New FD-ISR user - Can anyone help with these questions?

Hi guys,
Wilders taught me alot and is still teaching me alot. In the first year, I took more than I gave.
So it's high time for me to do something back and I know FDISR pretty good, so I don't mind to explain how FDISR works over and over again to new users and a brilliant software like FDISR deserves my time.

Before FDISR I lived in hell, now I live in paradise : a constantly clean system and working properly.

Each time, I have a small or big problem :
1. I don't need to know what the problem is.
2. I don't need to know what caused the problem.
3. I don't need to know how to fix the problem.
4. I don't need to bother other people to fix it.
I just reboot and an automatic rollback fixes the problem, while non-FDISR users have to bother other people or are wasting time to find out how to fix the problem. The disaster posts at Wilders are the living proof.
FDISR is not only a troubleshooter in deeds, but also saves you alot of time and time = money, so I got my $69 many times back.

 

This is normally impossible. ATI also restores .arx-files, just like any other files. So for the moment I assume, that you did something wrong with the .arx-file : an accidental deletion or something like that.

On the other hand storing .arx-files on the C-drive is NOT a good idea.
These .arx-files are supposed to save the C-drive and you never store .arx-files on the SAME drive.

There are only two good places to store .arx-files.
1. The best place = external harddisk.
2. The second best place = another partition than C on an internal harddisk.

I assume that you have only one harddisk with one partition [C:]. If that is true you better store all your .arx-files on your external harddisk.

I store all my .arx-files on my external harddisk, except the file "Freeze Storage.arx", which is stored on my second harddisk [D:].
The "Freeze Storage.arx" is used by FDISR to restore the frozen snapshot during reboot and I like to keep my external harddisk OFF-LINE as a protection against infections.


Regarding Image Backup software :
I used ATI for more than a year and it never failed, but I don't like the way ATI evolves.
The latest version (v10.0) of ATI is the beginning of real bloatware and it has unnecessary functions, like backup of emails and software settings and both functions aren't valid for all existing email-softwares in the world and which settings of which softwares have a backup is also questionable.

I had to pay $30 for the upgrade to v10.0 and I decided not to do this.
I saved $30 this way, added another $40 and I bought ShadowProtect Desktop v2.0, which is the fastest Image Backup software at this moment and also very reliable.

 

Hi all

I hope that everyone is having a nice day

I originally exported my snapshot to my external hard drive. At the same time I created an archive on my single partition C:\ drive.

I have now followed Eric's advice and removed the archive file from C:\. It makes sense to use the .arx archive elsewhere as my secondary snapshot and my other on the C:\ drive serves the same purpose...

Following Eric's advice re tools/options/archives/ specify alternative archive location/ F:\ etc, as he mentioned when I plugged in my external hard drive the archive showed...

I have a second hard drive and wanted an archive on both. What Stapp said sorted out the problem for me of how do do this. One of my external drives is F:\ while the other is G:\. By carrying out Eric's instructions for both, I am now able to update both archives. FD-ISR remembered both locations. I also renamed the two archives so both would show up differently.

Kenny I think that I may well use archives a lot more then I first anticipated.

From a newbies viewpoint this thread has helped me initially vastly more then the manual for the program which although well written, I found it a little too complicated for me to grasp the basic fundamentals.

I daresay anyone with even basic knowledge about computers, software etc, would have no problem with it. Reading the manual now after grasping the basics from this thread and in particular with Eric's help, it is definitely a lot clearer.

One small question - Erik mentioned earlier - "When you install a new software in your WORK snapshot and you don't like it and want to get rid of it, you do this :
1. boot in your ROLLBACK snapshot.
2. copy/update from ROLLBACK snapshot to WORK snapshot.
3. Reboot in your WORK snapshot.
After that your WORK snapshot = ROLLBACK snapshot and the new software is GONE in your WORK snapshot as if it was never installed."

If say my WORK snapshot was infected by a virus, trojan, malware etc, would booting in ROLLBACK copying/ updating from ROLLBACK to the WORK snapshot, mean that there would no longer be any virus in the WORK snapshot, as it would have been completely overwritten with the ROLLBACK data?


Had I not been given the help here that I have, I doubt that I would have purchased FD-ISR, as I would have found everything too difficult to comprehend. I would probably have removed it from my system long before the end of the trial period.

I hope that other newbies like me read this thread. I have found it to be incredibly useful. I am certain that they will also.

All the best...


Howard

 

Sorry for the late response, but I'm very busy lately.
If you copy/update from rollback snapshot to work snapshot and your work snapshot is infected, then the rollback snapshot will remove these infections.

