Sandboxie and Returnil

Download the trial version of Anti-Executable and try to install it while Returnil is ON. It's a good exercise.

 

Installed AE and on reboot it was not there. Amazing Erik.

 

OK, so I got curious and downloaded Returnil and rebooted. Didnt have a clue how to set up the freeware version,so I deleted it.

I'ma guessing I'm not a big enough computer geek to understand

 

There is a help button bottom left in the main gui or you could have a gander at Returnil FAQ's.

If you give this fine app a bit of time to learn the ins and outs I am sure you will appreciate it's capabilities.

 

I knew this in advance without even trying it myself. It was too logical, that this would happen.
I hope you know what happened and why it wasn't there.

 

Actually, no. Please fill me in.

 

This is how it works normally, when softwares don't require a reboot.
1. Returnil = ON
2. You install a new software and you can use it immediately.
3. You play with it, you don't like it, you want to get rid of it without using Add/Remove.
4. You reboot.
5. Software is completely gone. Returnil did its job very well and you were able to see the software without problems.
Happy End. Happy user.

AE is a software, that requires a reboot to finish its installation.
1. Returnil = ON
2. You install AE, but at the end AE reboots itself automatically without asking the user, because the reboot is absolutely necessary to finish the installation.
3. AE reboots, not you.
4. AE is completely gone, because Returnil does its job as always.
5. Bad End. Unhappy user.

AE is not the only software that requires reboot during installation.
Most firewalls and scanners and other softwares also require a manual reboot to finish the installation.
So all these software can't be tried or tested when Returnil = ON.
The main problem is that you don't know IN ADVANCE that a NEW software will ask for reboot or not.

If these software cause a disaster during reboot, Returnil (OFF) won't be able to save you, which means Image Restore.

So Returnil isn't always moonshine and roses.

The question is : How are you going to test reboot-softwares SAFELY and get rid of it without a trace ?

 

I agree one hell of a product

 

Boost, if you PM me I will be glad to walk you thorigh the steps of setting it up and understanding it. It really is fairly simple.

 

Shadow Protect

 

Cleans even all partitions

Be careful with Returnil to keep the devil inside your System Partition.

Cheers

 

Returnil works flawlessly.

 

That is one of the possible solutions and in case of Returnil there is no other way, unless you prefer another solution than IB.
To me IB is too slow, so I use ISR to install, test and uninstall new softwares with or without reboot.

 

And that's where Sandboxie excels!

 

LOL. That is one way to put it and you are right.

 

Hi Erik,
In 2.01 you will be able to selectively protect files, folders, alternate partitions, and even entire alternate drives as required without the overhead of carrying a cache in every protected (drive/partition).

We should be releasing it for public testing and comment next week and we are looking forward to your feedback...

Mike

 

Coldmoon,

It's good to hear that the file, folder, partition/drive protection is becoming a reality. Does the protection virtualize the other locations or just block access to them? Also, is this feature or parts of it going to be included in the personal version?

 

SandboxIE is da' bomb! An amazing creation if i might say so as well as Returnil RVS

I know i share in the appreciation of the lengths that tzuk took to add !<restricted> commands and such because i been thoroughly bomblasting it today with fun success.

Returnil is just as equally an exceptional RVS program that puts a whole new spin on prevention too.

Together they make a fine team combo.

EASTER

 

The problem is I'm not an active Returnil-user, I'm a FDISR-user. My entire recovery solution is based on FDISR and ShadowProtect.
FDISR is indeed terminated, but I still can use it for 5, maybe 10 years if I'm lucky with winVISTA.

Of course I'm interested in Returnil, because one day I won't be able to use FDISR anymore and then I have to replace it with something else, but alot can happen in 5-10 years. That's why I keep an eye on the development of Returnil and similar softwares, but without actually using them in practice.
How will Returnil look within 5-10 years ? I can't predict the future.

The experiment with AE was only an example to warn Returnil-users, that reboot-softwares are a problem in Returnil.
I don't have to prove it, member "Trjam" already proved it and he IS an active Returnil-user.

I can only give feedback, if I would be an active Returnil-user day in, day out, which I'm not.
You can't do everything theoretically, sometimes you have to torture software to discover flaws in design or bugs.
I can't change my entire recovery/security solution without running risks and I have only ONE computer.

I assume that all active Returnil-users at Wilders will be as critical as me and improve Returnil this way.

My advice to Returnil-users : don't be happy with Returnil, try to break it in every possible way you can think of and test all features one by one.
That's the right attitude to improve Returnil or any other software.

 

IMHO there is no problem with Returnil in a reboot software not being there after a reboot as Returnil worked as advertised.

There are horses for different courses and I use a VM if I want to test a reboot required app.

 

In other words you have to use an EXTRA software to do this.
I use the same ISR-software to test all my softwares with or without reboot.
You don't fix a problem by using another software, you fix the problem in the software that causes the problem.

 

Erik I really can't understand where you're coming from.

There is no problem with Returnil seeing it works as advertised.

 

So what ? Does that mean users have to agree with this and accept this forever. Users can think too you know and certainly me.

Softwares are softwares and why make a difference between a software that don't require a reboot or require a reboot, that doesn't make sense to me at all. If there was only ONE reboot-software, I wouldn't even talk about it, but there are just too many of them. Returnil can handle softwares without reboot, why not the rest ?

Of course it's advertised and I'm glad Returnil advertised it, which means they are honest with their users, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with this.

 

I use both SandboxIE and Returnil and both work very well for most purposes (they excel when browsing).

To test new software I cannot overemphasize that one should consider using a testing partition or hard drive.

Multi-booting has always been my preference (test the application on a duplicate image of your main OS partition).

This way if something goes wrong one can postpone restoring the wrecked testing partition as the main OS still exists for immediate use (just reboot to it).

 

That is a very good solution. If I was a Returnil-user, I would stop testing new softwares in my actual system partition completely. Returnil is just not powerful enough to do this.