I always manage to run a lot of applications. And this is not a mental aberration. It's more convenient for me to work - when each desired program always running and always at hand. Convenience continues until work is wedged Photoshop and some other "heavy" program, for example, Safari with forever buggy Flash... These two are masters of "stacking" the processor. It's clear what to complete Safari with a bunch open windows and tabs just to do a little work in graphic editor, - not a very cool idea. At the same time, however, I want the "photoshop" to work as it should, and not "thought" for half an hour on the application of each filter. What to do in this case, when you don’t want to end a gluttonous program, but you also need to free up processor resources? When you are faced with such a choice, then the best solution, on at least for me, it becomes "freeze". Freeze actually means a temporary termination of the work of a program, after which it can again be “unfrozen” without losing the data. In one word - "pause" in the program.

This "pause effect" is achieved by a simple terminal command that sends the operating system kernel an instruction to pause the application we need. To "freeze" the program, we need to find out its PID, which is a numeric identifier. It can be recognized in several ways:

1 Using Terminal (we execute this command and get the PID): pgrep -f Safari Instead of Safari you can enter the name of any other application.
2 Using the app System monitoring:

When PID we know you can start manipulating. We open Terminal and execute the following command to "freeze": kill -STOP PID Where PID, as mentioned above, the identifier of our gluttonous application. After executing this command, the program seems to freeze, while its consumption of processor power will be reduced to zero. To "defrost" you need to execute the following command: kill -CONT PID The whole process can be simplified a little by reducing the process of "freezing" and "unfreezing" a program or process to the execution of one command, but provided that you know the correct name of the program or process. For example, for freezing Safari you can use the following combined command: kill -STOP `pgrep -f Safari` Accordingly, to defrost like this: kill -CONT` pgrep -f Safari` correct writing the name of the application or process, it is also case-sensitive. So, for example, in in this case Safari and safari are not the same thing. You can, of course, go even further and come up with some kind of applet, but this is a topic for a separate trial.

It is small in size, powerful free software utility, which is a simple means of protecting your computer. Like the sandbox software tool, it creates a secure environment for the operating system by keeping it current settings and allowing users to revert modified parameters to their default state.

This kind of program has several functions. Such a program, for example, can prevent unauthorized users from making changes to applications and system files, so that this does not cause unintended problems with the stability of the PC. On the other hand, it can act as a support system for the computer administrator, providing virtual space for the launch of unknown or suspicious programs that may contain malicious software.

Time freeze keeps track of Current state operating system, and any changes made to Windows will revert to this original state every time you restart your computer. Several parameters can be configured so that the application can suit the user.

Installation and interface

Before continuing with the short installation procedure, you can choose the size of the disk cache that will be used by the Time Freeze mechanism, as well as allow the application to use the main disk every time, even when Windows is running. safe mode... The application can also be password protected to prevent unauthorized users from changing its settings. To complete everything, you need to reboot the system.

Exclusion of any folders and files from the zone of control

After Time program Freeze will be launched, it will display an icon in the area system notifications, thus giving users the ability to quickly start and stop the program, as well as open its settings panel. On appearance yet too much emphasis was not placed. The utility has a single window classic look and an easily organized structure that allows users to directly access the operations they want, regardless of aesthetics.

Ease of customization

Time Freeze may automatically start at the initial booting Windows thus providing comprehensive protection against file changes. One aspect worth noting is that program users have the ability to create a list of files and folders that will be excluded from the program's supervision area and which they can still modify, even if the supervision function is enabled.

Moreover, the Time Freeze toolbar can be shown over the desktop. As previously mentioned, the program can be password protected to prevent unauthorized users from enabling, disabling, or modifying its configuration. As additional protection the application icon in the system notification area may be hidden.

Yet Time Freeze cannot be closed right away. This will require a system reboot.

Toolwiz Time Freeze Review:

Dignity

During testing on Windows 8.1 Pro app worked well without causing the operating system to freeze, crash, or error messages. With a system reboot, it successfully dumped changes to files and application installations.

Since Time Freeze works like a service in background, it does not interfere, so it does not interfere with work regular user on the computer.

