Returnil

For the initial release of RVS 2010, current RVS 2008 customers will receive an update notice via their registered email address with product download and registration instructions. RVS 2010 Beta testers simply need to install the final release over their current version and then request new commercial licensing (be sure to use the email address you used during the beta testing so the licenses are awarded quickly).

For future upgrades, When an upgrade is available, we will send a message directly to your copy of RVS with the announcement of availability and the link where you can download a new version. Simply download and then install the upgrade over your existing copy of RVS 2010.

Returnil Virtual System 2010 will simply revert to the unregistered version of Home Free called Free. The System Safe and Virtual Disk features will continue to work but the Virus Guard, File manager, and Real System Access features will be inactive.

Sometimes, it might take up to 24 hours for the registration request to be processed. Please be patient. If within that time, the software is still not registered, you might want to see if any of the below explanations apply. If not, please let us know.

It is possible that date and time is not properly set on your computer. If the time, date, and time zone are not properly configured, the RVS client may not be able to communicate with the Returnil registration server and will result in the RVS program interface showing an endless "Pending…" message in the lower left portion of the program.

We have identified a situation where RVS will not be able to register if the time, date, and time zone are not properly configured on the client computer.

To resolve this issue:

• Turn RVS System Safe off and restart your computer (if applicable)
• After restart, log back into your administrative account
• Configure the date, time, and time zone that is appropriate for your location

Windows XP and Server 2003
• Click the time and date display on the task bar to open the Date/Time Properties screen OR right click on the time and select "Adjust Date and Time" from the available menu items
• Enter the appropriate time for your location
• Next, enter the appropriate date
• Now open the Time Zone tab and then select the appropriate zone for your location.
• Click the "Apply" button to save your settings

Windows Vista, Server 2008, and Windows 7
• Click the time and date display on the task bar to open the Date/Time settings screen
• On the Date and Time tab, click the "Change date and time…" button and enter the appropriate settings for your location
• Next, Click the "Change time zone…" button and select the appropriate zone for your location from the drop-down menu
• Optional: Internet Time tab. This will allow you sync your computer’s clock with a known internet time server automatically
  • If it is not set, click the "Change settings…" button to open the "Internet Time Settings" screen
  • Place a check in the "Synchronize with an Internet time server" option
  • Select the appropriate server from the drop-down menu and then click the "Update now" button to update the time now
  • Click "OK" to save your settings and close this window
  • Click "OK" again to close the main date/time screen

Yes, if you choose to purchase a new license or renew your existing one. Cost of the renewal will depend on whether the licensing is commercial or Educational/Non-Profit

When an upgrade is available, we will send a message directly to your copy of RVS with the announcement of availability and the link where you can download a new version. Simply download and then install the upgrade over your existing copy of RVS 2010.

Virus Guard updates can be set to automatically download or you can use one of the links in the program to force an update immediately.

Returnil Virtual System 2010 uses a combination of antivirus and virtualization technologies to protect your system against both malicious software and unwanted changes. Returnil virtualization technology clones computer’s System Partition and boots the PC into this system rather than native Windows, allowing you run your applications in a completely isolated and secure environment. All activity is then performed within the virtual environment, ensuring that the operating system itself cannot be compromised by viruses, other malicious software, bad installations or user error. A simple restart is all that is required to return the PC to its original state. To ensure that no viruses are present in the virtual system, Virus Guard scans the system during the installation of Returnil Virtual System. Whether you are working with files located on your computer or files located in the cloud, Returnil Virtual System will keep both your computer and data safe and secure.

The most important distinction is in the way Returnil Virtual System is designed. The concept is to take the best aspects of traditional and non-traditional PC security solutions and strategy and then recombine them into an intelligent layered approach. This intelligent layering in RVS works so that overlapping redundancy is eliminated while exploiting the strengths of each component part to make the whole more effective, efficient, and relevant to eliminating the threat from malware.

Returnil Virtual System licensing is available by subscription with 12, 24, and 36 month options for both purchases and renewals in future years.

We do not offer lifetime licensing as it is self defeating and leads inevitably to poor customer service and slower product development. The reason for this is that as the pool of available customers shrinks with time and competition, companies who allow lifetime licensing are eventually forced to focus myopically on revenue generation at the expense of customer service. As we are in this for the long haul, subscriptions and renewals allow us to focus on product development and support having sufficient resources to service all customers quickly and efficiently.

