Sandboxie

[CeeCee]

I'm considering to download and try out Sandboxie. Does all the browser cache files then go to Sandboxie, instead of browser own cache? If i change some browser settings, are those changes stored to SB, instead of browser directory? Can i run downloaded videos from SB? Does SB slow down browsing?

[Humpty]

There is a slight lag when first starting your sandboxed browser as it has to create what it needs to run everything properly then it's as per normal.

 

All the sandboxed browsing cache stays in the sandbox.

 

Any changes and or updates to the browser or addons are confined to the sandbox hence the need to update outside the sandbox.

 

You should be able to run videos in the sandbox.

 

I usually open all my trusted sites and enter my forum login details outside the sandbox so that they are always recached when I delete the contents and start a new sandboxed browsing session.

 

May sound a bit tedious but it's an awfully secure way to browse and becomes sorta second nature after a bit of use.

 

Best place to hang out to learn about SB is the forum.

 

SB Forum

 

SB FAQ

[login123]

What I like about sandboxie is its transparency. In windows explorer you can open up the "Default Box" and see every change that has been made by the sandboxed program. Sometimes there are surprises.

 

As far as I know, Returnil and Powershadow protect the HD very well, but with sandboxie you can see it.

 

Also you can use a bat file to securely delete the sandbox if you as overcautious as I am.

[CeeCee]

So if i run Opera in SB session, any settings changes are not actually saved and will be lose, when i clear the sandbox?

[Humpty]

So if i run Opera in SB session, any settings changes are not actually saved and will be lose, when i clear the sandbox?

Yep, including any and all malware, if any is accidently picked up that is.

 

It is possible to open file paths to retain some changes such as adding a bookmark but I haven't really used that feature and prefer to save stuff outside the sandbox.

[craigathus]

So if i run Opera in SB session, any settings changes are not actually saved and will be lose, when i clear the sandbox?

Hi CeeCee ,

After you close your browser, Sandboxie should prompt you to save any downloaded files and (added favorites) to your favorites list for example.

If you do something like "change" your home page while your browser is (sand boxed) that setting wont be saved.

[login123]

So if i run Opera in SB session, any settings changes are not actually saved and will be lose, when i clear the sandbox?

 

Prompting to save something is an option, as is automatically deleting the sandbox. I have both unchecked, so the sandbox doesn't go away until I securely delete it. I have not had sucess using Eraser to delete it, so wrote a bat file for the purpose.

 

edit:

All the temporary internet files are down there in "content.ie5".

Also, securely deleting it is not fast, using sdelete.

 

Here is a screenshot of the "sandbox" with most of the folders open:

 

[Humpty]

I have not had sucess using Eraser to delete it, so wrote a bat file for the purpose.

Hi login 123, would CCleaner be able to do a secure erase of the sandbox?

[login123]

Hi login 123, would CCleaner be able to do a secure erase of the sandbox?

 

Hi, Humpty. Don't know. Never tried, will see about that. Back in a minute.

 

edit:

Tried adding the "DefaultBox" as a custom folder to clean, didn't work. ?? Not going to try to edit the winapp.ini.

 

The reason Eraser doesn't work sometimes, I think, is because of the attributes of the temporary internet files.

 

I do know that the bat file below works with Sandboxie v2.86 and v3.02, but not with v3.00. Don't know about v3.20, haven't installed it yet.

 

You have to have Sdelete from sysinternals copied into c:\windows\system32. As you know, you have to make sure the file paths are correct. Changing the number after sdelete/p changes the number of times the file is overwritten (and makes the process take longer). If you want to try it, save it as a .bat file

 

I know I don't have to tell you this, Humpty, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Be Careful. DOS does what you tell it to, not what you want it to. Bat files make me nervous, I am always afraid an inexperienced person will wipe something out unintentionally.

 

edit 2: If you try it, let me know if it works or not. Thanks

 

@echo off
rem modified 20071130 to include warning
cd C:\DOCUME~1\COMPAQ~1\APPLIC~1\Sandbox\DefaultBox\user\current\LOCALS~1\TEMPOR~1
echo ------
echo This will securely delete your sandbox.
echo OK?
pause
@echo on
attrib -h -r -s -a content.ie5
sdelete/p 1 /s content.ie5
cd ..
attrib -h -r -s -a tempor~1
sdelete/p 1 /s tempor~1
cd ..
attrib -h -r -s -a locals~1
sdelete/p 1 /s locals~1
cd ..
attrib -h -r -s -a current
sdelete/p 1 /s current
cd ..
attrib -h -r -s -a user
sdelete/p 1 /s user
cd ..
attrib -h -r -s -a defaultbox
sdelete/p 1 /s defaultbox
cd ..
attrib -h -r -s -a sandbox
sdelete/p 1 /s sandbox

[Humpty]

Just tried CCleaner to empty the sandbox and it worked fine.

 

Of course nothing can be running within the sandbox at the time.

 

Did you tick - Advanced - "Custom Files and Folders" from within CC's main gui after setting the sandbox folder to be cleaned?

[login123]

Just tried CCleaner to empty the sandbox and it worked fine.

 

Of course nothing can be running within the sandbox at the time.

 

Did you tick - Advanced - "Custom Files and Folders" from within CC's main gui after setting the sandbox folder to be cleaned?

 

Hi Humpty. Thanks for taking the time to help me with this.

 

-was running an old version of CCleaner. Installed v2.03.532.

-added the path to sandbox using "options-Include": C:\Documents and Settings\Compaq_Owner\Application Data\Sandbox\*.*

-ticked the "Advanced > Custom..." box in the CCleaner gui.

-turned off internet explorer and sandboxie control. Nothing sandboxed.

-ran CCleaner.

-many files were removed, but not all.

-only thing that may have affected the job is that I was in powershadow, but I don't think that made the difference.

-What is left is shown below. It is mostly the content.IE5 folder, but most have been overwritten and renamed.

 

 

Thanks again for the help. I will try the new version of CCleaner when I reboot, and if that makes a difference I'll post it.

[login123]

Using the latest version of CCleaner to delete the sandbox left some files and folders still in the sandbox. Many files and folders were deleted and apparently overwritten; the 2 files in the picture below are all that is left in any of the folders, and they are not usable. So it appears that CCleaner does securely delete the sandbox, but sometimes does not complete the job. That is, some folders and 2 files were left.

 

Also, the files recovered after deletion were also overwritten, at least the ones I checked.

 

Several of the eraser type programs I have will not empty the sandbox either. I would not disparage CCleaner at all for this, it is a great program.

 

Leftovers: