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GENERAL

> What is the Returnil Virtual System?
Returnil uses advanced virtualization technology to clone your computer's System Partition in memory. When Protection is ON all changes made to the System Partition will be gone with a simple reboot. Top^

> I tried this program in the past and see there have been quite a few changes.
Yes, we completely redesigned Returnil in version 1.62. To see what we have added, you can read the entire change history here: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=121615 Top^

> What is the Virtual Partition?
The main mission of the Virtual Partition is to allow a convenient means for the user to save their data while using the protection feature. You should also explore saving data in alternate partitions - part of the design concept of RETURNIL was to force awareness that you do not have to save your data in default locations, especially the System Partition. Top^

> The computer Security industry is overflowing with new software every day, so why are you different?
Everyone here came together out of a sense of frustration with current/past security industry thinking and practice. There are too many bad ideas out there and our focus is to prove that Security does not have to be complicated to be effective and relevant. We believe you deserve better from your providers! Top^

> What distinguishes your software from similar products?
There are several differences between Returnil and similar products. The first is the fact that RVS was the first and is still the only Instant System Recovery to provide an option to use memory caching that is only dependent on the size of your hard disk drive.

The next difference is that RVS’s disk cloning technology does not require contiguous disk space whereas similar products use an older technology that does. By creating an on-the-fly cloning technology that uses your computer's memory rather than the actual hard drive, Returnil will not only help improve overall system performance, but also does its part in helping to extend your hard drive's life cycle when using the Protection feature.

The third difference is that Returnil is designed to clone only the System Partition whereas the others include performance hogging and complicated implementations that add the overhead of cloning additional partitions thus reducing the user’s experience.

The fourth difference is that Returnil was designed from a security rather than recovery perspective, making it the first solution in this space to work aggressively to bring virtualization into the security realm. Top^

> Now that you have a freeware edition, how do Premium Edition customers obtain a copy for evaluation?
Simply contact our sales department and we can supply you with flexible period testing Serial Numbers for your convenience. Top^

> Why are you giving Returnil free to Home users?
First, we want to force change and innovation in the security industry. Secondly, we want to be the catalyst for accelerating the adoption and recognition of Virtual technology for the average user. Lastly, all you have to do to see the failure of traditional security solutions is to look for HJT logs and cries for help from people who have been a victim of Malware infections. This is intolerable to us when there are solutions available that would have helped prevent this in the first place! Top^

> What uses have users come up with for this product?
Returnil is there to fill the gap in traditional security strategies where malware (new and old) may not be known to your antivirus provider yet or an update to the AV is pending analysis and QA testing. This period of lag can be as short as a few hours, days, weeks, months, or even years. Returnil makes these periods less risky by providing you with a simple reboot to restore capability that will eliminate malicious content with a simple restart of your computer rather than having the content persist until such time as the AV is updated.

Another benefit is in keeping your customer and private information secure. As many in the US have discovered, Customs officials have the right to examine and/or confiscate any electronic device when someone attempts to enter the US. This includes Laptops, cell phones, PDAs, etc which could contain sensitive or proprietary information you do not want distributed or seen by unauthorized eyes. By using Returnil protection, you can visit a client while accessing your company data over a secure connection to you company servers and download or upload confidential information stored there with your client, complete your business, and then restart the computer. This has the effect of resetting your computer to a clean state before traveling or visiting your next customer or client while on the road. If the computer is examined, it will not contain any of this information and will help keep that information secure.

Taking the above you can extend this a situation where your Laptop is stolen. If you used the secure connection and company storage idea above, then all that is needed to secure your data is to turn the computer off. At this point, all the thief would have is a clean computer without worrying that he/she/they would have access to confidential information or potentially compromise client data (Think about all the Government Laptops that have been stolen over the years and you begin to see the magic of RVS...).