The program can be password protected to prevent unauthorized users from enabling or disabling it or intruding on its settings. Any files and folders can be excluded from the surveillance area, so any changes made to them are actually transferred to disk.

The consumption of CPU and RAM resources is minimal.

The program is extremely easy to use, even by novice users.

disadvantages

Even if no password has been set, Time Freeze asks for it when trying to open its settings panel, so users may be confused (you need to leave the field blank and continue).

Being simple and straightforward, the program does not include advanced settings for experienced users such as the ability to find specific changes that were reversed after a system reboot, or restrict user access based on user profiles PC.

Overall score

Taking into account all the pros and cons, we can say that Toolwiz Time Freeze is a must-have application for any computer user, regardless of whether he often experiments with new programs on a PC or not. Because Time Freeze is easy to install, run and use, it can be run before any action to ensure that your computer stays safe no matter what happens.

Found a typo? Press Ctrl + Enter

Shadow defender- a program that performs the so-called function of the shadow mode of the operating system, when its state is fixed at the time this function is launched, and all subsequent changes to the system disk are not saved. And after turning off the shadow mode, the system goes back to the fixed state.

Windows "shadow mode" is truly an irreplaceable thing in cases when the computer is allowed outside user or a child, if you want to visit Internet resources where there is a high probability of picking up a malicious program code, and also if you need to experiment with system settings or test third-party software.

Since in shadow mode all the changes made in the system are not saved, after turning off this mode and restarting the computer, any viruses, Trojans or spyware that have penetrated will disappear, return to original state all system configuration parameters affected by children or uninformed users, as well as all saved on system disk files during the shadow mode.

Shadow Defender - operating system shadow defender

In Shadow Defender, "shadow mode" is called protected mode. And the name of the program - "Shadow Defender" (translated from English) - comes from its principle of work. Being in the shadow, that is, working in the background, the program protects the computer from various dangers.

Even though in Shadow Defender function called not "freezing", as in other programs like Toolwiz time Freeze or Deep Freeze, but with shadow protection, its essence is still the same - preventing unwanted changes to the system. And the mechanism of operation from the indicated analogue programs is no different: Shadow Defender creates virtual snapshot disk, and all the work will continue to take place on the snapshot, and not on the real disk. Exceptions may be separate folders and files for which you can set options for applying changes within the framework of the protected mode. And only files and folders specially added to the Shadow Defender program after exiting Protected Mode and restarting the computer will be with the latest changes. All other system parameters will be exactly the same as before starting protected mode. All files deleted during the operation of the protected mode will return and the created ones will disappear. The themes, wallpapers, fonts, and other personalization settings will return. The installed programs will be removed, the removed ones will appear. Activated standard services and components are deactivated and, conversely, deactivated ones are activated.

A huge plus for the Shadow Defender is Russian-language interface with a clear and understandable organization of the program. Separate sections with various options neatly placed in the buttons for switching on the right. So, let's take a closer look at the features of the Shadow Defender program.

Disk space information and program settings

The System Status section displays information about free and used disk space on your computer.

System Status Section

The Shadow Defender interface is also convenient in that the "System Status" section displays a separate figure, how much disk space is used to perform the tasks of the program itself. So, at any time you can quickly respond if the system disk is cluttered. And there will be no need to strain to find which file or folder takes up a lot of disk space to the detriment of the full operation of the system.

In the "Administration" section, we can remove or apply certain settings for the operation of the program. In particular, you can remove the program from startup, since it is unceremoniously registered there during installation.

Section "Administration"

List of exclusions

The section "List of exclusions" is provided, as already mentioned, for saving individual files and the contents of selected folders while the system is in protected mode.

After the system exits the protected mode, the state of the system disk will not be saved, and only the files and folders made in this section will be applied to all the changes made. From the moment protected mode starts, Shadow Defender creates a dynamic copy of these files and folders, and after the system returns to the state it was before protected mode was started, the data from the copies will be transferred to the real disk. So even in protected mode, you can freely work with documents, images, download music and videos by adding the files themselves or their storage folders to the "Exceptions list" section of Shadow Defender.

