I No Longer Use Any "Security" Program - I'm Sandboxed!

[Old Guy]

I have been operating without any AV or any other "security" program for a couple of years.

I run my XP with Tool Wiz's freebie Time Freeze Sandbox protecting my C:

http://www.toolwiz.com/lead/toolwiz_time_freeze/

Although, I do still use XP's firewall to block incoming stuff and Sygate Firewall to block programs from calling home.

Time Freeze is very simple. merely check the box to have it start at boot. That's all. But there is a simple method to place a program outside the sandbox. However, I would never do that. I keep all of the C: in the sandbox. If I wish to make a new bookmark, save a certain file, etc., I save it to a USB stick.

Word of caution: after downloading a new file, check it immediately with Virus Total.

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload

To load the new file(s) onto the C:, you must uncheck the box which tells Time Freeze to start at boot. This way you will be able to reboot into C: with the sandbox off. Load your file to C: and then again check the Time Freeze menu box to start with Windows. Reboot and you'll see your new file on the C: and protected.

Simple as heck. No ridiculous amount of money spent each year for AV, Internet Suites or other junk that is as intrusive as hell with B.S. WARNING messages all the time. The vulnerability of a sandbox is almost nonexistent for the average user.

I have not had single problem over the last few years that a reboot didn't cure.

 

[red]

glad its works for you, i myself would never run xp without full protection in todays market, old saying better safe than sorry,
long live xp

 

[Kmirkovski]

I don't even protect it with anything, just Virus Total a file if its below 600mb and I find it suspicious. I just stay at the part of the internet where the grass is cut

 

[Dyehard]

HINT: I wouldn't do my banking on it.

 

[TMTGTR]

Virus Total returns a "1 security vendor and no sandboxes flagged this file as malicious" report on Setup_TimeFreeze.exe

The websites link to another program download goes to a suspicious site (http://ww7.btows.com), Time Freeze is not in the products or download menus, only way I see is in the provided link on this page. Never heard of Time Freeze (though that in of itself means little). Other little things about the site are "strange" IMO
I'd avoid, care to respond "Old Guy"?

 

[cleverscreenname]

Samir already does this with Microsoft SteadyState. Surely more trustworthy than a 3rd-party vendor.

I've already does this (on a laptop with a IDE>CF adapter for cheap "SSD-like" performance, like $15 total ) with EWF Enhanced Write Filter built into WinXP Embedded, here's install.txt

extract required ewf*.* files from XPeSP2FeaturePack2007.iso
1. replace the original ntldr with renamed ewfntldr
2. copy ewfapi.dll, ewfdll.dll, ewfmgr.exe to c:\windows\system32
3. copy ewf.sys to c:\windows\system32\drivers
4. copy horm.dat to c:\
5. add registry (see below for the registry file)
6. enable hibernation support on the system
7. restart and click 'start' - 'run' - 'cmd', and type 'ewfmgr c:' to check status, or 'ewfmgr c: -enable' to protect writes.

HORM Hibernate Once, Resume Many: The awesome feature of EWF is you're resuming from hibernation on every boot, so your bootup is ridiculously fast. (without the delay of hibernating during every shutdown!)

 

[cleverscreenname]

I don't even protect it with anything, just Virus Total a file if its below 600mb and I find it suspicious. I just stay at the part of the internet where the grass is cut

backups: the only REAL protection Why run scanning software slowing down your performance, which MIGHT catch a bad actor (probably NOT!) but useless for all other disaster dangers!

Yet backups can protect against everything 100%
I agree if you want to do online banking / investing, use TAILS or anything that's read-only / all writes discarded.

 

[xperceniol]

...backups: the only REAL protection...

I couldn't agree more with this statement. I use Acronis and when things have gone wrong I always know I'm back up and running to my last stable backup.

For the record, I use "on demand" scanners on my computer but I don't use "Real Time" at all and I'm bare metal installed along with Linux. I understand others might not agree but 'to each their own' and its a choice because there isn't much left anyway and I prefer to have control and I can sense when something is wrong .... yep .... I'm a physic (hehe) Kidding somewhat but I know the signs when something is wrong its restore time when the computer becomes possessed .

Stay safe out there.

~Sal