Sandboxes failing to erase

[henryg]

Hi Bo

Hi henry, like btm, I dont use 3rd party programs to delete the sandbox. I don't have problems deleting any of my sandboxes in either of my two computers. Iis been years since I experienced a deleting on closing issue. I stopped experiencing almost completely that type of issue when I stopped using real time scanners. I suggest you take a look at any new security software that you installed recently. Perhaps, another security program is keeping your sandbox from deleting. Bo

I have been using essentially the same setup for years - Sandboxie, KIS and Eraser5. AFAICR, there was rarely a problem with Sandboxes not deleting previously, but now it is happening as often than not.

As it so happens, using a ramdisk is a better solution for me in many respects, but for the first time my confidence in Sandboxie has taken a hit. I could go back to the non-beta version, but I just don't have the time to mess around trying to find out what has gone wrong.

I don't expect Invincea to drop everything to sort out my problems, but I dislike and disagree with the reason given - this is a bad security breach IMO.

[safemist]

Hi Bo.

So your only security software is Windows firewall and sandboxie? Have you ever had virus problems?

[bo.elam]

So your only security software is Windows firewall and sandboxie? Have you ever had virus problems?

I also use Firefox with NoScript. I am a big believer in NoScript. I don't use it for security but have to say that I have never seen anything suspicious while browsing since becoming a NoScript user.

I used Sandboxie and NoScript for about the same time and never had a problem with malware since becoming a user of this programs. Using or not using antiviruses doesn't make a difference, malware don't come around my computers. Is like it doesn't exist.

Bo

[Brummelchen]

1st - APMichael, not nice to take over other peoples thread. as Curt wanted to say - dont bother here - you get your answer when done. and you have to admit that development sometimes has other focus than your problem - which seems handmade by yourself.

for henry - eraser is futile, not in general but method DOD and others in special. erasing data just need once only zero bytes, no more no less. its a myth that only rewriting hundreds of times with several patters is secure - bullsh*t. to recover a bit is possible at 56 percent (0,56) - a byte of 8 bit the possibility has shrunk down to 0,97 percent (0.56^8)
http://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/1 ... write.html
gutmann wrote about decades ago - hardware shrinked and and density raised extremly, forget multiple overwriting with patterns, useless waste of time and effort. in case of SSD its life is decreasing so fast badly.

Something on your system is likely delaying the release of the files or folders in your boxes.

idd - deletion is depending on system. and in most cases som antivirus or similar is causing this.

anyway i cannot locate "eraserl.exe" here on any system, it seems part of heide eraser v5 and was deleted by purpose due security reason (abuse). so funny talking about related security ...
search here http://www.oldapps.com/
eraserl seems to need 2 more files.

[APMichael]

1st - APMichael, not nice to take over other peoples thread. as Curt wanted to say - dont bother here - you get your answer when done. and you have to admit that development sometimes has other focus than your problem - which seems handmade by yourself.

Take over the thread?! I think you hyperbolize... (Curt uses a quote from my thread before.) And you better should read all posts before you claim that a problem would be handmade. The problem (failure of AutoDelete) is confirmed already! So why are you so arrogant?

[JoeHood]

I am not so concerned that it cannot delete open files, but not receiving an error message is a serious issue.

This is from henryg's opening post and somehow the thread has evolved into why sandboxie isn't deleting fully. It is because your files are in use, or something doing something to your files is in use. Most likely it is Eraser its self that is in use. People close the sandbox and have Eraser set to overwrite the files too many times and the erasing takes awhile. They forget about that and start a new sandbox session while the first session is still erasing. As far as the serious issue of not giving a warning - there is a red X in the tray icon you can see. Or you have your taskbar on auto hide and can not see the icon. Put your container in ram and forget about it.

[Mr.X]

Put your container in ram and forget about it.

Agreed, this is what I actually do. Use a RAM disk to easily accomplish that, this a free and nice solution: https://www.softperfect.com/products/ramdisk/

[btm]

This is a rare problem that affects very few users.

I bet many users have this issue but they do not recognize it until another problem occurs. Many problems reported in the forum are definitely in conjunction with the deletion failure.

