Optional Directory Protection

SmartShield has a new feature, Optional Directory Protection (ODP). ODP is designed to optionally remove a directory from being protected by SmartShield. This allows a user to specify directories to allow changes that persist from boot to boot. Directories that have been marked for ODP allow files and folders to be saved, changed and deleted. This feature will allow the user profile directories like My Documents and Desktop to accept changes. ODP can also be used in Program Files sub directories to allow the possibility for updates to a program without disabling protection. Rather than redirecting saves this all-new technology allows you to save directly to the hard drive. This removes the need for the special storage space; therefore you are only limited by the size of your hard drive.

ODP on Smart Shield Client

Open up the client and click the Storage Configuration button.

Navigate to the Optional Directory Protection tab.

On this tab, select the folder(s) that need to be excluded from protection. In this example, the desktop and my documents have been selected. Press Submit.

Enter the password for the SmartShield software.

Your changes will take place after reboot.

The “List Directories” button will show all of the directories that are excluded from protection.

ODP on Smart Control Resource Manager

Access ODP through the File Menu: Client Control > Misc. Configuration > Optional Directory Protection

Or through the right click menu of a client Misc. Configuration > Optional Directory Protection

The Optional Directory Protection screen will show up.

From the Smart Control, you can now enter the directory to exclude from protection. If the directory exists on the targeted computer(s), it will be excluded from protection. Conversely, if protection needs to be restored to a directory from the Smart Control, check the box before submitting the form to return protection.

Select Yes to continue, or No, to return.

That is all there is to it! Optional Directory Protection is a simple yet powerful way to use SmartShield to be more productive than ever before while computing in a safe environment!

Restrictions:

ODP will not allow Junction Points, Reparse Point or System Directories.

ODP may also affect the way system files or shortcuts are used and created.

Changes or Updates that require updates to the registry will not be compatible with ODP.

Due to many improvements made to speed up the TCP/IP communication in Smart Control Resource Manger the service is now loading much faster. Unfortunately, we have found that in some cases when rebooting, Smart Controls running version 2.1.8 on Windows 7 our service may be loading faster that the TCP/IP connection can handle. There is a simple solution to this problem. Windows 7 Smart Controls may need to slow down the service start up type to allow for the IP address to be registered in the service. To do this open the Service Control manager and change the Centurion Smart Control service startup type from Automatic toAutomatic (Delayed Start). Changing the service to Automatic (Delayed Start) will give the machine time register its IP address before listening for clients on all subsequent reboots.

Centurion Technical support has recently received reports of Smart Shield client machines with Windows XP that have services that are slow to load. Technical Support diligently went to work in our lab evaluating this report. Initial tests of the report did not produce slow loading of Smart Shield. Eventually we were able to reproduce this issue in our lab with some regularity. It was discovered that after installing a fresh Windows XP with all of the current Windows Updates, the machines started displaying the reported slow Windows service loading. This slow loading issue was not discovered sooner, because not all machines are slow to load. As part of the debugging process we also found that the event log showed a system error. The error was the following:

After researching the error, we found that this issue is fairly common when Windows XP machines execute software that involves disk protection or monitoring like Smart Shield or antivirus. Microsoft released a hot fix to correct this issue. Running the executable from the link below on the Smart Shield client machine while unprotected will restore automatic service start up speed. For further assistance please contact our technical support team, we are always happy to talk to our customers!

Please refer to the Microsoft article for additional details on this issue.http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888402

Below is the direct link to the hot fix. Microsoft warns against using this fix unless you find the above error in your event log!

http://hotfixv4.microsoft.com/Windows%20XP/sp3/Fix141412/2600/free/209635_ENU_i386_zip.exe

Centurion R&D