The largest issue that people face is the utter failure of traditional PC security solutions and strategy to provide any long term protection. While marketing messages and claims tell you that their solutions will protect you, the reality has been very different. This is why our current users have moved to the RVS concept where proactive protection and time to removal are the keys rather than the old reactive detection & brute force removal techniques where the "cure" is often just as dangerous as the infection. Whether you use the Returnil Virtual System System Safe feature on demand or always on, you can be confident that your system is protected and simply restarting your computer will make all the nastiness go away!

Our mission has always been focused on the elimination of malware as a threat to computing. By offering a solution to those who may not have the ability to purchase our software, we get closer to the realization of our goal. Further, having free software choices available serves an important marketing function without having to use traditional advertising to achieve large scale adoption of our software. The better RVS performs, the more people will hear about and try it. It is simple really: Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door.

The new RVS 2010 uses a single installer for all versions of the software which is available from a number of mirrors listed at the Returnil website on each specific product page. Simply download a copy and then request the appropriate type of license from the integrated License Registration screen. Users of RVS 2008 and LABS versions should uninstall their current copy of the software before installing the 2010 upgrade.

We take an intelligent layered approach to PC security that is proactive rather than the traditional bloat that occurs in security solutions you may be familiar with already. These solutions have trended towards a myopic focus on detection and brute force removal/blocking, more intrusive system hooks, bloated marketing sourced feature sets, and flashy interface designs. Returnil Virtual System is designed from a perspective that there is no single technology that can be considered a "silver bullet". All have weaknesses that can be exploited in one way or another. The key in RVS has been to take the best parts of security and meld them into a coherent whole where the weaknesses no longer matter because they are addressed by the strengths of another component.

One good example that most readers will connect to intuitively is the Antivirus scanner. Almost everyone has and uses one, but the technology is fundamentally flawed. They are based on a blacklist of known malware that assumes any file not on its list is "clean". This is simply not true as many have discovered to their detriment. Even if the AV solution uses heuristics, the base rules for this detection method are based solidly in the analysis of known content. If the malware is sufficiently different than what is already known, it can slip by detection or even worse, a file could be falsely identified as malware which can lead to damage of your programs and/or Windows itself.

Virtualization on the other hand can allow you to simply restart your computer to remove malicious content, but it is not capable of detecting whether a change is good, bad, or indeterminate. This could allow malware to install and/or run inside the virtual environment for the period up to the point where the computer is restarted and the malicious changes are removed. If you combine the two components, you can begin to see the power where the AV's best feature (detection) is complimentary to the Virtualization's strength (quick, painless removal) and you not only get nearly 100% removal of malware, you also reduce the time to that removal from your system!

The RVS user's manual is available in PDF format from our website using the following links:

• RVS 2008
• RVS 2010

Yes and no. For all customers we offer free email support. For large customers and partners we offer a wider range of support options based on customer requirements and/or specific support agreements.

No, we do not offer direct support for the freeware editions of RVS. We do, however, have a community based support forum on-line where all are welcome to post questions and participate in RVS discussions:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=100

Yes, Returnil Virtual System 2010 is a great leap forward in PC security. While many of its component parts are not new, the way they are used IS. Now you can detect malicious content in the virtual system and restart your computer to remove it immediately before it has a chance to infect your real system with the all new Virus Guard feature. The Anti-Execute and Autoruns tools from RVS 2008 have been fully integrated and vastly simplified; there is an all new remote management console, new intuitive GUI design, dynamic "on-the-fly" caching, automated product registration, self-help password and license recovery, malware behavior data and sample collection, and all versions can be installed from a single installer!

Currently, the Help manual is only available in English and Japanese. Additional languages will be added in the future as time and resources allow and will be available for access form the software interface.

Without trying to sound flippant here, the answer is no other than to be sure you are employing a firewall and or Firewall/router, apply Microsoft product and security updates, and practice safe surfing while on-line. Do not take this answer, however, to indicate that we think you should uninstall or stop using any of your current security solutions; rather it is to emphasize the protection offered in RVS 2010.

Yes, RVS is fully compatible with both 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows 7.

Yes, RVS 2010 supports Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, and Win 7 64-bit Operating Systems.

This could be caused by a number of reasons that most likely relate to other programs you may be using at the same time as RVS. The most common:

• Antivirus, HIPS, and/or Anti-Executable interferes with the installation. To remedy the issue, deactivate your antivirus real-time protection until the installation of RVS is complete and then reactivate your AV.
• Antivirus, HIPS, and/or Anti-Executable interferes with the uninstall of RVS. To remedy the issue, deactivate your antivirus real-time protection until the installation of RVS is complete and then reactivate your AV.
• Firewall hinders install or uninstall. To remedy this issue, open your firewall rules and/or allow the RVS installer to run without hindrance

If the installation fails, then you might want to try the following scenario:

• Reboot your computer
• Run the installation again and follow onscreen instructions (The installer has a built-in feature to recover previous broken installations)

As a security product, RVS hooks into the system to provide the virtualization and malware protection capabilities. It is STRONGLY recommended to NOT remove the product manually. Also, it is STRONGLY recommended to NOT use any third-party "advanced" uninstallers, which may be very useful for traditional products, but which may cause stability problems with your computer for security products.

