Software Virtualization (Thinstall/Altiris SVS)

I'm not too familiar with Thinstall so please correct me if some of my assumptions are wrong.

As I understand it, Thinstall works by hooking all of the relevant usermode APIs in the particular process where it is running. This is nice because it can be done on the fly with no install needed. It is also secure because it can only inject into and deal with processes where it has privileges. For a lot of applications this is great. Where this runs into rough spots is when an app's file/registry data need to be visible outside of the one process. For example, services, COM/DCOM, file extension registration, etc.

SVS's goal is to make the file/registry data appear as if it is installed to the whole system. This gives you greater application compatibility. But it currently requires an install, and that the users that are doing imports, activates, etc. must be admins. Because SVS virtualizes for the entire system it can virtualize other things like data (today) and possibly OS patches (maybe later). It can also do stuff like what Protect (SVS's sibling product) does.

Basically, the approaches are quite different and each will have its place depending on the need.

 

Click on the "Get it free" link during the install.

 

I can imagine a lot

Thanks Pete.

 

I sure have tried the Get it Free Link but it will not appear. I guess none of my browsers will open the link. I am taken to a page with some writing on it but that it. I can't understand why installing Free Software is so hard. If I want to use this software I will have to look somewhere else on the internet. Thats really crazy. either that or its really not free & is a "ComeOn".