Power Shadow

70 bucks versus free, yep that's a "special" in my books!

 

The same happened to ShadowSurfer. Nobody was interested in SS, until SS was freeware for a short period and suddenly everybody was discussing SS.
Quite a strange way to choose softwares. What a software can do for me is alot more important to me than the price.
I got my $70 already back, because it saved me alot of time and time = money.

 

Hmm. This topic is taken a different kind of spin and really starting to show some interest again, although i've about contributed all i could possibly think to add to it in addition to tooting it's horn.

Let's see now, PRICE (70) versus COST (Free) "BUT WAIT", these are two entirely different type of programs, or are they not?

Or are they really more similar then is being suggested to us all along or perhaps they do exhibit some similarities or maybe just enough to trump the cost factor?

I'll leave the rest up to the next member who wishes a comment on this Topic. You be the judge.

 

A frozen snapshot is just an additional feature of FDISR, I didn't buy FDISR for having a frozen snapshot.
I don't have to use that frozen snapshot in FDISR, it's just an option.
FDISR does alot more than that and that's why it costs $70.

PowerShadow is nothing but a frozen snapshot and it isn't even a good frozen snapshot, I already explained why.
And that's why you get it for free, because it does only ONE thing.

I don't buy software often, but this software was worth its money.
FDISR is a real troubleshooter, not in words but in deeds and that's why I bought it, because I can't fix problems and restoring an image is good for users with alot of freetime.

 

Another difference between PS and FDISR that perhaps has not been
discussed enough is ... a question of SPACE.
For tests I use a very very old PC, with a Hard Disk of only 8 GB (parted in two: 4GB for "system" & 4GB for data) ... so, how can I use FDISR if i just have more than 2GB occupied by windows + programs (and more than 3GB of data stored)?
PS, instead, is perfect for my situation.
(ok ok, my case is a limit one, and I would have to burn more often ).

Only another notation (not connected with PS vs FDISR) ... PS is compatible with NeoAva Guard


PS
Before that someone ask it to me ... on my "official" PC I uso both, PS & FDISR

 

1- Free
2- Only one reboot unlike SS, SU etc

 

One of several other vital features if i might say so.

Power Shadow does what it claims to do and very well plus stable as a rock according to the majority. Same applies to FD-ISR but of course we're comparing oranges to apples. Both have their individual means of performing what their designed to accomplish and do that with simplicity, with simplicity being specifically expressed.

Personally i don't see any origin of real argument against either aside from a cost factor, but then again you have to weigh the value of what you're paying for; and from the reports i read so far the benefits in all honesty do out weigh the cost factor almost immediately.

I been quite satisfied myself with the one-boot session dumped arrangement offered by PS, it's been invaluable to safely researching threats and confiscating them for submission to vendors for study.

In retrospect, FD-ISR goes infinitely farther and does so by design. As mentioned it has a FREEZE function to add to it's mix of additional safeguards that lie in the form of saved duplicates of your system to turn to in event of any malfunction no matter the cause. Courtesy pre-boot as i see it, and your choices to get right back going again are right in front of you to make.

Guess you might say today's discussions on this is not in any way divided interest in PS but rather strengthened confidence that there are very appealable & DEPENDABLE options for us end-users to rely on with some certainty. I'm sure the same wouldn't be taken as seriously a couple of years ago. Good read here today.

 

Easter,
How do you test a software in PowerShadow, that requires a reboot during installation ?

 

Erik, you know that you can't.You seem to be on a anti Powershadow mission here.

You whined about 600 posts for PS, well here's 16 pages of posts for FD.
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=84

 

I don't.

I disable PS (naturally) for software/programs install and monitor with SSM and another registry counter.

I test malwares often on another machine. They don't complete nor finish a full install in shadow-mode nor are allowed to attach to starting up at next boot. This approach is very effective in monitoring "rootkit" introduction at stage #1. This is my method for capturing droppers mostly and their commrades. LoL

Any full installation is done on a test PC without PS.

 

And how does a user with only one machine has to install such software ?
He doesn't want any infections on his computer. So he is going to use PowerShadow.

 

Good point to make but remember they can always turn to the basic XP default System Restore in event of some moderate failure/issue, that is if it hasn't been trashed/affected like i encountered a few times myself, hence my interest in FD-ISR.

Power Shadow is not for everyone and i don't remember anyone suggesting that it was, so a user has to balance whether PS can serve their expectations or not. Like any other software, you have to first look at your own inventory then decide if it's workable for your set up or not.

 

Simply put, PowerShadow is a time saver in keeping the box clean, when it comes to doing your daily, weekly, or on-demand scanning for viruses, trojans, malware, etc, etc...I know I won't be waiting around for 5-45 min. thoroughly scanning for something and then hoping to clean it, a simple reboot is all thats needed. For me that would be a total of 22 seconds thanks to Nlite. No it won't block privacy threats like keyloggers or screenshots, or other threats from happening while you actively online, but thats why it works great with other programs that are designed to stop such threats.