Please follow the recommended approach:

1. IMPORTANT! Ensure that System Safe is turned OFF
2. Uninstall the product from Control Panel using standard Windows mechanisms
3. If it does not help, then please download latest version of RVS, upgrade to it, and then uninstall it. We are improving the installer/uninstaller to detect miscellaneous problems with every new version.

RVS 2010 now includes a self-help password recovery option. Please follow the instructions below to reset your password:

• Make sure you are using a registered version of RVS. If you haven't registered your version as Free, Trial or Commercial, then please do so, otherwise you will not be able to reset your password
• Click the "Unlock the interface" link on the bottom right corner of your RVS GUI.
• Unlock RVS interface windows pops up, prompting you for a password. On this screen, there is a link "forgot your password?". Click it.
• You will be redirected to a URL where you enter some necessary details such as the email address used during registration and activation date(from License Registration dialog box) or purchase date
• Click the "Send recovery e-email" button and follow the onscreen instructions

What do I do if I can't boot up for any reason? The first thing to try is to boot the computer into safe mode. On most computers this would be accomplished by clicking the F2 or F8 keys on your keyboard while the system starts to open the boot menu. Once at this screen, select Safe Mode and then deactivate RVS System Safe or uninstall RVS if this is not successful. Next, restart your computer in normal Windows mode. If this does not solve the issue, please contact us via our support form and describe what happened when with a description of your computer so we can investigate further. Please include the exact text of any error messages you receive.

1. Boot in Windows Safe mode
2. Delete the file "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Returnil\RVSYSTEM.DAT" (usually, it is "C:\Returnil\RVSYSTEM.DAT")
3. Restart in Windows normal mode

Note: This solution does not work if you turn OFF the option "Preferences/System Safe/Disable Virtual System in Safe Mode". In this case, you have to boot your computer from recovery system (e.g. recovery disk, from CD or flash, then delete the specified file, and then restart Windows in normal mode.)

The most likely cause is that you configured the size of the Virtual Disk incorrectly. To resolve this issue, simply open the Tools > Virtual Disk tab, remove your current Virtual Disk, and then configure a new Virtual Disk in a larger size.

All Payment Inquiries are handled by Cleverbridge. Please click the link to contact Cleverbridge Support.

There is no problem with ordering from our website without credit card. Please follow the instructions below:

- go to our Products page and click the appropriate Buy Now button to go to our estore
- once in the store, at the bottom of the first page you'll find "payment options", please select your desired payment type

Please visit our website to read about the Returnil Certified Partner program and its benefits.

Before you apply:

- Sales questions, please use this form

- Technical questions, please use this form

Once you are ready to join the Returnil Certified Partner program, simply fill out your application

NOTE: As a security product, RVS hooks into the system to provide the virtualization and malware protection capabilities. It is STRONGLY recommended to NOT remove the product manually. Also, it is STRONGLY recommended to NOT use any third-party "advanced" uninstallers, which may be very useful for traditional products, but which may cause stability problems with your computer for security products.

Please follow the recommended approach:

1. IMPORTANT! Ensure that System Safe is turned OFF
2. Uninstall the product from Control Panel using standard Windows mechanisms
3. If it does not help, then please download latest version of RVS, upgrade to it, and then uninstall it. We are improving the installer/uninstaller to detect miscellaneous problems with every new version.

Yes, this is what is recommended as RVS must be installed separately within each supported Windows OS installed on the computer. To protect non-active boot partitions, simply use the included File Protection feature to lock them down.

Yes and no. RVS does not allow you to defragment your hard disk drive while its System Safe feature is active as this could cause damage to your system files. When RVS virtualization is off, however, you can defragment your hard disks.

Yes, make sure you computer is free of malware infection, defragment your hard disk drive, and apply all current Microsoft security and product updates.

Yes, this is an integral component of the virtualization engine.

It depends. There are certain features in RVS 2010 that require communication with our servers:

- Remote management in a network

- Antimalware behavior data and sample collection

- Request for product registration

- In product messaging (alerts, product upgrades, support, etc)

Communications features can be turned off in the product's preferences and options.