Further uses could be for testing software without the risk of breaking down your current setup, private internet surfing where all cookies/cache etc. is gone after the reboot and many more. Top^

> I know Returnil is fast, but is there anything I can do to improve its performance even more?
Yes, before installing Returnil make sure your system is clean of any infections and/or unwanted programs. Next, perform a full disk de-fragmentation. If you use Returnil System Protection on a system that is already infected, you will most likely experience a "bouncing ball" situation where you try to uninstall the target content, but it will reappear at the next reboot. Further, having a defragged hard drive will improve system performance and make the Returnil cloning process most efficient.Top^

> What happens after the subscription expires (one year normally)?
After the license period the following will happen:

1) RVS protection will be unavailable after the subscription period (12 months for Premium). This only happens however, after you have restarted your computer. EX: Your registration period ends after today and you have not obtained a new Serial Number (Premium Edition) or a new installation file to reinstall (Personal Edition) but turn the System Protection or Session Lock feature on and then leave the computer running overnight. The Protection will still be active when you wake your computer and remain so until/unless you restart so you are not left unprotected should this happen.

2) The Virtual Partition will continue to work and be available to the user after the subscription period or registration period depending on your version of the software. Top^

TECHNICAL

> I want to uninstall Returnil, but for some reason I am unable to turn RVS protection off. When I try, the software says it is uninstalled, but must restart the computer. When the computer restarts, Returnil did not uninstall and the protection is still on! What do I do?
First, do not panic. The reason for this is due to damaged preferences or some form of incompatibility with other software on your computer which also uses Kernel Mode driver(s). If you have this issue, please send a detailed report to our support department so we can update the development team as quickly as possible. Please include the following information about your computer:
(OS, RAM, CPU, Hardisk sizes and types, and file system used - NTFS? FAT32?)
Also include a description of Security, filtering, backup/recovery software you may have installed, and the version of Returnil your are using.

To uninstall Returnil please do the following:

1) Backup any data or documents you have saved within your Returnil Virtual Partition. If you created a VP, it's default letter is "Z" and can be found listed within the My Computer or Computer section of your start menu depending on your version of Windows. You can keep the Virtual Partition if you intend to reinstall Returnil at the end of this procedure by checking the appropriate option in the uninstall screen.

2) Restart your computer in Safe Mode. For assistance in doing this, please refer to your Windows Help and support feature and search for Knowledge base articles for "Safe Mode".

3) Click - Start > All Programs > Returnil

4a) For Windows XP, click the "Uninstall" option from the menu and then select "Remove" to begin the uninstall
4b) For Windows Vista, right click the "Uninstall" link, select "Run as Administrator", click "allow" when challenged by the Vista UAC feature, and then select "Remove" to begin the uninstall

5) Restart your computer in normal Windows

Returnil should now be uninstalled and you can use your computer normally. For those wishing to reinstall at this point, download a fresh copy of the software from the links at our website
- Premium Edition
- Personal Edition
and then double click the new installer to begin the process. Top^

> Help, I have forgotten my password and cannot turn off RVS protection. How do I retrieve my RVS program Access Restriction password?
Do not panic, we can help you. First, you need to determine if you actually configured a password or simply activated the access restriction feature. As the default password is a blank field, simply click the enter key on your keyboard when challenged by RVS to open the program interface and change your preferences and/or protection mode.

If you did configure a password, send an email to support (at) returnil (DOT) com with a copy of your current RVSYSTEM.dat file and our development team can open the file and extract the password for you.

To locate the dat file, activate the "show hidden files and folders" option in Windows Explorer and then navigate to the hidden RVS root folder at C:\Returnil. Then drag and drop the dat file into your email and make the subject "Help, I forgot my password! DAT file attached". Our support team will reply with your password as quickly as possible.

*Important Note: Once the development team has extracted your password it will be known to someone other than yourself. We strongly recommend that once you have completed your changes you should configure a new password. Top^

> Why does my Antivirus show a warning or alert when trying to scan some of Returnil's files?
The file most likely to cause this message is RVSYSTEM.sys and is where changes are tracked by Returnil when using the Disk Caching mode (the file does not exist in Memory Caching mode). The file is locked by Returnil and is similar to what Windows does with the pagefile.sys (Windows Page file) and hiberfil.sys (Windows Hibernation) files. The most important reason (amoung others) why the file is locked is to harden the cache from being exploited. The warnings can be ignored. Top^

> Why am I getting a Code 6 error and am not able to access my Virtual Partition?
The most likely cause is that you made the Virtual Partition too small. To resolve this, simply make a new Virtual Partition that is at least 512 MB in size. Top^

> How to modify settings for the Virtual Partition?
To create or edit the properties of your Virtual Partition please do the following:

Windows XP: Click Start > All Programs > Returnil > Uninstall.
When the uninstaller opens, select the repair option, make the appropriate changes, and then restart your computer to complete the process.

