold

 

Yes, absolutely.

 

@Wendi,

Thank you for letting me know.......
Appreciated...

 

Hello. I was wondering if someone would give me some tips about this problem.
The fact is that SD worked pretty well for me on Win7 x64. Apart from the system booting a bit slower in shadow mode, but I guess that is supposed to happen, everything worked fine.
When using Win10 x64 (LTSC 2019) and shadow mode is on, randomly, when my computer boots up, the system doesn't behave correctly. I've had cases in which I try to run Word but it launches repair installation, like if it has files missing. Also sometimes I am unable to open start menu, or items on start menu doesn't appear. A computer restart solves the problem. It only happens of course in shadow mode, and I have it set to be always activated.
BTW, I don't use Write Cache, and maybe the case is worse on computers with HDD and not that often on computers with SSD. But that's just a feeling.

 

You should be turning those off always, regardless of Win 10 and Shadow Defender.

 

I forgot to say, I do have FastBoot/Hibernation disabled, Windows Defender disabled, Windows Updates disabled (no need for updates while SD is on). I have configured Win10 as much as I could as equal as Win7 and that's why I'm using LTSC 2019

 

Which version of Shadow Defender are you using?
Have you tried a different version of Shadow Defender?
I've not come across a case where hard disk drives have more problems than solid state drives using Shadow Defender.
I have come across (experienced myself and other members have reported in the distant past) missing icons (very rarely)

Conflicts between Shadow Defender and other kernel type apps are rare these days but it sounds to me like kernel level apps 'locking horns' and not allowing normal boot or running process (Windows or other app) to function freely .

Problems in the past have been with apps like Zemana and third party System monitors, anti virus type tools that 'sheepdog' files or kernel apps that hold onto and dispute ownership of files which they think should be under their control at given times. I think I remember one being called 'System Safety Monitor'.

Early in Shadow Defender's development there were problems with certain apps losing their registrations and windows settings (sometimes Shadow Defender losing it's own icons), 'Nero burner' was one that lost it's registration settings and a few others. Even Sandboxie in the early development had conflicts but as far as I remember Tzuk (Sandboxie developer) and Tony (Shadow Defender developer) sorted that out.


I have not heard of problems like that for a long time.

I'm sorry that my descriptions are layman's descriptions but maybe will give you a rough idea where to look.

Patrick

 

LTSC 2019 + SD + Defender are running without problem. No need to disable WD.

if no wifi is used you can use the airplane mode
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...n-or-off-f2c2e0a1-706f-ff26-c4b2-4a37f9796df1

 

Hello

I have been using the Shadow.Defender.v1.4.0.648 version on Windows XP and 2 computers without any issues for several years.

On Windows 10 (32 bits LTSB2016), I too encountered startup problems which sometimes became longer and longer, or even forced me to reboot the PC, with SD version 648, 680, and last 726 ...
By reading the forum (and "sdmod") I decided to install the version Shadow.Defender.v1.4.0.519 which no longer seems to pose a problem on my W10 installation and remains stable.
Fast Startup is disabled

 

Thanks all for the replies.

Currently using version 1.5.0.726

I used previous version, although I don't remember the number.

Excluding files or folders needed for some apps solves that kind of problems for me. Example, Riot Vanguard, needed for the game Valorant, you need to exclude a file in Windows folder for Vanguard to work correctly after each restart with SD on.

Do you have SD permanently on for, lets say, weeks?

That looks promising. Where can I find an older version? As I can only see latest version for download in official webpage.