Hard_Configurator - Windows Hardening Configurator

[oldschool]

Without windows defender and firewall being used,can HC still be used?

Yes. You can use any AV you like (or none at all) and any firewall, including Windows Firewall. The FW Hardening Tool is just that, a tool to create rules for Windows Firewall. It is optional. ConfigureDefender and FW Hardening Tool are separate modules included with H_C for ease of use.

 

[Andy Ful]

Without windows defender and firewall being used,can HC still be used?

Yes, of course.

 

[floalma]

On yesterday, I installed HC 5.0 on my Windows 10 64bits for the first time.

I skipped 'whitelisting the autoruns' and 'recommended settings'. Yes, I forgot to mention that I made a restoration point.

Then, I just view the left panel, all was grewed except the first one 'SRP' , on the right panel, the only thing I remember was, all was on OFF.

I clicked several times on Switch ON/OFF SRP and the same with Switch ON/OFF Restrictions. The goal was to see what was the modified settings in both panel.

Then, I click on firewall with the same goal, I didn't click on any button, I only close this window.

When I close HC, I got automatically a screen that the new settings will be on the next boot. At that moment, I didn't understand as my purpose was only to see HC functions and as I didn't click on 'Apply settings' red button, I thought I was safe, with the settings disabled, but it was the opposite.

Anyway, when I booted my computer, I got a blue screen :"Inaccessible boot device". I tried to restore previous the HC restoration. The restoration was successfull, but I got this error message with the blue screen. Even Safe Mode is not working. The only thing is working is the Command Prompt (CMD.exe).

PS: Before installing HC, Smartscreen, Windows Defender, and Windows Update was already disabled on my computer.

It will be great that you add a nag screen when click on Switch ON/OFF SRP and Switch ON/OFF Restrictions to prevent these modifications with new settings. Also when you close HC, another nag screen, with the choice to cancel these settings if needed and to apply these settings, and not automatically as it's working. At that moment, it was too late to revert settings.

Hopefully, I've just fixed my troubleshoot.

 

[Andy Ful]

I have no idea how this issue could be related to H_C. It would be interesting to investigate this event. How did you fix the reboot problem in the first place?
Did you have any Windows Update this time?

 

[floalma]

The first astonished was me.
Symptoms of my PC :
when I booted my computer, I got a blue screen :"Inaccessible boot device". Safe Mode was not working, only command prompt.
I tried all the solutions offered with 'Troubleshoot' then 'advanced options' at start up except 'reset pc' but all failed.

I tried others solutions, in the bios settings, windows update, drivers, sfc, system restore but the only valid for me was to recover software and system from the registry hives.

 

[floalma]

I wanted to try if my Safe Mode was working on Win10, through Advanced Options, troubleshooting then reboot. It rebooted again and I got the same error :"Inaccessible boot device" and I noticed that software and system from regback folder changed in size. I'd like to get a script to run on Safe Mode command prompt to restore the settings before I installed HC.

 

[blueblackwow65]

Hi just a quick question, with recommended settings hide run as administrator is turned on run as smartscreen is on, i don't have smartscreen running it is disabled will that option work anyways or should hide run as administrator be turned off?thks

 

[Andy Ful]

Hi just a quick question, with recommended settings hide run as administrator is turned on run as smartscreen is on, i don't have smartscreen running it is disabled will that option work anyways or should hide run as administrator be turned off?thks

If you disabled SmartScreen via WD Security Center, then "Run As SmartScreen" option should be gray out and automatically set to OFF. Look at the Security Center to see if you have really SmartScreen disabled.

 

[Andy Ful]

I wanted to try if my Safe Mode was working on Windows 10, through Advanced Options, troubleshooting then reboot. It rebooted again and I got the same error :"Inaccessible boot device" and I noticed that software and system from regback folder changed in size. I'd like to get a script to run on Safe Mode command prompt to restore the settings before I installed HC.

It is hard to say what is happening in your system and why it cannot boot into Safe Mode.
There are two most probable scenarios:

1. Some other security application is incompatible with one or more Windows Policies configured by H_C.
2. The issue with rebooting is not related to H_C settings (random time correlation).

The point 1. would be more interesting, because finding the issue could help other H_C users.
There is no evidence of any issue with any policy configured by H_C (these policies are pretty common), so such issue had to be very rare. But anyway, I already found one example which was totally unknown (SRP disabled by Child account in Microsoft Family Safety).

The first possibility can be tested by fixing the booting problem, running H_C, uninstalling it via <Tools> <Uninstall Hard_Configurator>, and rebooting. If the computer will reboot without problems, then we probably have the issue from point 1.

 

[floalma]

I restart againt but this time I restored all the registry hives, not only software, system (the ones I noticed the first time that haven't been modified) but also default, sam and security. Hope this time, this issue will be fixed.

@Andy Ful

Uninstalling in this way, will reset the HC settings to the settings before HC installation, right ??

 

[blueblackwow65]

If you disabled SmartScreen via WD Security Center, then "Run As SmartScreen" option should be gray out and automatically set to OFF. Look at the Security Center to see if you have really SmartScreen disabled.

I don't have WD security center it is grayed out but i have "run as smartscreen" there?

 

[oldschool]

I don't have WD security center it is grayed out but i have "run as smartscreen" there?

How did you disable WD, WSC, etc.,? i.e. what method did you use?

 

[Andy Ful]

I don't have WD security center it is grayed out but i have "run as smartscreen" there?

Run ConfigureDefender and unhide the Security Center (last option).

 

[gerinho]

Hi
Sorry, coudn't find if it has been asked:
Is HC compatible with Windows 10 Enterprise?
Thank you

 

[Deletedmessiah]

Hi
Sorry, coudn't find if it has been asked:
Is HC compatible with Windows 10 Enterprise?
Thank you

Yes. It is compatible.

 

[Andy Ful]

I restart againt but this time I restored all the registry hives, not only software, system (the ones I noticed the first time that haven't been modified) but also default, sam and security. Hope this time, this issue will be fixed.

@Andy Ful

Uninstalling in this way, will reset the HC settings to the settings before HC installation, right ??

All H_C changes are wiped out when using the restore point (you have done it already).
All H_C changes are related to "HKLM\Software" and "HKLM\System" registry hives.

So the changes in the registry made by H_C should be already wiped out, before you restored the registry hives.

 

[Andy Ful]

Hi
Sorry, coudn't find if it has been asked:
Is HC compatible with Windows 10 Enterprise?
Thank you

It is. But, you should remember that policies introduced by GPO (via gpedit.exe for example) will take precedence over the same policies introduced via H_C.

 

[Freki123]

Installed the new version 5 via the update button without any problems. Imported the old saved settings afterwards and so far all running good.
Win 10 pro 64bit 1809
On 1920*1080 with 125% scaling a few pixels seems to be missing on the text.
(If it's only me it had something to do with patching an redeployed backup from june and windows just wanted to prank me)
Thanks for your time and work

 

[Andy Ful]

Installed the new version 5 via the update button without any problems. Imported the old saved settings afterwards and so far all running good.
Windows 10 pro 64bit 1809
On 1920*1080 with 125% scaling a few pixels seems to be missing on the text. View attachment 221530
(If it's only me it had something to do with patching an redeployed backup from june and windows just wanted to prank me)
Thanks for your time and work

Due to 125% scaling the text area is too big - text is 125% but the message box window is still 100%. Such scaling problems are common. Autoit language is not fully compatible with some display drivers.

 

[Freki123]

Thanks Andy for the fast answer. Have a nice weekend