Serious Discussion Shadow Defender successor -- ShadowFreeze

bjm_ said:
Shadow Defender successor -- ShadowFreeze (work in progress)

DavidXanatos is asking "What do you think?"

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/shadow-defender-successor.456631/page-7#post-3281936
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ShadowFreeze looks like a potentially valuable successor to Shadow Defender, especially if it preserves the original product’s simplicity while improving compatibility with modern Windows versions.

For a project like this, the most important areas to clarify and test would be:

  • Compatibility with Windows 10 and 11, including recent cumulative updates
  • Support for UEFI, Secure Boot, modern storage drivers, NVMe devices, and virtualization
  • Reliable handling of reboots, crashes, hibernation, Fast Startup, and unexpected power loss
  • Clear rules for exclusions, committed changes, and files created outside the protected volume
  • Protection against applications bypassing or disabling the freeze mechanism
  • Safe behavior during Windows updates, driver installation, and antivirus remediation
  • A dependable recovery method if the filter driver fails or the system becomes unbootable
  • Transparent documentation of the architecture, limitations, and security model

The biggest challenge will likely be balancing strong system-wide rollback protection with compatibility. A lightweight, well-documented design with predictable exclusions would be preferable to adding many complex features.

Until there is documentation and independent testing, it would be premature to assess its security or reliability. Testing should initially be performed in a virtual machine or on a non-critical system, with verified backups available.
 
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Sorrento said:
I used Shadow frequenty, however since its demise I image often so I've adapted to it not being there, I'm not that interested anymore as I don't need it as I did, just my 1 pence worth.
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I'm kind of in the same situation. I don't see a need for it, because I image every night. Well, that, and I use Sandboxie. But I'll still buy it just to help.
 
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Acadia said:
Indeed. Sandboxie has always been my favorite security program and if it weren't for David I wouldn't be using it (if it even existed).
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No problems supporting dev's who put real effort into producing good well designed and usable software.

While I'm not interested in Sanboxie or this but a new version of Dcrypt is my jam for that I want to support him. Does he have donations?
 
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Zero Knowledge said:
While I'm not interested in Sanboxie or this but a new version of Dcrypt is my jam for that I want to support him. Does he have donations?
Yeah I don't use Sandboxie, don't need a cert just simple donation page is better.
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You can support DavidXanatos, the developer behind the DiskCryptor open-source full disk encryption tool, by making a donation through his Patreon page.

According to the project's FAQ, any financial assistance provided is greatly appreciated and aids in the continued development of the project.
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==============
Shop | Xanasoft
 
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DavidXanatos Developer
First Beta, please note that the Driver is not signed and it has been only tested a little bit, so try it out on a virtual machine with test signing enabled, or on a test system of which you have a full backup.
https://shadowfreeze.com/Downloads/ShadowFreeze-v1.0.0.exe
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/shadow-defender-successor.456631/page-13#post-3282301
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ShadowFreeze UNSIGNED Beta v1.0.0
DavidXanatos
I'm excited to finally share the first public preview of ShadowFreeze, a new lightweight disk virtualization tool for Windows.

ShadowFreeze allows you to freeze partitions, redirect all changes into a temporary overlay, and return the system to its original state with a simple reboot. The project aims to provide a modern, actively maintained alternative to classic disk-freezing solutions, while adding new capabilities and long-term support.

This is still a very early preview intended for enthusiasts and experienced testers. The core functionality is already usable, but many features are still under development and there has only been limited testing on different hardware and Windows versions.

Important Warning
The current preview build includes an unsigned kernel driver and installer. As a result, it can only be used on systems with Windows Test Signing enabled.

This build should not be installed on a production machine. Although it has worked well in my testing so far, it is still an early development build and may contain serious bugs that could lead to data loss or an unbootable system.

Please make sure you have a recent backup. Ideally, use a virtual machine or a dedicated test system.
I'm looking forward to your feedback, bug reports, and suggestions. Your testing will help shape ShadowFreeze into a reliable replacement for existing disk-freezing solutions.

Happy testing!
Download: https://shadowfreeze.com/Downloads/ShadowFreeze-v1.0.0.exe
https://www.patreon.com/DavidXanatos/posts/shadowfreeze-v1-166276419
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1170.jpg
File: ShadowFreeze-v1.0.0.exe
File size: 2.94 MB (3,082,304 bytes)
SHA256 checksum: 0F47366E1D30ADCAB2B1BFEF8EB88FF3E7353BFF332A62C0B62D9830A42DED19
Date/Time: 8/10/2026
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## [1.0.1] - 2026-08-14
### Fixed
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/shadow-defender-successor.456631/page-16#post-3282694
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More important fixes
## [1.0.2] - 2026-08-15
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/shadow-defender-successor.456631/page-17#post-3282963
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New build 1.0.3 with fully signed driver
## [1.0.3] - 2026-08-30
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/shadow-defender-successor.456631/page-23#post-3284476
btw: the project website now has content: https://shadowfreeze.com/
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ShadowFreeze v1.0.3
David Xanatos
ShadowFreeze keeps your PC in a known-good state. You take a snapshot of a disk partition — or your
whole Windows system drive — and from that moment on every change is written to a temporary shadow
instead of the real disk. When you reboot (or unfreeze on demand), all of those changes vanish and the
partition returns exactly to how it was at the moment you froze it.
Now with fully signed driver, still in beta though try at your own risk.

Download: https://shadowfreeze.com/Downloads/ShadowFreeze-v1.0.3.exe
And the website is also ready: https://shadowfreeze.com/
https://www.patreon.com/DavidXanatos/posts/shadowfreeze-v1-168139620
https://forum.xanasoft.com/threads/shadowfreeze-v1-0-3.13127/
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