An important point: it is necessary to add files and folders to the list of exclusions before starting protected mode.

To add files or folders to the list of exclusions, press the "File" or "Folder" button and select them in the explorer.

Then we press the button "Apply".

That's it - now these files and folders are protected from data loss.

To remove files and folders from the list of exclusions, select them and press the "Delete" button.

Just like files or folders, you can create an exclusion list for individual records system registry For more information, see Registry Exceptions. And changes in these registry entries as part of the protected mode will be saved.

If it becomes necessary to save files or entire folders after you have enabled Protected Mode, the issue can be resolved only in the "Save Now" section. The principle of adding and deleting files and folders is the same as in the case with the "List of exclusions" section. Unlike the latter, the "Save Now" section allows you to add files and folders after starting Protected Mode.

Switching to protected mode

The button for starting the most protected mode is located in the "Mode Settings" section. Here you need to select the disk that you want to protect. Then we press the button "Protected mode".

The program offers a choice of two types of protected mode. The first is when the mode is no longer active after a reboot, and the system returns to its former state. The second is when, after a reboot, the system will continue to be in protected mode until it is exited with a separate command. (Clarification: Shadow Defender restarts the mode after rebooting, and if you have not added a file (which you are experimenting with) to the exclusions folder, it will disappear after restarting the PC). By the way, not every program similar to Shadow Defender offers the ability to work even after a reboot in the shadow mode. As a rule, with a reboot, all unfinished experiments with software disappear into oblivion. For example, in the case of testing programs that require a reboot after installation. So the Shadow program Defender is also a separate plus for this feature.

We choose what is most suitable for the situation, and click "OK".

That's it - now the system disk is protected. And the inscription at the top of the desktop will additionally testify to this.

Now any Windows settings- from harmlessly changing the wallpaper on your desktop to destroying important system files- will have no effect after exiting Protected Mode and restarting the computer. The only thing that will remain with the fixation recent changes Are files, folders and registry entries in the exclusion list.

Exiting Protected Mode

If protected mode is no longer needed, you can exit. This can be done by rebooting if the "Exit protected mode after reboot" type was selected. If the "Stay in protected mode" type was selected, click the "Disable all protection" button in the same "Mode settings" section. V the latter case you will also need to restart your computer.

After the reboot, the system will be in the state it was in before the protected mode was turned on - with the same wallpaper, with the same settings, with the same installed programs.

Manufacturers and operators often pre-install on Android own applications... If you don't use them, they just take up memory and drain the battery by running in the background. This article will show you how to use Titanium Backup freeze an application that cannot be uninstalled.

Do you want to uninstall or disable apps?

You have two options when it comes to uninstalling preinstalled apps. Uninstalling an application means that it will be completely removed from the system. However, if in the future you need remote application, then not all of it can be downloaded from Google play Store (some applications are simply not in it). Removing some before installed applications may cause problems or instability of the system, and in some cases may block your phone from receiving updates. Therefore, we recommend that you freeze applications instead.

Freeze the application means that it will be completely disabled, it will not appear in the list of installed applications and will not automatically start in the background. In short, a frozen application will not start in any way until you defrost it. Freezing and defrosting are instant processes that can be easily canceled if, for example, you have frozen desired application by mistake.

V latest versions Android now has the ability to disable most applications without obtaining superuser rights and installing additional applications.

If the application that you want to freeze does not have the ability to turn off or you are using an old Android version which does not have this function, then you need to get root rights and install third party application for freezing unnecessary software... And, if you want to remove the pre-installed application, then you will need superuser rights regardless of which version of Android you are using.

If you decide to uninstall an application, we recommend that you first freeze it and wait a few days to make sure that the system will work stably without this application.

Disabling applications by built-in Android

It is very easy to disable applications on newer versions of Android OS. Just open the menu, go to Settings and click on the Applications section. Go to the All tab by swiping left.

Select the application you want to disable, in my case it is Google talk, and click on the "Disable" button.

A warning will appear that disabling the app may result in a crash. Confirm the action by clicking on "Ok". If in the future any problems arise due to disabling the application, then you can always enable it again.