Windows Vista: Click Start > All Programs > Returnil > RIGHT click the uninstall link and select "Run as Administrator" > Click "Allow" when challenged by the Vista UAC feature.
When the uninstaller opens, select the repair option, make the appropriate changes, and then restart your computer to complete the process. Top^

> How can Returnil clone my System Partition in memory? I only have 128MB, 512MB, 1GB, or 2GB of memory and my System Partition is 80 GB?
There is absolutely no reason to save the entire contents of the System Partition outside of a normal system backup or recovery image. As Returnil does not allow changes to the real System Partition with Protection ON, there is no need to carry the extra baggage of an image except as noted above or in a full-blown testing environment which lab testing software handles quite well. Top^

> Will I always have to reboot my system to change my System Protection mode?
No, but you will require a reboot to turn protection OFF. To turn ON protection without a reboot, simply use the Session Lock feature available from the Main Interface, the Tray Icon menu, or the Toolbar. The second issue here, "Turn off System Protection without reboot", is not a trivial thing to solve due to the design of Windows itself. We are exploring several ideas to address this, but remember there is a reason why even Microsoft itself must require a system reboot when installing some critical updates and patches. Top^

> What is the difference between the System Protection and the Virtual Partition features?
The System Protection feature will clone a copy of your computer's System Partition in memory. The Virtual Partition is a feature that employs a file to simulate an actual partition on your hard disk drive so you can save data while the Protection is ON. Top^

> Can the user choose to exclude files & folders when using System Protection or Session Lock?
No, when protection is ON, all changes made to the System Partition will be lost with a reboot. If you save the content within the Virtual Partition or on an alternate drive, then the data saved in the VIRTUAL PARTITION remains following a reboot. Top^

> Why haven't you included a feature to allow exclusion in Returnil?
Either you save data within your Virtual Partition or you do not (no exclusion or inclusion list required). Unless you are an UBER system tweaker, developer, program tester, or researcher there is no overriding need to exclude anything from protection on the System Partition; break your default Windows save directory addiction! Top^

> How do I use Returnil to Beta test or evaluate new software?
There are two distinct ways RETURNIL will help you in testing software:

A) Virtual leaks - when using products like VMWare or similar there is a chance, no matter how small, that content can "leak" into your real system. RETURNIL provides that last line of defense that will keep these leaks from making unintended changes to your real system partition. We have seen this happen in a Malware research lab and it is not pretty when a researcher looses valuable time recovering their system rather than testing the object of interest...

B) With just RETURNIL alone, there are limitations to testing software. This is only that if the program requires a reboot to complete its installation that installation will fail because the changes were lost after reboot while the protection is ON. For those applications or components you wish to test that do NOT require a system reboot, then you can install and observe the system for issues before you decide to make a permanent installation without the need for using .ISO images or more advanced testing environments. For the researcher we believe that "A" has merit and value by adding a layer of protection against "accidents". For the consumer/end-user that does not use or require an advanced testing environment, "B" has merit and value. Top^

> Will Returnil "freeze" my system?
NO, as the System Partition is not "frozen", you can do anything you want and there is no loss of experience while using RETURNIL. System Protection is cloning the System Partition in memory and this is why all changes are lost after system reboot. Top^

> Does Returnil create any issues when I surf the Internet or try to download files and E-mail?
NO, if you wish to save interesting web pages, download content and files, get your e-mail, or even make notes, simply save them within the Virtual Partition like you would to your desktop. An interesting thing to point out here is that saving data within your VIRTUAL PARTITION is more secure than saving to your system folders (desktop, My Documents, etc) as is the truth for saving data on alternate partitions. Top^