Yes, Returnil Virtual System 2010 is compatible with RAID 0 & 1

Emergency backup and recovery is an important element in PC security and is often overlooked. While we are working to develop several new features in this direction (emergency restore image and others to be announced at a later time), we highly recommend using both data replication and some form of total computer imaging. Windows Vista and Windows 7 both contain new features that include these abilities. For XP users, we recommend choosing a solid data backup and imaging solution or solutions.

You never know when disaster will strike, so be prepared!

The first generation of RVS 2010 is similar to RVS 2008 where it is limited in its ability to assist with software testing that requires a restart of the computer. As long that program does not require this, then you are good to go. Later versions in this series will include support for retaining a virtual session across restarts so please stay tuned.

Yes, but not completely. RVS 2010 will work as expected on SSDs, but does not yet support disk write minimization. We are currently testing support for creating RVS cache files on an alternate partition in RVS Labs. The testing version only supports cloning of alternate partitions while allowing the cache to be placed on a different, non-system partition or disk and plan to introduce a more full featured version of this feature in a future version of RVS 2010. This upgrade will include the ability to create the cache for the System Partition on non-system partitions/disks.

To answer your query, solutions such as VMware, VPC, VirtualBox, etc are designed to simulate an entire computer; both hardware and software. They create another complete computer on your desktop but let you access the real system by simply moving your cursor to the desktop or minimizing the VM window. This means that you could potentially drag and drop a virus from the VM session directly onto your real computer and have the potential to accidentally activate that content on your real computer. There is also a possibility that improper configurations (shared folders, direct connection to the Internet, etc) could result in "leakage" to the real system. VMs are complicated to set up and configure as well as having additional expenses linked to proper licensing of the guest Operating System or systems used. RVS locks down the real system partition with a simple click of a mouse, does not result in heavy resource use, and is immune to leakage and is thus secure, where the nature of a VM can never be secure in this way. In fact, it is recommended to use RVS in concert with VM solutions to address these very issues for the Host computer.

Yes, we have not found any issues in our testing to date.

Yes, you can use RVS in combination with these solutions on the Host OS as well as use RVS within a supported Guest OS.

The Full System Scan feature is only available in paid versions of the software, therefore, it is disabled in your Home Free version. The major differences between our versions can be seen on the following page.

Open preferences > Virus Guard tab and change the Real-Time malware analysis option to "Do not use advanced rules analysis". This should stop most of the false/positives from appearing.

You can also send us a screenshot of the message with the zipped detected file as attachment.

NO, a common way to use RVS is to activate System Safe temporarily rather than change the default protection Mode. You can think of this like the shield space ships use in Science Fiction: When in doubt or about to enter a potentially hostile place, turn ON System Safe!

No, you can activate System Safe without a restart of your computer. To turn it off however requires a restart. We are working towards not having to restart the computer at all to enter or leave the virtual protection, but this will still take time to realize

The main mission of Virtual Disk is to allow a convenient means for the user to save their data while using the protection feature. You should also explore saving data in alternate partitions - part of the design concept of Returnil Virtual System was to force awareness that you do not have to save your data in default locations, especially your System Partition.

NO, Mounting/dismounting and use of the Virtual Disk is not affected by the System Safe mode or change of mode.

Open the Returnil Virtual System 2010 interface and then click the Tools section of the home page. Next, click the Virtual Disk tab to access the settings.

- On the Status section choose create if you have not created a Virtual Drive or select remove to delete your current VD (be sure to backup any data and dismount the VD before you proceed)
- Change the settings as appropriate and then mount your new VD

The System Safe feature virtualizes your System Partition while the Virtual Disk is a convenience feature that provides you with a place to store files and data while using System Safe protection.

To move or reuse an archived Virtual Disk on a new or restored computer, please do the following:

1. Make sure the Virtual Disk is properly backed up.

2. Install RVS on your new System Partition (usually the C:\ drive for the alternate computer you are accessing the slave drive from). DO NOT install a Virtual Disk at this time.

3. Following the installation/restart, Close the RVS GUI with RVS System Safe in OFF mode, and then copy the RVSYSTEM.img file from the slave drive into the root (hidden) C:\Returnil folder on the new computer.

4. Restart the RVS GUI and then use the link to the right side of the Tools>Virtual Disk section to mount the Virtual Disk.

You should now be able to access the data in the old VP and continue to use it in the same way you used it on the previous computer.

Yes, but the USB must be connected to the computer to be mounted or accessed.

Create and then mount a Virtual Disk to act as a substitute for an alternate partition.

