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16846
Returnil freeware
Hi, Dimension 3000, xp pro ie8, On a previous post it was suggested to check out reviews of a download before installing. Therefore I would like some feedback on the free for home use of Returnil system safe. Download from softpedia.com rss-2011. I do not want to turn on it's real time protection as I use MSE, but I would like the feature of a virtual os. I would be able to run all over the internet and not worry about infections? What is ya'lls opinion? Appreciate any assistance rendered. Liz.
fireberd
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33.3K Posts
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April 3rd, 2011 04:00
From what I read about this software it "does everything". However, NO software is going to keep you 100% completely free. The only 100% way to remain safe is to never visit the web and obviously that's not a choice.
ieee488
4 Operator
4 Operator
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11.1K Posts
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April 3rd, 2011 07:00
You can run Ubuntu Linux from within Windows.
I personally prefer the dual boot method. Now that I have Ubuntu Linux on my home PCs, I hardly ever use Windows.
liz1954
161 Posts
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April 3rd, 2011 06:00
Fireberd, thank you for your reply. I realize that I would not be 100% virus free, I just want an opinion of the virtual os feature. As it requires 16gb. I had previously tried Sandboxie, but it took 3 minutes to get to this forum so I removed it. If the virtual os feature is the same, then I do not want it. Without it I can reach you all in approx 3 seconds. ??? Liz
liz1954
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April 3rd, 2011 07:00
Ieee488, Hi what is Ubuntu Linux? Another operating system?
ieee488
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11.1K Posts
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April 3rd, 2011 08:00
Yes. Ubuntu Linux is another OS.
Mike_RVS
2 Posts
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April 4th, 2011 09:00
Hello LIZ1954,
RSS is designed to be compatible with most 1st and 2nd tier Antiviruses and works well in combination with Microsoft's Security Essentials. This means that you can use both RSS and MSE together at the same time without issues. I actually have a DELL 3000 series desktop here in my office that I use this very combination on and it has been working well with this setup since beginning the testing with RVS 2010 with MSE.
There is no such thing as a silver bullet Liz, but we are working to make the RSS series as close as humanly possible to this ultimate goal. All approaches have gaps in their coverage for one reason or another:
1. Antivirus (scanning technology): All AVs, AMs, ***, etc have a core competency: Detection of malicious and/or potentially unwanted content. This serves as both warning that something is wrong and some form of remediation capability for what was detected. The problem here is many-fold. False positives, false negatives, poorly coded signatures, partial/improper removals, deactivation by specially coded malware, etc. They also suffer from update lag as samples of the malware and/or behaviors need to be obtained for proper research analysis, updating, testing, and then eventual distribution which can leave your system open to infection for varying periods of time. This becomes an even larger problem when the bad guys routinely test their "creations" against the top and secondary players in the AV market.
2. HIPS/Anti-executables: In the hands of an expert, HIPS can be a very powerful tool. Some are even able to deploy them as their sole security solutions (though restrictive Windows policy is often used in combination). The problem here is that if you are a new computer user or even a somewhat seasoned one, the questions asked by the programs tend to be cryptic to say the least and it is very easy to answer them incorrectly or to create a rule that makes you more vulnerable than if you had not created it in the first place. In other words, answer the wrong way and the game is up.
3. Boot-to-restore virtualization: While this works to ensure that you can simply restart the computer to drop any/all changes, there are still a couple of issues with this technology; regardless of whether your are using a disk filtering or file system filtering technique (RSS/RVS are in the disk category):
4. System Restore: While it is a valid method to take your computer back in time to a point before the infection, incompatible program installation, or badly configured Windows settings; malware developers also realized this a long time ago and thus many types of malware work to infect your restore points to ensure their programs survive and you remain infected.
In the past, (ref Symantec's approach in the early 00's) the approach was to bundle a number of different programs (full programs) into a "suite" that could be used as a primitive attempt at layered security. The problem here is with overlapping feature sets and the negative impact on system performance while still having at least some holes on their protection. Whether due to not having a feature to address the hole or because overlapping features caused a "mini-conflict" that resulted in the same issue is irrelevant.
In RSS we strove to strip the component parts of everything except their core functionality and then use that to cover a portion of the overall security that the other components were not competent to cover:
As you can see, all the components back each other up and work towards a concept we call Time to removal rather than the problematic scan, detect, remove, and/or restore method that can take time to complete. In our model, even if the malware goes undetected (completely unknown) or unblocked (maybe you had the AE in "allow programs to do as they will mode") you can still be reasonably assured that your computer will be clean and ready to go to work (or play) the next time you start it up.
For our RVS Pro and Lite 2011 series, the design goal is to be a part of an intelligent layered approach by providing a strong Virtual Mode protection and Anti-execute foundation for your current strategy without the need to uninstall or loose your current licensing for other security solutions you may be using (exception is another boot-to-restore solution in the mix. To note here however, RSS, RVS Pro, and RVS Lite are fully compatible with Tzuk's SandboxIE solutions).
With Kind regards
Mike
Returnil Support
liz1954
161 Posts
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April 4th, 2011 10:00
Mike, thank you for the detailed response. I did try it out but uninstalled it almost right away. I had to wait longer than normal for start up after a reboot. And I could not change the preferences to my liking. I would try to uncheck boxes and they would recheck themselves. I sent this info to the company during uninstall. I am sure this is a great product but it is not for me. I understand there are no silver bullets. I will just stay with the protections I have now and quit trying to change things. Liz.
Mike_RVS
2 Posts
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April 4th, 2011 11:00
Hi Liz,
That is an unexpected result and appears to indicate a potential block of the preferences by something else installed on your system when you tried it. I will check the information you sent and would love an opportunity to work with you to try and determine a root cause if you are willing at some point. If you do try it again and get a similar result, please open a direct technical support ticket by sending an e-mail to support (dash) tech (at) returnil (dot) com.
The startup delay could be associated with the cache wipe option as it can take a period of time to clear the cache depending on the number and/or size of changes from the previous Virtual Mode session.
Thanks
Mike
liz1954
161 Posts
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April 4th, 2011 12:00
Mike, OK, I will try it. Liz.