After disabling the application, you can also click on "Force Stop" and "Erase Data" in the same window.

Please note that not all applications have a disable feature, but many do. If the application does not have this function, then the method described below will help you, which requires superuser rights.

If the application does not have a disable function, or you are using old version Android, which does not have this function, in this case it will be a little more difficult to freeze the application. First, you need to obtain superuser rights on the device, if you have not already done so. You must also enable USB debugging. To do this, go to Settings> About Phone> Advanced Settings> USB Debugging (on different devices path may vary slightly). And, as always, we recommend making a full nandroid backup before proceeding if something goes wrong.

There are many applications that can freeze the program, but by far the best is Titanium Backup. We have already said that titanium backup titanium backup for android can create and restore a backup of your device, but its function also includes freezing and deleting pre-installed applications. The only catch: You have to pay $ 6 for the Pro version.

If you don't feel like spending $ 6 on an app, you can use free ones, such as NoBloat or App Quarantine, but the reviews on them are mixed. We tested them and they worked well, but not in all cases. We have extensive experience using Titanium Backup on different devices and he never failed. This is one of the most useful applications which you can use if you have superuser rights. Therefore, it will be considered how to freeze the application using titanium backup.

To freeze the application, install Titanium Backup and Pro key from Google Play Store... Run the application and give it superuser rights when required.

Go to the " Backups»To see a list of installed applications. You will see both installed applications and usually hidden system applications. Disabling important system applications may cause problems, for example disabling the application installer will cause you to be unable to install the software. Be careful when freezing any application. You can always unfreeze the application, but only if the system is stable.

Scroll down to the app you want to freeze or uninstall. In this case, I want to freeze google app Talk.

Click on the selected application and a pop-up window will show the actions that are available for this program. Click on the "Freeze!" If you want to uninstall the application, you can do it from the same window, but we advise you not to uninstall it.

If everything went well, you will see a message that the application has been frozen successfully.

To unfreeze the application, open the window with functions and click the "Defrost!" Button.

After freezing, the application will disappear from your system (it will be hidden, but it will take up space). You may need to reboot the system for the application icons to disappear from the menu. But, in any case, frozen applications will be completely disabled and will not run in the background.

Viruses, spyware, utilities that make unwanted changes into the operating system - every amateur probably faced such problems computer technology who cannot imagine his life without research different kinds software and games. But naive newbies who believe in instant and overwhelming earnings on the Internet, and, of course, those who like to play pranks on porn sites, are at a much greater risk. What programs have not been invented to protect your computer - antiviruses, anti-spyware, services for blocking dangerous sites, sandboxes ( special programs for testing software in safe environment), programs for installing virtual operating systems etc. One of these programs will be discussed below.

1. Toolwiz Time Freeze: the essence of the program

Meet Toolwiz Time Freeze - Absolutely free program which temporarily "freezes" the state of your operating system while you are testing various software or games, visiting dangerous sites or even examining viruses on your computer. As part of such a "freeze", you can do any dangerous things without fear of harming the operating system. Since this very "freeze" is nothing more than the creation of a point for rolling back the system to the state in which the system was before the start of the Toolwiz Time Freeze program. Thus, if you run into problems with the operating system when testing software, surfing the web on dangerous sites or during other dubious operations, you can roll it back to the moment when everything was in order.

How does Toolwiz Time Freeze work? The program creates a snapshot of your operating system when it starts. From now on, all your further actions take place in a virtual environment.

At the end of your research, the program will allow you to choose - to apply the changes made during the "freeze" (for example, deleted or installed programs created or deleted files and folders, system settings and other actions) or not, i.e. roll back the system until the start of Toolwiz Time Freeze.

2. Interface and organization of different versions of the program

Unfortunately Toolwiz Time Freeze does not support Russian. However, given its minimalism, it is unlikely that this can become a serious obstacle to the application of the program, even by novice users.

