https://www.fortresgrand.com/products/cls/cls.htm

A steady state-type program. Discards unwanted user changes at log off or reboot and has easy application-blocking.

I was exploring security on Windows XP and wanted a state-freezing system, so I can make dangerous changes and easily roll back. I purchased Clean Slate, played with it, was unimpressed and abandoned it. I don’t know what’s changed since those days, but this is a very complex and powerful program and I bet I could have put it to better use.

https://web.archive.org/*/www.fortresgrand.com/support_mailing_list.htm

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Can whitelist registry keys, files and folders
Works on logoff and not just reboot
Can review changes and accept/deny selectively
Application whitelisting type stuff
$60 USD
- https://web.archive.org/*/www.fortresgrand.com/products/cls/cls_pricing_cm.htm
- Note that the download version is not instant-download. They manually process the order and email a download link around the next business day. This was really annoying.

Processor	Pentium processor or equivalent
Operating System	Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP Professional, Home Edition, or Tablet PC Edition, Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4. Windows 98/Me support available with Clean Slate V 3.0
Memory	64 MB of RAM
Hard Disk	40 MB of available hard-disk space 5-10% free disk space for cached information (recommended)
Drive	CD-ROM or DVD drive (for installation)
Internet Connection	Internet connection recommended for product activation

Table of Contents [hide]

1 2010-10-31 – 6.5
2 Old notes
- 2.1 Things I had noted to change in my setup
- 2.2 Uninstallation
  - 2.2.1 With internet access
  - 2.2.2 Without internet access

2010-10-31 – 6.5 ∞

Allowed File and Registry Operations > Writable Folders and Files
- How do I specify entire drives?
- How do I specify all, or specific, sub-folders of a folder?
Commit Files – Modified List — You know if I’ve selected one or if I’ve selected more than one file, so file(s) looks terrible. Never do that.
Commit Files – Modified List — How do I commit a file deletion so that the file stays deleted when I log out?
Commit Files – Modified List — How do I permanently allow a file to be deletable? The same way I’d allow a file to be modified?
Commit Files – Modified List — control-shift-f to open up the control panel. Can this be customized?

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How do I commit a registry entry change? I cannot drag an entry from that list into the commit list. There is no context menu.
How do I search for registry key changes? That functionality doesn’t seem to work. I was forced to use Allowed File and Registry Operations > Writable Registry Keys.. what a pain.

The docs has “Commit Files” saying:

Below is the result of selecting the file “Note to VP.doc” and pressing the Add button.

The screenshot shows “Final Paper.doc”

Allowed File and Registry Operations > Writable Registry Keys
- Does this support wildcards?
- Does this support regular expressions?
Does except applications actually work? It won’t work for Ventrilo saved passwords.
How do I commit a file deletion? I don’t see how I can permanently remove a file and have it:
- not re-added on every cleanup
- re-removed on every cleanup
Seriously, I have to “quick edit” and add shit before I can click ... to browse.
How come I have to log off twice (or even more) for it to actually work? Explorer windows are left hanging open..
Allowed File and Registry Operations > Writable Folders and Files
- What is an “Items button”?

To add a directory or file to the list of Writable Directories and Files, click on the Items button and enter the directory or file, or browse the computer by clicking on the Browse button.

Running on my extremely tweaked Windows XP:
- Programs become extremely inconsistent when running. For example, Firefox sometimes does and sometimes does not remember bookmark-folders being open (showing sub-bookmarks). It doesn’t save its per-user-settings. This is when the profile directory is allowed changes. A parent directory was given exempt status. What. The. Fuck. If set to remember the last tabs opened, it NEVER WILL. This is true even if the entire firefox.exe application has been given exempt status..
Must log out for settings to actually commit.
- So if I add registry exceptions they are not respected until I log out and back in again.

Feature requests ∞

When editing a registry key exception and clicking ... it should automatically un-fold and take me to the correct location.
- Having to fucking browse there every time for every key isn’t very useful. Assholes.
Be able to change the size of the ‘quick edit’ box.
Commit Files > Registry
- When I view a key which is very long, I cannot view the entire thing without having to resize the Data column. I should be able to double-click on an entry to see the full thing (and copy it if I so wish). Maybe also let me edit it. Or make it a permanent change. Or append it to my exceptions list. Or edit that exceptions list.
- I can’t search through registry entries in either the top of the bottom list.
Commit Files – Modified List — Is there a way to attain that XML export file from the commandline?
Commit Files – Modified List — When clicking Add or Delete, the prompts are unnecessary and confusing. Only prompt when actually committing.
- “Would you like to permanently commit the file(s) to disk?”
- “Remove the selected items from the commit list?”
Special Applications
- This list should be sortable
- needs a “disable all” feature
- needs to be sorted alphabetically
- needs to be grouped to put all the Microsoft-specific stuff in one folder
- perhaps organize all of them into a folder for their company name?
Implement the re-ordering of items in the diagnostics page. And why can’t I sort properly? I don’t see a down/up arrow on the column headings.
In the commit files list, I want to be able to immediately discard selected files or branches.
Implement the ability to pull up all search results at one time. A new search result column for “location” would need to be created.
Implement regular expression searches.
Have the UI save the sizing, location and internal panel sizing changes from the previous launch.
When quick-editing the registry exceptions (or elsewhere), implement control-a to highlight all.
Add a date and time change for each registry entry.
Be able to view this as a flat list and to sort it by name, folder and most importantly by change date/time. Three kinds of lists: 1) File 2) Registry 3) Mixed
- Basically, I want to solve this problem: I do something on the system, and now I want to both see what’s happened and decide what parts of that change I want to commit. I don’t want to have to disable security.

