Advanced Plus Security plat's PC Security Config

[plat]

My config for now. Had to refresh my static image to reflect Windows 10. May re-install 11 sometime but not anytime soon. It's more hassle-free that way.

 

[harlan4096]

Windows UAC?

 

[plat]

Yes, it's there now or should be. It's set at default.

 

[plat]

Well, it turns out my Samsung 980 Pro MVM-e was more corrupted than originally thought--I'd rolled back to Windows 10 a while back as 1 GB of disk space was disappearing daily over a week's time and I couldn't find any of it. Then, earlier tonight, Windows 11 wouldn't install, not via the desktop nor with USB. It would restart as if to install but the next thing you know, it's back on the Windows 10 desktop without any error message or anything. After trying repeatedly, I finally installed my backup drive--a 970 EVO Plus (250 GB), Windows 11 popped up in Updates immediately and it went thru fine.

I think a partition was corrupted but you'd think trying to reformat with the USB would work. It did not. I will have to discard my 980 Pro--it's no use to try to reformat or anything; it will never be trustworthy. It had 3 firmware revisions--maybe that contributed, I don't know.

Think I'll get the 980 (non pro) @ 500 GB. This 970 EVO is great but it's a little small.

 

[ForgottenSeer 92963]

What a bummer. Did you try whether Samsung Disk Magician health status gave any clues? Sometimes when the disk has degrading units it helps to reserve 10% reserve space with Disk Magician.

 

[plat]

Did you try whether Samsung Disk Magician health status gave any clues?

Oh yes. Checked the health and for bad blocks. 99% health via HWiNFO and Crystal Disk Info and 0 disk errors via Magician. A corrupted recovery partition, I'm thinking. The disk was already mostly empty also.

But Disk Management had said all partitions were "healthy." Very strange but I'm over it.

 

[ForgottenSeer 92963]

Oh yes. Checked the health and for bad blocks. 99% health via HWiNFO and Crystal Disk Info and 0 disk errors via Magician. A corrupted recovery partition, I'm thinking. The disk was already mostly empty also.

But Disk Management had said all partitions were "healthy." Very strange but I'm over it.

Sorry, something lost in translation. I will try again. With empty I intended that Disk Magician does not format the whole disk but keeps a portion in reserve to use when solid state memory decreases. It is an option of Samsung Disk Magician. I looked it up and it is called " over provisioning"

Spoiler: Disk Magician Screen print

 

[plat]

No, actually nothing was lost in translation. I'm aware of over provisioning. I guess I was the one who wasn't very clear. I hinted at it when I said my disk "was already mostly empty also."

I would never enable over provisioning on a disk with 423/465 GB free when I yanked it. Not even on this smaller one with currently 206/232 free. Anyway, Windows 11 seems to be OK, and best of all, no mysterious disappearance of bits of disk space. Let me tell you, I wouldn't wish this disk nightmare on anyone. But luckily, it didn't fail me, it just couldn't update.

 

[plat]

OK, went to Windows 11 Insiders Beta. Color me "Risky."

Spoiler

 

[plat]

Changed my mind, bought another 980 Pro nvm-e and installed Windows 10 because I want to check if some rather severe stuttering issues I had with a certain game in Windows 11 are still present.

I only speak for myself but I'm spoiled for performance. The 970 EVO Plus is a nice nvm-e but it's very small and a back-up for a reason. The new one is very fast and I hope the issues I had with the prev. don't pop up again. Then again, I got one of the first ones out on the market and subsequent firmware updates likely took their toll.

Don't know if Edge is going to stay on here but for right now, it's pretty good. Will update as things evolve.

Edit: update--the stuttering was most definitely confined to Windows 11. Anyone playing on a Unity platform having this problem? There are some guides online that have you making registry edits and these were only partially successful. Turning off anti-aliasing didn't work either. Only Windows 10 made the game run flawlessly as it should. Oh well.

 

[SeriousHoax]

Anyone playing on a Unity platform having this problem?