The previous version of Toolwiz Time Freeze - v2.2 - had a number of interface difficulties. So, the user could not immediately understand how the program could be minimized, because instead of familiar button minimizing the window, the developers came up with the usual text link for this. However, this version had a more understandable organization of work - when the program was turned off, the user saw service menu, where he could choose to save the changes to the system or roll it back to the moment of "freezing". In the updated version of Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014, this moment for those who are just getting acquainted with the program may be somewhat unclear. By the way, we will return to this issue below.

Last, updated version Toolwiz Time Freeze program, the full name of which no longer includes its version, but the figure 2014 (a kind of program for the next year, as we can see) - this is the result of quite drastic changes in the interface and some program options. Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014 acquired a more interesting color scheme in dark blue tones (the predecessor versions were presented with a white ascetic design), and the organization of the interface program became more "civilized". From now on, you can minimize the program with the classic button in the upper right corner of its window. The mechanism for launching the program remained unchanged - it is the same “Start” button.

Gone section software settings: so, an already small arsenal of options is now in the program window itself:

• in the upper part there is an option to autorun the program along with Windows;
• at the bottom are the option to set a password to block access to Toolwiz Time Freeze itself and the option to configure the display of the toolbar (a small panel on the desktop showing the status of the program).

But a much bigger surprise for old fans of the program will be the lack of the usual option to apply changes to the operating system during the "freeze" with Toolwiz Time Freeze. Now, when stopped, the program will no longer offer the option to save changes. System changes are saved automatically when you exit Toolwiz Time Freez.

3. Instructions for using the program

Let's consider a specific algorithm for Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014.

Before, for example, to install the program you are interested in, downloaded from an unknown Internet resource, run Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014. It will appear in the system tray. Call on its icon in the system tray context menu and expand the program - this is the "Show Program" option. For convenience, you can activate the toolbar of the program on the desktop, which will show the status of the program and duplicate the options of the program icon in the system tray.

Start the "freezing" process - press " Start". Next, install any programs from unverified sources, carry out any of their settings without worrying about your operating system.

At the end of your research, click the " Stop" programs. Next, Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014 will provide you with two options - restart your computer and return to the "freeze" point (click "OK") or exit without rebooting (click "Cancel"). Which option should you choose?

Rollback of the system to the "freeze" point

If the program you are testing did not suit you, does not work correctly, entered unwanted settings into the system, you need to click "OK" and wait for the computer to restart. After rebooting, your operating system will appear in front of you exactly in the same form in which it was before "freezing" - that is, before the launch of Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014.

Applying changes to the system

If you like the program you are testing and would like to apply the changes to the system, click Cancel and exit without rebooting. In this case, Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014 will not stop working and you must exit. Call the context menu on the toolbar or on the program icon in the system tray and click "Exit" - the exit option.

4. Protection of folders and individual files

Another feature of Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014 is to protect folders on your system drive and individual files on your computer. You can "freeze" - that is, block from deletion - important system folders, and separate files so that they are not accidentally deleted by children or careless employees at work. To do this, place the selected folders or files in the Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014 list using the Add File and Add Folder buttons. Then enable the option to autorun Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014 along with Windows and set a password for entering the program itself. To install it, enable the “Enable Password Protection for the control "and set the password you have created in the" Modify Password "setting. That's it - now no one will enter it without a password to the program and will not delete the "frozen" folders and files.

5. Summing up

What can you say about the program as a whole? Of course, this is an ideal solution for fans of testing various software, whose computer power does not allow full-fledged work in programs for creating virtual operating systems such as VirtualBox or VMware Workstation... Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014 is extremely simple, performs a couple of strictly certain functions without frightening beginners with an excess of settings and unnecessary functions.

As for the cons, there are some ambiguities in the organization of Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014, which can, unfortunately, confuse newcomers. In particular, anyone who uses the program for the first time will rightly face the question of applying system changes after stopping the "freeze". And he can only get an answer "by typing". It is much easier to operate with clear and understandable options - "Return to the" freeze "or" Stop the program and apply the changes made. " Perhaps this is the only disadvantage of the program, which the developers, perhaps, will eliminate in the near future, bringing more clarity to the organization of the Toolwiz Time Freeze 2014 program.

Did this article help you?