As for testing new software out, I do that on a real setup machine with a real OS, never in shadow mode so theres no discrepencies that virtual enviornments can create, unless I'm looking at compatability regarding PowerShadow running actively with other software.

 

Sorry man, but I can't agree with you anymore.

I like to install new softwares with the SAME method and you don't know in advance if a new software requires a reboot or not.
If it doesn't work with PS, I have to use another method.
I wouldn't trust Windows System Restore to remove all traces of a new software.

I still prefer FDISR : always the same method and a complete removal of the new software and I use the same method to keep my snapshot clean and malware-free

 

That's how I use it. It saves fooling around with antivirus, which I let scan once a week, if I remember. For forums like this and the others I visit, I don't worry about PS. When I surf to any websites (all presumably safe, if any really are any more), I use powershadow, and it stays enabled from then until I shut down, sometimes an hour, sometimes all day if I go start it in the morning.

Combine safe, common sense surfing with powershadow, I don't think you can go wrong right now. Even unsafe surfing seems to be safe with it. All it takes is a reboot to fix a problem.

As for downloading and trying or whatever, you can't with powershadow, and I'm of the opinion that isn't what it was designed for. I believe it was designed for classrooms, libraries, and maybe some business environments, where users will often surf without thinking about the consequences.

 

Well I use my frozen snapshot for everything, testing softwares in a real environment and remove them afterwards, to erase my history, to keep my registry clean. I always reboot in a clean computer no matter what I do.

 

No need for apology here Eric. That's what open discussion is all about. Comparisons lead to sharing reasons for your favorites, and pointing out matters of interest or issue which might otherwise pass unnoticed, so what works for some just might not be your piece of pie.

One thing is a given though, FD-ISR is one if not THE best instant recovery program fashioned to date IMHO, of that you'll get no argument from me. However Power Shadow does have it's purpose too and is just as efficient for those users who now depend on it as FD is to those like yourself who wouldn't be without it.

The "FREEZE" feature of FD-ISR for discussion sake was worth bringing to comparison though with PS, and i'm sure others will agree. That FD possesses that extra property, at least from my point of view, doesn't in any way discount Power Shadow's usefulness but raises some interest in FD-ISR's capabilty or wouldn't you agree.

Snapshots/Duplicates of your system that always can boot "clean", and fast, is of no argument. FD-ISR gives any user the instant backup recovery most desired IMO, but PS also has it's place, just not as fully-furnished as FD.

 

I remember reading somewhere FDISR broke up against some malware...was it killdisk? Anyways I'm still trying to break PowerShadow and have been unsuccessful.

 

Yes I read that story about killdisk too and it's a pity for me that I don't know how to infect my computer with killdisk, because I would like to see this.
As far as I remember, the snapshot with the killdisk wasn't protected by any security software.

But I have still ATI to recover from a killdisk-attack. So I'm armed.
Did you try the killdisk in PS ?

 

If anyone can give me a sample or tell me where I can aquire it I be more than happy to give it a try!

 

I'd like nothing more than to do that myself but it's one of 2 program's i shy away from for the time being for obvious reasons. I accidently turned loose once HardDrive Killer i got off a virus site (.bat) with a windows 98 laptop and it effectively deleted the drive in what seemed like milliseconds. I frantically rebooted in hopes of preserving something enough to recover from DOS mode but soon discovered via the ReadMe! that a reboot finishes the job and more efficiently i might add. That was when i knew very little on how to go about making an emergency repair, BTW the scanreg/fix worked but there was no registry backups to choose from anymore

When i have a chance to get another box to test it on i'll launch the blame thing with PS (unless someone else tests it first)

We all have some hidden fears and by golly thats one i was awarded that i shutter to repeat again.

 

As long such malware clean my harddisk, I don't care.
I zeroed my harddisks more than enough and ATI recovered them without problems.
I'm only afraid of hardware viruses.

 

You're all set Eric. Your use of ATI/FD-ISR combo pretty much seals that i think.

@yankinNcrankin I know i have it on disk someplace but just installed a new 200GB Maxtor with another drive in tow also. LoL

If and when i can dig it up again i'll PM you with that update. I'm curious myself as to how Power Shadow will stand up or not to it.

@Eric No malware devised that i'm aware of will go to that extreme but will certainly treat you to a new version of Windows XP, that is if it's able to return to the GUI again.

 

You have no idea how many tests I did in the first 3 months :
ATI alone first, then FDISR alone and then the combination ATI & FDISR.
But I couldn't break it, although ATI's forum is full of problems, but I never saw these problems. I must be a lucky ATI-user.

 

I endured issues with ATI myself and no matter what workaround or update i just could never get TI to settle in. It would backup and verify the backup just fine but restoring? well that's where issue after issue made for way too much lost time and effort and why i turned to PARAGON which did complete what was expected of it for me. Yes i would consider you one of the lucky ones indeed concerning ATI.

By the way, and to sway a little OT here for a moment, what other IMAGE program have you found that carries FD-ISR along for the ride without incident. Curiosity leads me to evaluate but i like to be entertained with some valid choices.

BTW, you make for some very interesting thought when posing your opinions but more so by the comparisons between programs like this.