Returnil Free users: Can you retain program updates, new installs?

Returnil Free users: Can you retain program updates, new installs?

AFAIK, only the paid version allows retaining of states?

 

AFAIK the option to Save all changes on exit from the virtual system when System Safe is enabled is available in the free version. What you lose with the free version is granularity: it's all or nothing. The ability to save specific files and folders using File Manager is only available in the paid version.

 

Is there parition granularity in the free version, ie, can I save changes to D: but discard changes to C:?

 

RVS 2008 and 2010 only virtualize the system (usually the C:\ drive) so anything you save to non-system disks and partitions will remain following a restart.

Multi-disk virtualization is available in RVS Lite 2011 Beta, but it will not have a freeware version.

Mike

 

Thanks Mike!

So, to "save" certain data (but not all) in a returnil session, the user can move the desired data to D: ?

 

Yes, this includes any non-system disk or partition including the Returnil Virtual Drive when mounted.

Mike

 

It's true that you can save data files this way, but your original question related to program updates and new installs.

As program installation usually involves a number of changes to the file system, including changes to the registry, the only practical way of making these kind of changes permanent while virtualised is to save the entire system state. The only problem with this approach is that all other changes that have occurred during the virtual session get saved as well.

A better strategy might be to have a separate maintenance slot where you apply program updates and new installs outside of the virtual system.

If you only want to test software that doesn't require a reboot, without a commitment to keeping it, then installing it using the RVS virtual system is ideal as all traces of the installation will be removed on reboot.