Improve adding permanent exceptions ∞

Feature Request: When looking at the modified list, if the above flat view is implemented, add two additional columns of checkboxes. One column is to commit the file one-time only. The other is to commit the file and add it to an exception list.

The exception list I spoke of could have a hide-show button to optionally display them. When the exceptions are displayed, the two columns of checkboxes would also appear for those exceptions. It would then be possible to un-check them as exceptions or un-check them so they’re not committed for this session only (so next session those would continue to be exceptions as usual).

Right now adding a permanent exception is ridiculously hard:

Allowed File and Registry Operations > Writable Folders and Files > All Groups Baseline Security > Override Baseline Security for this Group > Quick Edit
add the drive letter.
click ok
click the elipse “…” for that item
surf to the file
click open
click ok
save changes

Improve neighbouring changes ∞

When displaying in the registry entry flat list manner, “neighbouring changes” can be coloured.

All changes with under five seconds of “downtime” is considered a colour-group.
“Downtime” is a period where no file or registry changes are seen.

So imagine we have:

A software installation
A desktop shortcut rename
Some surfing

Then

The software installation may take a few minutes of copying files and modifying the registry
The desktop shortcut rename would take a second and
The surfing would be a little erratic.

It might look like this:

2010-11-02	12:10:00	File A	(new file)
2010-11-02	12:11:00	File B	(new file)
2010-11-02	12:11:01	Registry A	(new key)
2010-11-02	12:11:02	Registry B	(modified key)
2010-11-02	12:12:18	File C	(changed file)
2010-11-02	12:14:08	File D	(new file)
2010-11-02	12:14:08	File D	(changed file)
2010-11-02	12:14:08	File E	(new file)

We can see three groups here:

1	2010-11-02	12:10:00	File A	(new file)
1	2010-11-02	12:11:00	File B	(new file)
1	2010-11-02	12:11:01	Registry A	(new key)
1	2010-11-02	12:11:02	Registry B	(modified key)
2	2010-11-02	12:12:18	File C	(changed file)
3	2010-11-02	12:14:08	File D	(new file)
3	2010-11-02	12:14:08	File D	(changed file)
3	2010-11-02	12:14:08	File E	(new file)

In a list, colour the text a little differently. For viability every fourth entry can be given a slightly greyed background colour.

Bugs ∞

vanishing item
- disable security
- add something to HKCU/Run
- it fucking vanishes
Exempting applications does not actually work..
Refreshing the diagnostics page resets the column widths.
Commit Files – Modified List — The first prompt is actually wrong. Clicking Add does not actually permanently commit the file to disk, it just adds it to the commit list.

Saved changes are not respected.. ∞

Allowed File and Registry Operations > Writable Folders and Files > All Groups Baseline Security > Override Baseline Security for this Group > Quick Edit
add the drive letter.
click ok
click the ellipse ... for that item
surf to the file
click open
click ok
save changes
modify the file
log out
log in
check the file, and the changes are not seen. What the hell.

duplications in the “Modified List” ∞

I dragged an item from the right pane into the ‘Commit’ List below (left side) and clicked Commit and now I see duplications in the “Modified List”. So the entire C: is duplicated. This seems to continue to occur every time I click commit. I’m expecting to only see one list since my last logout. This seems to be a Windows 7 issue. I didn’t reproduce it on Windows XP.

Old notes ∞

I used this program back in my Windows XP days. I had a number of issues with it, and gave up on using it.

I don’t know if these notes are older or newer than the above notes.

Things I had noted to change in my setup ∞

Volume settings should be changeable and should stick. Check what registry entries change when I fiddle, and hell.. make a .reg for decent defaults.
Firefox default browser.
Numlock didn’t stay on.
disable windows sounds. I need to manually add everything as an exception.. sigh.
- To fix first: the recycle bin still makes sound when emptied
Don’t have a recycle bin on anything but C:
The recycle bin(s) will be permanently corrupted because of the way I do things.. maybe allow stuff to go into them? Hrm, I don’t want that! Somehow save them in an empty state.. or something.

Uninstallation ∞

… the activation is by hardware so you can reinstall on the same computer.
— sales

With internet access ∞

If you uninstall Clean Slate from that system and it has internet access, then the uninstall will re-communicate back to our activation server releasing the activation that it claimed during the install. This will allow you to install and activate it again on that computer or any other.
— technical support

Without internet access ∞

If you are unable to remove the install in this manner because the computer crashed or other, then we can easily reset the license for you. Just contact us and let us know that you need it reset.
— technical support

spiralofhope

Clean Slate