Power Shadow

I have PS mode to boot as default so as when the kids lob and go into their Myspace accounts when I'm not around it is shadow.

At least the eldest daughter of three enquired about the different startup procedure!

"Um, dad I think I done something wrong again" Eldest exclaims.

"Just let it boot and do what you like" I can reply now with Powershadow booting as default!

 

I just installed PS to give it a try. I'm very dissapointed in the GUI. It cannot be resized nor will it remember its position on the screen. The worst part is that it has been coded to only handle fonts at 96 DPI. I use 115 DPI which is somewhere between normal and large fonts. This results in font and GUI truncations. Too bad the developers did not spend a little more time testing the GUI. I knew it was to good to be true

Al

http://i13.tinypic.com/2e5rvrn.jpg

http://i18.tinypic.com/2dtsqhd.jpg

 

Thx

I installed it on my son's PC. He likes to try software a lot. I could block the phone home with SensiveGuard. He starts default in normal mode and starts PowerShadow before trying out software.

Again thanks for the sharing

 

Check my profile if anyone wants the english translation for version 2.82.

Edit: Nevermind, my signature is finally showing up.

 

Is it worth to install 2.8 ? What are the plus against 2.6?

 

I have several quick questions. Are you getting PowerShadow from here?:
http://www.powershadow.com/cn/product.htm or here?:
http://www.powershadow.com/en/index.htm
and is the second site I listed the legitimate English site? And also if you download the software from the English site does the authorization code still work? I am interested in this software but leary of the calling home bit.

 

Yes, that is the legitim english side, and the code works perfect. Just block the home phoning with your Firewall. In my case it never phoned till now

 

Hi, folks: PS's english version was released to English speaking population, mainly in USA in 2005, charging US$39.00. For an unknown reason, the company retreated from there and went back to sweet home--China, and introduced its Chinese version 2.82 in late 2006. Being a responsible citizen, he offered to his contrymen/women free of charge. The code is mainly for Chinese market only, however, since it has been listed on its own web site publicly,and w/ one member's assistance, now ,we, English reading members are able to enjoy it freely. My advice is: Enjoy it while you can. Perhaps the code may changed before you know it. It is a gray area, no body knows. Have a nice ride.

 

I certanly will enjoy it. In case the politic changes are there alternatives to PS?

 

2.82 changelog (2006-12-29)

- freeware license - online activation
- Volume NTFS compression support
- SATA performance enhancements
- official 2003 Server support
- multiple disk protection
- other feature and compatibility enhancements

 

I find nothing wrong with the GUI but don't deny others might. Most important matter for here is that it WORKS!! And on this end is Foolproof!

Offers a reasonably safe platform for testing malwares (even rootkits) as well as examining & comparing new software programs without the hardships of possible registry corruptions which personally i have suffered more from at the hands of bad software programs then even malware over the past.

Easily enter shadow (protected) mode without a reboot which is only required to 'exit' and thus dump the shadowed session and all it's settings completely.

This is a solid performer and hence am glad to see something different like this finally surface then with the few choices we've had to resort to which have caused frustration for some.

 

I'll agree that anybody who is interested, or might become interested in the future, ought to at least download it and the license and save it someplace, on CD or floppy (do people still use those?) for the future - just in case. Even if you don't install it right away, it's good to have. Believe me, I've been there with software that I didn't want right at the moment. When I finally Did want it, it was gone, or for some reason no longer readily available.

 

Ooops, deleted duplicate append.

 

The fact remains that the GUI doesn't display correctly using a larger DPI setting and needs work in that area. It works for most people because they use the default DPI font setting that windows offers. Testing a GUI at another DPI setting seems to be a big problem for developers because the majority never do it

I am not knocking the functionality of the program because it does what it is supposed to, quite well. Fortunately, I was able to make modifications to the GUI with RESHacker so that it now displays correctly for me without any truncations. As you said, it's a keeper and now part of my software arsenal.

Al (test at 120 DPI) Adric

 

I thought 2.8 had to be activated online. Do they send you a license key that can be used later?

Al

 

Please, can anyone post precise step by step instructions what to do once I have downloaded PS from the link Espresso provided? How to activate it?
I downloaded the file, did the reboot and after that I'm lost. Thank you

 

I don't use version 2.8, but understand it's activated online with a name and email address. I don't know if you have to use your name or any name. I'm assuming the email address has to be genuine. I'm also led to believe though that you can use the serial number that's in several posts scattered throughout this thread, but not sure.