The Virtual Disk is a convenience for those who may not have access to alternate partitions to store documents, save pictures, or even save data changes when using the System Safe feature in RVS. It is not required for the protection feature to work properly and is nothing more than a very large file with special properties that makes Windows believe it is a real hard drive or partition when mounted. When dismounted, it is a large, inaccessible (to anything other than RVS) file on your System Partition (2.00 series and older) or alternate partition/drive (2.01 and above). When dismounted, the contents you have saved within it cannot be seen, altered, or moved and remains hidden from unauthorized eyes. It can also be transported if you have media large enough to copy or move it to and can be opened/used on another computer with RVS installed.

RVS only protects the System Partition. On most computers this is the C:\ Drive. When using the Free or Home Free versions, you cannot save content to this drive but can save to other areas like a data drive, a USB stick or storage drive, optical disk (CD/DVD), firewire drive, etc. With the Home Lux, Enterprise Classic/Premier versions, however, you can save files and folders on your System Partition (C:\ drive) through the File Manager - simply add the files and/or folders you want to save and then click the "Update Selected" link

There are three ways to do this:

1. Save downloaded files and programs to a non-system disk or partition (Ex: Data drive D:\, USB stick/device, etc)
2. Save downloaded files and programs within the RVS Virtual Disk (Ex: Virtual Drive Z:\)
3. More complex: Download as you normally would do (Ex: desktop, My Documents, My Files, etc) and then add them to the RVS File Manager. Once added, select the "Update Selected" option in the RVS tray icon menu or use the "Save Files" button on the Tools > File Manager tab.

Yes and no. With RVS System Safe active, changes made to the System Partition are lost at restart by default. This means any Windows Restore Points made during this time will simply disappear so having it active at this point would be a waste of system resources. Manual Restore points are still valid and should be made regularly with RVS System Safe deactivated.

The File Manager is a feature that allows you to commit changes to files and/or folders on the Real System that change frequently and is available in paid versions only. This feature however is inclusive rather than exclusive as designed by our competitors. In other products, files and folders are excluded from protection so the user can make changes to them. In RVS, we think it is more secure to protect this content at all times except at the moment the file or change is committed to disk (saved). This approach requires deliberate action on the part of the authorized user and cannot be exploited by malware as it can in competitor's solutions.

Microsoft security updates come once a month (sometimes twice a month), are announced well in advance of release, and can be installed at any time you choose. Therefore, it is not a large hurdle to deactivate RVS' System Safe feature to allow the download and installation of these updates at the time convenient for you. What is more interesting here is that even if you mistimed this and did not get the update, your system is protected against unwanted changes that might exploit what these updates were developed to address.

To ensure compatibility with your Antivirus updates, change the default download/save/load path for the product's signature file to a non-system partition. A good example would be to change this to your data partition or the Virtual Disk. The only caution we would add in reference to saving data in the Virtual Disk is that you must have RVS installed to mount this or access the disk.

No, when System Safe is active, all changes made to the System Partition will be lost with a reboot. If you save the content within the Virtual Disk or on an alternate drive, then the data saved in the Virtual Disk remains following a reboot. We are working to include file and folder exclusions in a future version of RVS (3.1 or higher).

Either you save data within your Virtual Disk or you do not (no exclusion or inclusion list required). Unless you are an UBER system tweaker, developer, program tester, or researcher there is no overriding need to exclude anything from protection on the System Partition; break your default Windows save directory addiction! For those who do need this type of feature, we are working to include it as quickly as possible in a future version of the software.

File Protection allows users to protect selected files and folders on non-system partitions/disks and works by forbidding access to these items until an authorized user removes them from the list. With the addition of multi-partition virtualization in a future version of RVS, this feature will be discontinued as redundant.

These tools have been discontinued and integrated into the RVS 2010 interface in a more simplified presentation. The Autoruns tool has simply been absorbed into the internals of the Virus Guard feature and the AE tool has been simplified to two choices:

1. Trust only those programs that already exist on the System or,
2. Let programs run as they will

The AE tool has always been extremely simple and targeted so may react to certain content in a way that may not be expected if you are familiar with HIPS applications in general. Further, it is tied more closely to the Virus Guard feature which may allow some things to run but block known malicious content (Ex: An MSI may be allowed to run, but malicious content that tries to run from the MSI will be blocked).

Available only in Returnil Virtual System 2008 Premium. The protection scheduler is a convenience to allow some automation while performing tasks that might require frequent changes to your real hard drive. The 0 - 23 represent the hours in a 24 hour day (0 = 12am and 23 = 11PM)