Like ApMichael I doubt that the measure of complaints vs actual issues caused with this can be quantified properly. I recognized the issue and managed to come up with a solution of my own once I encountered this (waaaay back) and never created a thread or ticket about it as I knew the fault didn't lay with sandboxie directly (in my case) but I can also understand where t[he]y are [is] coming from and having the program (SBIE) being aware of a failed deletion and retrying later or alerting the user would be nice!

By no means do I think this should be a priority but it is certainly worth a look at some point along the line~IMO at least... for now I'm perfectly content with my ramdisks and staggered security softwares randomly resulting in unerased sbie folders prior to a reboot since I don't use sbie for privacy, I use it for isolation.

Unfortunately not everyone uses SBIE the same way and with a program so adept at helping people for either side it'd be a bad choice to forget the ones using it for privacy (in this case) just because it's inconvenient right now/in this matter. Particularly with something so simple-where a timer and re-delete attempt could be so easily added. (though I admit that recognizing if it worked or not could be problematic and don't you dare ask me how that should be handled /that's beyond me /migraine+++ eek!)

Tell you what peter, I'll save you the trouble since you like picking on me anyhow... /me slaps himself over such a silly comment. Tzuk has spoken about this....somewhere....beyond the eyes of mortals such as you! (kiss kiss wink)

[henryg]

Most likely it is Eraser its self that is in use. People close the sandbox and have Eraser set to overwrite the files too many times and the erasing takes awhile. They forget about that and start a new sandbox session while the first session is still erasing.

When a sandbox is deleting its name gets changed, so starting a new session/sandbox has never made a difference. What is happening often now is that deletion starts (red x), the process is aborted, and so the sandbox is not deleted without error flags or messages.

As far as the serious issue of not giving a warning - there is a red X in the tray icon you can see. Or you have your taskbar on auto hide and can not see the icon.

The red X does not confirm the the process completed correctly.

Put your container in ram and forget about it.

That turns out to be good for me, but does not adequately deal with situations where I want to know that a sandbox auto-deletes as soon as eg I close Firefox.

[JoeHood]

When a sandbox is deleting its name gets changed

There is a delay on that. You can see it yourself. Start a sandboxed session and open unsandboxed windows explorer so you can see the files in the sandbox. It should say the name of the sandbox (example DefaultBox) in the title bar. Leave that window box open and close the sandbox session. See the delay in the title bar from DefaultBox to -DefaultBox.

The red X does not confirm the the process completed correctly

Here it stays red until all is gone.

[henryg]

There is a delay on that. You can see it yourself. Start a sandboxed session and open unsandboxed windows explorer so you can see the files in the sandbox. It should say the name of the sandbox (example DefaultBox) in the title bar. Leave that window box open and close the sandbox session. See the delay in the title bar from DefaultBox to -DefaultBox.

Agreed, but it has generally not caused me deletion problems in the past AFAIAA

Here it stays red until all is gone.

It stays red until files should have been deleted, but then disappears; whatever happened, or didn't. I tested this by using explorer to keep a folder open.

My point is that, should the delete process fail, Sandboxie should at the very least give an error message. The rest is just dancing around the subject.

[Curt@invincea]

Skipping over locked files during the delete is on the TODO list. It would be helpful if someone could determine exactly what files are being locked and by which application. I'm not sure Sbie could do anything about it, but it would be good to know. I already know that Adobe can leave files locked.

[APMichael]

Skipping over locked files during the delete is on the TODO list.

Great! These are good news. Thanks!

It would be helpful if someone could determine exactly what files are being locked and by which application. I'm not sure Sbie could do anything about it, but it would be good to know. I already know that Adobe can leave files locked.

In my case only Adobe Reader creates locked files. Therefore I can't name any other applications.

[henryg]

I only use Adobe Reader on very rare occasions, and I'm pretty certainly it is not the problem here. I would hazard a guess that some program installers lock files.

[henryg]

Skipping over locked files during the delete is on the TODO list...

That really doesn't tell us much at all.