SafetyFirst, I haven't done this, so take this info for what it's worth.

-Install v2.82 and reboot
-Extract the shadow english folder from the archive.
-Open it and select all files and folders.
-Right click and choose Cut
-Open c:\windows\system32\shadow and paste all the files.

 

But there is no shadow folder in system32...

 

Did you unzip the powershadow-english.282.zip file and run powershadow_ch_2.8.2.exe ?

Al

 

I unzipped it. I've got powershadow-english folder on my desktop with shadow english folder in it, powershadow_ch_2.8.2 and readme text file. When I double-click powershadow_ch_2.8.2 I get the chinese GUI I don't understand. I exit from it (reboot). When I go to Windows Explorer>My Computer>Local Disc C:>WINDOWS>system32 I can find only smss.exe but not the shadow folder where I'm supposed to copy English files!?

 

I installed 2.82 just to see, and when you start the install, like you said, you get a Chinese language thing. In the right hand lower corner, click on the install. It's in Chinese, but the setup is the same as for 2.6, if that helps. From there, anything that pops up will be Chinese but have an (o) or a (c) in English next to the Chinese. Always click (o) on the left and it'll run through without any problem.

After it loads, then follow the directions in the readme.txt. Open the English, select all, cut, go to shadow folder which will be in sys32, and paste. Just say yes to all when it appears a couple of times.

Then, you will discover that this version of PowerShadow doesn't give you a desktop icon. I had to copy and paste the whole folder to the desktop, open it and click on the shadowsetting.exe to run. It's not what I'd prefer, but it works. I can live with it.

I tried copying just the shadowsetting.exe to desktop but it won't hook with the folder and I only get part of the gui.

After you get it, hit register and type in a name and email address. I used my first name only and my hotmail address, which I use only for junk and seldom check. Or, if you don't want to jump through all the hoops, and I wouldn't blame you a bit - it's why I resisted downloading 2.82, just download the 2.6 version which is in English, and use the serial number available in this thread in a couple of places. I don't see much difference between the two so far.

 

In the right hand lower corner there is a screen icon and two Chinese ideograms. Which one is the install?

 

Good going, glad that solved the gUI issue for you. I'd completely forgotten about the flexibility of ResHacker, when i have had to go thru something similar before with apps that were difficult to read for me, i sometimes just increased the font size to do that, compiled and copied back over the file.

It does make a difference.

As to Power Shadow 2.82, why bother with jumping thru the hoops when 2.6 performs just fine. There's but only one reason i would change versions now, and that's if you also could exit shadow-mode without a reboot.

As it is 2.6 is just fine on this end and i read where there is no real benefit to the 2.82 but if someone finds any by all means please post it and share your joy.

 

Easter, I've only had it for a half an hour or so and been running it. The ONLY difference I see is that the 'Single Shadow Mode' warnings at the 4 corners of the desktop are white instead of the red (on my computer). Everything else is the same, even the tips. I loaded it to try and help out SafetyFirst.

Considering that it doesn't load a desktop shortcut and, unless there's a trick I don't know, you have to copy and paste the whole folder to the desktop, open it and select the shadowsettings.exe, I don't see the big advantage.

As to installing, SafetyFirst, when the install screen came up I just clicked on the left hand Chinese lettering and it started.

 

Thanks Chuck57 for that note of interest.

I figured as much or else more surely would have been posted regarding those additonal benefits about it before now. Sounds like it's really unnecessary to change to that version since like you mentioned earlier 2.6 (English Ver. ) does pretty much everything well as to be expected including the install.

We'll just have to be content with it's current make-up right now untill they complete fashioning a new magic in exiting Power Mode w/o reboot.

I really don't mind the rebooting out of shadow-mode with Power Shadow because for heaven's sakes it let's go of shadow mode when you do that or even when manually pressing the reset button to boot.

That's satisfaction i just couldn't get in any way from ShadowSurfer even with all it's so-called technical resources they could turn to.

The Chinee have done the sandbox world a great favor in devising this PS and taken it up a full notch, now let's see what the competitors will do to catch up with them if at all. LoL