I'm playing one at the moment, (Disco Elysium) but it's not a very hardware demanding (CPU/GPU) game. So, unable to reproduce.

 

[plat]

Hey, everyone. I added VoodooShield v. 7.06 to my Windows 11 Insiders build on my alternate drive. Now then--it's been a while--since v. 3.xx. All settings are at Default (Auto Pilot--Aggressive) and Whitelist Cloud is off. So far, no system impacts that I can tell.

Is this the configuration most are using--Default? Do you think it's wise to disable VS if Windows 11 is updating? Note, this is Insiders Beta and you get a new build, complete with a Windows.old folder. It just updated today to v. 22610.1 but VS wasn't installed at the time.

Thanks!

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Smart is the default/recommended mode by @danb
But I find AutoPilot Mode more practical when you use a webbrowser all the time.
Discussed this with Dan a while back, but we agreed to disagree
Running the latest version 7.07 in AutoPilot Mode (Aggressive) and with WhitelistCloud enabled.

It's best to disable VS on a full insider's beta Windows 11 update to avoid any issues.
There is no need to do this with normal Windows updates, but better safe than sorry...

 

[plat]

Evaluating JShelter extension for Firefox. I do online shopping (OK, window shopping mostly) and there are hints here and there of tracking that make things a little uncomfortable. Let's see how it goes. Anyone else currently using it? If so, pls feel free to drop a note or two.

Example of a page on Amazon site:

Spoiler

 

[Wontkins]

Plat1098, I just started using it. Only had a problem on DailyMotion. There I had to change the Javascipt Shield setting or it wouldn't start the video. Oddly after I started playing it and changed it back the other old show videos I found there worked fine. Otherwise I haven't had to mess with it at all. Boy DM's site design is horrible.

 

[plat]

Hey everyone! Happy Turkey Day!

OK, seeing as I'm doing more online financials, I've decided to invest in a supporter's certificate for a security-hardened sandbox. Done and dusted. The developer is offering a Black Friday discount of 15%--good until November 28, 2022. So, now is the time to snap it up!

Hopefully it will be OK to post this over here in the dedicated SBIE threads. @bjm_

Black Friday is comming....

I was tolled that there is this custom called Black Friday apparently with discounts and alike, so lets participate... with the code bfriday22 you can...

www.wilderssecurity.com

edited to remove snip Was getting very messy with all the strike-outs.

 

[Zero Knowledge]

Not sure how I feel about once open-source software becoming a pay for use app with various tiers where certain features are only available for the xxx amount of money you pay. It just doesn't seem right. Not saying the developer doesn't deserve to earn money for their hard work but I would be much happier if he took donations like various other apps do to continue development or only charged for enterprise use and let home/personal users in for free.

 

[plat]

Not sure how I feel about once open-source software becoming a pay for use app with various tiers where certain features are only available for the xxx amount of money you pay.

Not defending him too much but the free version is respectable and the Plus UI has seen a lot of improvements.

The extra hardening features are paid--and to say with some truth, I'm still working out a few buggy things with Firefox due to these. I was not surprised when he brought out this business model. He put a lot of work and effort into it from day 1 and is trying to expand his user base with his other software (Private Win10, etc). It's been kind of slow to catch on, looks like.

 

[SpiderWeb]

Nice setup. I will check out Trace thank you!

 

[plat]

Hey everyone!

Have not changed very much in this config as it has served well and machine runs as though nothing is on here. Did lose HitmanPro as it's not worth the money to me anymore. Others like AdwCleaner and Norton do just fine as supplements to Defender's scan.

BUT. Two of my passwords (PayPal and AT&T Mobile) were pwned recently. No further damage was done but it was enough to jar my nerves a bit. So, I reviewed my password options and opted to go for a bunch of randomly generated ones using 1Password's generator, make a few changes to each on Notepad and store these offline on my external HDD.

I'll then change all my pre-existing ones manually--it's not that many to do anyway. It sounds kind of long and tedious and it prob. is.

If anyone has an interest in a free generator, here is the one I used: 1Password

Just not going the Password Manager route, and you can't make me.