If you’ve ever wanted to maintain a system state to keep it secure
and not allow any changes, then you might want to try deep freezing your
Windows computer.
Unlike a
factory reset,
which wipes everything back to the manufacturer’s default, a deep
freeze allows you to create a specific system state that you want your
computer to restore back to. Windows 8 has
built-in utilities to restore and refresh your system, but this is a bit different.
There are paid and free applications to help you accomplish this, so
we’re going to look at both and see what’s available on the market.
What Is Deep Freeze?
Deep Freeze
is an application that resets the system state every time you reboot
your computer. This means that any change to the system, like installing
a program or adjusting a setting, will be forgotten when the system
starts up again.
Deep Freeze is developed by Faronics and is available on modern
versions of Windows. It’s suitable for a single computer workstation or
an entire server. While Deep Freeze is a very useful tool, the downside
is that it’s commercial. There’s nothing inherently wrong with
paying for software, but there are a number of free alternatives out there that might suit you better.
Download: Deep Freeze (30-day free trial) or purchase full edition (price on request).
Why Would I Need It?
Have you ever used a public computer? Those found in hotels or
libraries will probably use some sort of system restoring software. This
is because these systems are set up to run in a very specific way.
Users may accidentally download malware, attempt to install a program or
alter the visual style of the computer – to keep tabs on this across all systems and then fix any changes is far too time consuming.
Not only does it come in handy for businesses, but deep freezing a
system can be beneficial to you as an individual, too. Have you ever set
up a computer for a friend or relative only to return at a later date
to find it riddled with junk? Or perhaps they’ve changed a setting
somewhere and they don’t know how to get it back to normal?
Save yourself the hassle of fulfilling the tech support role and
instead let their computer dismiss any changes when they reboot.
Additionally, be sure to read our guide on
how to make their computer harder to break.
What Are The Free Alternatives?
If this sounds like something you might benefit from then we’ve
rounded up a list of free software that will deep freeze your system. Be
sure to post a comment below if you’ve used any of these before or have
your own suggestion to add.
Steadier State is a program developed specifically for Windows 7. The name comes from
Windows SteadyState,
a free deep freezing utility that Microsoft provided for XP and Vista,
which was discontinued and is no longer compatible with new operating
systems.
A good thing about this program is that every time the system
reboots, you can choose whether to roll back to the original state or
keep the changes. It’s a simple little utility, but if you’re running
Windows 7 off a few single machines, then it’ll do the job well.
While Reboot Restore Rx does have a paid alternative (
Drive Vaccine)
that offers additional features, like scheduled restoring, remote
managed and critical update automation, the free version does the job
just fine for basic use.
The program supports Windows 2000 to Windows 8.1, both 32-bit and
64-bit, and is still being updated to this day. It’s a bit different to
some other programs because it uses its own mini operating system that
functions at the sector level of the hard drive, ensuring the master
boot records’ integrity is kept.
One of the great things about ToolWiz Time Freeze is its simplicity.
All you need to do is tick a single box and the program will work its
magic. You can also start the program while the system is running or
alternatively enable it to automatically run on each boot.
You can add a password protection to your time freeze to make it
harder for someone to disable the protection. ToolWiz Time Freeze is
available on everything from Windows XP and above. It even claims to
work on Windows 10, which is still in beta!
‘Till Windows Freezes Over
Whether you just want to protect your own computer or a whole bank of
them, deep freezing a system can come in very useful. No longer do you
have to worry about anything troubling your system again – simply
restart and the changes are gone!
You don’t even have to use these programs permanently. For example,
there might be times where you let someone play around on your system
and you could enable one of these utilities prior to the fact in order
to maintain your preferred state.
There’s loads of uses for a deep freeze and luckily an arsenal of free programs to help you out!
Do you make use of any deep freeze software? If so, how does
it come in useful for you? Do you have any other freeware to add to our
list?
Source:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/system-restore-reboot-deep-freeze-windows-installation-free-tools/