FDISR is NOT a security software and it doesn't see the difference between good and bad objects, but the copy/update from rollback snapshot removes all changes, the good changes and the bad changes.
FDISR cleans your computer better than any AV-scanner, because AV-scanners can have missing signatures and false positives.
FDISR doesn't have these problems, because it removes CHANGES.

BUT and there is always a BUT.
The copy/update from WORK snapshot to ROLLBACK snapshot can infect your rollback snapshot, if your work snapshot is infected and each time you copy/update from an infected rollback snapshot to work snapshot, your work snapshot will be infected over and over again.
So in theory you have to run all your scanners, BEFORE you copy/update from work snapshot to rollback snapshot in order to keep your rollback snapshot clean.
So if you have a good security setup, the chance of infecting your rollback snapshot will be smaller or nihil.

P.S. :
My computer has no scanners at all. I don't recommend to do this, that's MY personal choice and I'm doing this for many months already.
A few days ago I ran the trial version of Kaspersky AntiVirus v6, because I wanted to know if I was infected or not and KAV didn't find anything.
I created a boot-to-restore solution with FDISR and that keeps my computer clean. Each time I reboot my computer is cleaned by my Freeze Storage.
I still have a few security softwares, but not based on blacklists.
It's an experiment, nothing more than that. I just don't like scanners.

 

My computers have no scanners at all either. I understand your caution in not recommending this to others but have to say that I am becoming more prepared to encourage others to do what you have done. For the record I believe that far too many run far too much security slowing down their machines and at the same time providing themselves with very little real protection.

A good hardware firewall, a protected e-mail provider, Firefox and FD-ISR Freeze or my Preference Returnil and all the anti-spyware, antivirus spybot, ad aware, HIPS............. can be removed.

Every so often I install something like bitdefender or superantispyware and never find a thing. A quick reboot and the installs are gone.

I don't know about everyone else but I bought my machines to run work programs and not to see how many security programs I could run at the same time.

FD-ISR, Acronis, DeepFreeze, Retrurnil et al are not be security programs - they are better than that.

 

Well our approach isn't really popular amongst users, everybody is still talking about AV/AS/AT/AK-scanners and even most FDISR/Returnil users have still scanners for real-time protection, removal of infections and scanning downloaded objects.

 

Must say that with FDR and Returnil, the need for scanners is getting less important for me. Am still looking at Anti-Exec and stuff but if FDR etc continue to do the job, I will avoid them.

 

It's funny, that we start using non-security softwares to protect our computers. After all FDISR, Acronis, DeepFreeze and Returnil are RECOVERY softwares, NOT security softwares.
Nevertheless they clean our computers much better than any group of scanners can promise, not only complete but also very fast and after EACH reboot.

I'm also considering Returnil instead of Freeze Storage, not for speed, but there seems to be something wrong with the defragmentation of the Freeze Storage and that makes my computer slower. I know it has been said more than once, but I didn't care about it and I also have more softwares than in the beginning, so the problem increased.

Although we get rid of all the malware after reboot and that is very good, I still have a problem with the possible EXECUTION of malware between two reboots, which is in theory possible and that's why I have Anti-Executable, which is by the way a very annoying software.

Anti-Executable is TOO GOOD and each time a software tries to update itself, you have to turn it OFF otherwise it screws up the updating of the software, that is my experience until now.
I had troubles with updatings of Firefox and Java when Anti-Executable was ON.
My Freeze Storage restored the corrupted updatings of course, so it was not a serious problem, just annoying.
You also can't download or install any new software when Anti-Executable is ON, which is also annoying in practice.
The required password to turn ON/OFF Anti-Executable is also a bit annoying.
Nevertheless I keep it, because it stops execution and recovery softwares don't do this at all. I just have to learn to turn it off at the right moment.

If you put the possible execution aside, the final results are fantastic. KAV didn't find anything and possible installed malwares don't have much time to execute themselves, because they are removed during each reboot.

 

Yes that's very true. I had to do the same thing. A HIGH security with ALL settings marked is impossible and creates errors during copy/update.
I mentioned this at Wilders, but I don't remember where.
I just checked my configuration : high security, but delete prevention isn't marked and since that delete prevention isn't marked, I don't have any errors anymore during copy/update.
For the rest it remains an uncomfortable software, but it is also a security software that protects and hides ITSELF very well. I've never seen this before.
If you hide the icon also, only a non-accessible folder is visible and that's it.