> I am familiar with using alternate data partitions, so how can I use Returnil comfortably on a system that does not have an alternate partition available?
What you will have with RETURNIL on a system with a single partition:

A) System Partition [C:] = Windows + Returnil + Applications

B) Data Partition [Returnil Z:] = Personal files, downloaded files, bookmarks, e-mails, address book, etc. The only difference here is that if you set the VIRTUAL PARTITION as a default save location for your applications, you must ensure that the VIRTUAL PARTITION is mounted. This is not a great sacrifice in time or effort, just change the appropriate data save location in the application you are using. Top^

> Do you recommend any particular system configuration for compatibility with Returnil?
We strongly recommend that the user consider creating an alternate data partition on their HDD. This is a widely accepted and recommended security configuration - never install programs in default directories, save your data on a non-system partition, etc. Top^

> Does Returnil "call home"?
RETURNIL does not require or use any form of network communications. It will not call home and has absolutely no reason to do so. Returnil is client side software and will work regardless of whether you have an internet connection or not. Top^

> If Returnil does not allow changes to happen on my System Partition, how do I use the program and still get my Automatic updates from Microsoft or update my Antivirus?
Microsoft security updates come once a month, are announced well in advance of release, and can be installed at any time you choose. Therefore, it is not a large hurdle to deactivate RETURNIL protection to allow the download and installation of these updates at the time convenient for you. What is more interesting here is that even if you mistimed this and did not get the update, your system is protected against unwanted changes that might exploit what these updates were developed to address. Top^

To ensure compatibility with your Antivirus updates, change the default download/save/load path for the product's signature file to a non-system partition. A good example would be to change this to your data partition or the Returnil Virtual Partition. The only caution we would add in reference to saving data in the Virtual Partition is that you must have Returnil installed to mount this partition or access it. Top^

> Do I have to use Returnil with Protection always ON?
NO, a common way to use Returnil is to activate the Session Lock rather than change the default System Protection Mode. You can think of this like the shield space ships use in Science Fiction: When in doubt or about to enter a potentially hostile place, turn ON your Session Lock! Top^

> I do not buy it, if RETURNIL does not allow changes to my System Partition, then this is as good as "freezing" my system. This is as good as making my computer useless!
It is important to understand that there is no limitation on what you can do, create, or save.

The limit comes where "PERMANENT" change is concerned. Changes occur continuously to the cloned copy of your System Partition in memory, so you will see and experience exactly what you expect to see and experience. RETURNIL will allow you to have a full computing experience without worrying that harmful changes are made to your real System Partition while using the protection feature. Top^

> What does the RVSMOVER utility do?
WARNING: the following information is not recommended for inexperienced users! If you do not completely understand the potential consequences involved with moving system folders, DO NOT DO THIS! NOTE: This utility is currently designed for those who want to make the move permanent as part of their use of RVS System Protection

As part of our development process, we create a number of concept and testing programs that are designed to explore solutions internally without making changes to the main program. In this specific case, we created a utility that would allow the user to move some System Folders to an alternate partition including the Virtual Partition called RVSMOVER and is included in the Returnil Premium Edition installation. The utility is located in the (default) "C:\Program Files\Returnil" directory. This utility will allow an option for experienced users who want to move their Desktop, IE Favorites, and IE Cookie system folders to an alternate drive.

We strongly caution the user that this is not a trivial thing to just experiment with, again, if in doubt, stay clear... We also recommend that if you are an experienced user who is familiar with this type of configuration that you should choose an alternate partition on your existing HDD to minimize any potential issues you might experience. When moving system folders it is essential that the target directory/partition be one that will boot with Windows! Top^

> Is Returnil compatible with RAID?
No, we are however researching solutions for use in RAID 0 (Striped) and RAID 1 (Mirrored) arrays. Please be patient as this may involve an extended period for development and testing. Top^

> Does Returnil protect my Master Boot Record (MBR)?
Yes, MBR (disk sectors 0-62) protection is now an integrated component of the System Protection/Session Lock feature. Top^

> Do I have to turn ON System Protection or use the Session Lock feature to use the Virtual Partition?
NO, Mounting/dismounting and use of the Virtual Partition is not affected by the System Protection mode or change of mode. Top^