What is AlterEgo?

[Zenobia]

You're welcome.You could also ask questions there,if you like:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread...ighlight=Alter

[drragostea]

Got it.

[drragostea]

What I would like to know is how running applications in with LIMITED privileges make it safer? I'm running in a circle.

[Zenobia]

Because then the apps have less privileges,so they aren't allowed to do as much as an app run as administrator would.That could help keep a computer safer from malware,or help keep the malware from doing so much damage to the computer.

There's an older blog here that might explain a little better:
http://blogs.technet.com/markrussino...-easy-way.aspx

[drragostea]

I installed Alterego... in other words instead of saying install... I executed it. It's confusing Zenobia . So basically, all the media players, OE, and my browsers will run as Limited Privileges?

I can abide to that. Trillian, WMP, VLC Media Player, and IE I decide can run as Limited. But I'll choose FF to stay as Admin. Migrating all my add-ons and passwords is a pain.

What if I wanted to undo this "Alterego"? How can I do it? Thanks.

Also, if there should be an update? How should I update it? Just execute over the old one?

Note: I find that inputing the passwords can be tedious. WMP wouldn't set up correctly.

[Zenobia]

Yes,the ones you've checkmarked will.

What if I wanted to undo this "Alterego"? How can I do it? Thanks.

That I'm not completely sure of,since I haven't tried Alter Ego yet.Though at the end of this,it looks like you can checkmark your shortcuts to be run in their original form.
http://safer-networking.org/flash/ho...lterego-en.htm
Removing it completely and undoing everything,I've seen no info on,so maybe you should ask about that here:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=26555
Good luck,godspeed and may the force be with you.
(Nah,I'm just kidding.)

As for updates,I'd assume you could install over the top,but you better ask in the other thread as well,to be sure.
This is posted in the tracker forum:
http://forums.spybot.info/project.php?issueid=235

[PepiMK]

Benefits of limited privileges:

All that malware that exploits the browser and that installs into system folder will fail to install. Your regular admin account may be allowed to write files to C:\Windows\ - but the limited account may not.

Migration:

Actually, what Alter Ego does is it copies settings of your existing profile to the limited account. So no migration of add-ons needed, it even adjusts file paths inside configuration files etc.. Firefox is a bit tricky there though, I remember that addons were a bit tricky - they didn't run when just copied over. Passwords, cookies, bookmarks, preferences, history, form data etc. should be copied over though.

Uninstall:

The first page when you start it shows an Uninstall button, which should replace for example the shortcuts back with original ones, and removes the limited user account.
You could also start AlterEgo, switch to the Applications tab, select each application and tick where you want which kind of shortcuts, and manually remove the user account.
A complete undo of all the stuff the applications created on that account would be a very tricky thing to be done "automatically" - users might store data files in this new user account, so removing all the data files as well would be too dangerous imho.

Updates:

Install them over the current version, yes. Execute once and press the Next button three times, and it will apply any new changes (e.g. while it currently copies over network share settings, the limited user account is still missing printers, something that will come with a future version).

Ease of use:

Any suggestions on how to make it simpler, improve the description etc. are welcome of course

[drragostea]

@Zenobia. Godspeed indeed.
@PepiMK. So it's somewhat like I cannot "undo" the whole AlterEgo?

[drragostea]

Is there a thread where AlterEgo user's can post suggestions? Just find AlterEgo somewhat irritating because now I have multiple limited accounts in the Spybot Immunize Tab.

[nOInfectIOn]

Does AlterEgo make sense, if there is allready a restricted user-account?