EDIT :
Peter, I also used AE's Exempted Folders and stored all .exe files of FDISR, I could find. That's probably the reason why I don't have to turn OFF AE, when I copy/update.
Turning OFF AE before copy/update is also good of course, maybe even safer.

 

I also found an easier way to turn off my internet connection physically (hardware).
My modem is attached to the wall, it has a switch ON/OFF-button, but that's not easy. I have to walk to far.
My router has no switch ON/OFF-button and I have to unplug it, that's not easy either.
So I bought a plugbox with a switch ON/OFF-button (red light = ON), placed it on my computer table and plugged only my router in it.
Now I only have to switch OFF the plugbox and I'm disconnected from the internet.

 

Many thanks again for the reply Erik. It is strange but most pleasing that FD-ISR is better at security protection in some ways then many specialised security applications!

I had thought about using freeze for one of my snapshots so that when browsing I could revert back to when I first booted. However there seems to be little point as I could just simply surf in secondary snapshot, then after surfing boot in primary and copy the original "pre surfing" primary to the secondary snapshot.


Howard

 

Yes you can do that also if your primary snapshot is still clean.
Boot in your secondary snapshot, surf on the net like hell.
Then boot in your primary snapshot and copy/update the primary snapshot to the secondary snapshot and your secondary snapshot is clean again.

But normally you use the primary snapshot for surfing and clean it with the secondary snapshot. It's better to use always the same procedure and that creates routine.
You can clean any snapshot with its archive also, if it is clean. You have to find your own way of using FDISR. Every user does that.
FDISR only offers functions and it's up to the user how to use these functions.

A frozen snapshot has an automatic copy/update and that is the same as a manual copy/update.
During the automatic invisible copy/update, which happens during the reboot behind the Welcome Screen of Windows, FDISR does a copy/update from Freeze Storage.arx to frozen snapshot and that cleans the frozen snapshot.
That's why the Welcome Screen of Windows displays longer when you boot in a frozen snapshot.

I'm going to ditch my frozen snapshot and replace it with Returnil, but not now, maybe in September.

 

Erik you made a very good point earlier re making sure that the snapshot I use to copy is definitely virus/spyware free, so as not to "infect" the other snapshot! I will certainly bear that in mind...

I also have a program which I currently use called "Shadow Surfer", which seems in some ways similar to Returnil, (although I am not sure, as I have never as yet tried using Returnil). After surfing in "shadow mode" if I disable "shadow mode" then reboot, all changes during that surfing session are gone.

I have read a number of articles in forums about Returnil. It seems to be a highly rated product and one that may well compliment First Defence...


Howard

 

We are all looking for a better protection and that's why some members are combining FDISR with other softwares that can be used as a replacement for a "frozen snapshot", like RollbackRx, Returnil, ShadowSurfer, ShadowUser, ProtectShadow, etc.

Personally I never tried these combinations, because a frozen snapshot does the same basic job : it keeps your system partition UNCHANGED, unless you want to change it.
That doesn't mean I'm against these combinations, but I have no experience with it and I can't evaluate these combinations without trying them for a longer period than just one day. All these other softwares have advantages and disadvantages and that also counts for a frozen snapshot.
So we are all looking for the BEST combinations and exchange our personal experiences with these combinations and that is very important, because we all learn faster that way.

I also have my OWN principles and they don't always match with other members and there is also a matter of time. I don't have the time to try all these combinations. I don't need to tell you, how fast time passes when you are working on your computer. Some members have more than one computer or better softwares for SAFE testing, so these members can do more than me in a shorter time period.

So if you start with combinations, I hope you can find someone else who uses the same combination to exchange experiences, because I can't help you there.
I'm planning to try Returnil as a replacement for my Freeze Storage in September.
I first had to replace Acronis True Image with ShadowProtect, because my Image Backup software has to be a long term solution, just like FDISR.

 

It won't be my intention to try out too many combinations...

Using First Defence as as my number 1 backup choice which i won't be changing, then using 1 image backup program purely for complete disk restore (in the case of windows failure) etc, + finally one virtual program where reboot removes all should definitely suffice...

I would say that using more then maybe 2 or 3 programs at the same time may even create problems, like compatability issues etc.

I definitely never plan to use more then one imaging program at any one time. The only question there for me will be whether to stck with ATI, when I install Vista, or switch to ShadowProtect when the time comes to make that decision.


Howard

 

Zoril

If it helps I have used FD-ISR with Acronis True Image - no problems
FD-ISR with Returnil and Acronis - no problems
FD-ISR with DeepFreeze 6 and Acronis - no problems.

