hard drive protection software

I have a question, i have worked in a net cafe and it has a software on each computer called drive shield, which basically protected the hard drive data so every time your PC restarted it would go back too its original settings (all your downloads etc would disappear as well as all other crap)

so i am wondering is it actually worth it getting this software cause it makes a perfect system defense no matter what you can easily go back too original setting by the press of 1 button.

anyone tried any free hard drive protection that's any good (i am not worried about loosing files as i have a secondary hard drive so i can save all my downloads there)

need ppl with actual experience

I ask is because i have a lot of people using my pc and it would be nice too keep it clean (the way i like it) without worrying what other downloaded or installed, i know i can get guest account active (windows user by the way) or limited user but its not the same, i have seen at work that drive shield does wonders...

soo....anyone with some advice?

There is a, non-free, program called DeepFreeze available (Microsoft has a free one called SteadyState). Basically, what it does is it takes an image of your computer and each time you restart all those files / programs that were saved are gone, completely. Of course, there is a separate partition (virtual hard drive) created by DeepFreeze that allows you to save documents without getting them erased. DeepFreeze is $45 (not sure if it's yearly or one time) and it does what you need greatly. Also, if you don't want that partition that DF creates, you don't have to use it and you can use your secondary drive.

SteadyState, although I don't have much experience with it, does not create a "thawed" secondary disk. Instead, you can use your secondary drive (as long as you choose not to have it reset) to save everything. If not, you can use Flash Media.

I basically see no use for this at home, unless you have children / people (like your case) that perhaps would install things / edit stuff without permission. Internet Cafe's need this badly, only cause it is mandatory to keep viruses / files out. Keep in mind, DeepFreeze is not free while SteadyState is.

My school uses Deep Freeze, and it works well.

The only problem is that some of the teacher and staff accounts have the ability to temporarily disable Deep Freeze, and for some reason some staff people given some not-so-bright students their account info. Now it seems about 1 out of 5 computers have random assignments frozen on the desktop for eternity and odd auto-startup programs installed. And the teacher in that room with those computers doesn't have a clue about how it works and blames nameless "hackers" for the random changes.

... speaking of hacking. Smile

I once did that, although the password was cracked by me and a group of friends. I was bored one day and decided to install a cracked msstyles, so I'd be able to put on Visual Styles. So whenever you looked into the room all of the computers were Windows XP except mine! Oddly enough nobody said anything. Razz

I suppose that's how I know so much about it. Fun times though!

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