I found that the freeze method on FD-ISR was just too slow on an old machine.
Fine on a core 2 duo but not so good on an old P4. DeepFreeze works well but
the procudure for imaging is more long winded.

So far the best combination for me has been FD-ISR + Returnil all backed up with Acronis. I must admit I'm curious about Shadow Protect but as Acronis has always been rock solid and fast I can't justify yet another program ( activation being the final killer for me)

As to Vista - I have 2 copies gathering dust - I will install when it is finished

 

Erik, I for one (and I am betting plenty of others) REALLY appreciate all of the testing that you have done, please, keep it up if you enjoy it, we definitely enjoy reading the results.

Acadia

 

Activation is becoming more of an issue. Windows requires activation. no problem normally but if I disconnect my internet connection via the icon bottom right and reboot WGA I think reports a problem and demands reactivation. Not a problem I can restore with a full image from Acronis. Office requires activation.
Paperport from Nuance requires activation and if you want to run the program on another machine you must be on line to deactivate. If when you remove the program the Nuance site is down you then need to contact customer support to get an activation back.

I like to keep things simple. There are enough ways for things to go wrong and running 5 desktops and 2 laptops with different configurations on each machine means that activation is a problem I would like to avoid. Given the choice between one good program (Acronis) and another good program (Shadowprotect) activation is sufficient, for me, to tilt the decision in favor of Acronis. If, of course, Acronis didn't work for me- as Paragon didn't - then I would use another program.

Hope to use FD-ISR in the next few weeks to start using Linux ( not sure which flavor) and to eventually move away from Windows then activation will
not be an issue at all.

 

I don't like activations at all, because I have to go on-line and that destroys my idea of having a guaranteed malware-free IMAGE.
Each software should have the possibility to be installed off-line, especially when the software has nothing to do with internet, like Image Backup software. The only reason why activations exist are the bad guys (piracy).

I wonder how you are going to combine FDISR and Linux. As far as I know FDISR is only compatible with three operating systems :
1. Win2000pro
2. WinXP (home and pro)
3. WinVISTA (I guess all versions).
I never read anything about Linux being compatible with FDISR.
AFAIK you need another partition to install Linux and some kind of multi-bootable system, to boot in Windows or Linux.

 

Blast !!!! Multi-boot wouldn't be a problem but I must admit I had just assumed that all I would need to do was make an empty snapshot and then install.
oh well stuck with Bill Gates a while longer.

 

Thanks for the nice words Acadia.

The reason why I'm going to test Returnil is a pure logical elimination.

1. RollbackRx has no decent and normal backup/restore solution and although other members don't have a problem with that, I do because it's against my principles.
2. PowerShadow has a communication problem (Chinese) and only users as support.
3. I heard from DeepFreeze-users that it doesn't seem to be compatible with FDISR. I'm not 100% sure about this, but it isn't very attractive for me to use this one as the first one.

So the only possible candidates are : Returnil, ShadowUser, ...
I choosed Returnil, because member "Coldmoon" knows everything about Returnil, while ShadowUser's support wasn't very talkative, at least not to me in the past. ShadowProtect has at least a better support and has also an active member "grnxnm" at Wilders and yes I know that both are created by StorageCraft.
Returnil is also free, so it won't hurt my wallet either, when I don't like it.

Testing Returnil for just one day or even a week, is not enough for me.
My experience with softwares in general is that they have often one or more hidden problems, that don't reveal themselves immediately.

One example : CDBurnerXP Pro.
I'm using this CD/DVD burner for months already without any problems, until I created/burned an ISO Image with it, which is an additional function of CDBurnerXP Pro. That function doesn't work properly and you can only detect this when you actually try the cloned CD/DVD, while all the rest seems to be normal, but it isn't.
I keep on using CDBurnerXP Pro, but not for ISO Images anymore.

Another example : FDISR's function Freeze/Unfreeze/Re-freeze.
There are differences between "Freeze" and "Re-freeze" and the results are not the same.

The function "Re-freeze" doesn't exist, because "Re-freeze" = "Freeze".
1. The real "Freeze" = creating a NEW Freeze Storage.
2. The "Re-freeze" = updating an EXISTING Freeze Storage.
In practice they are not the same, but it's hard to nail the differences.
That is also the reason, why I'm going to try Returnil.

These two examples show clearly hidden problems and it can take months before you discover them.
I'm not saying that Returnil has hidden problems, but it is in theory possible.
I'm not paranoid, but I know that these things happen and programmers, who have written all these softwares, are human, just like you and me and they do make MISTAKES. I also know that it can take a long time before a program shows these mistakes, especially when a situation doesn't occur very often.