ShadowFreeze takes a snapshot of a disk partition or the entire system and writes all subsequent changes to a temporary shadow.

What Can You Do with ShadowFreeze?

ShadowFreeze lets you snapshot a disk partition or the entire Windows system drive. Once you create this snapshot, all system changes are directed to a temporary shadow instead of affecting the actual disk. When you reboot or unfreeze the system, it discards any changes made during that period and reverts the partition to its original state as defined by the snapshot.

How Does it Work?

ShadowFreeze uses a sophisticated copy-on-write engine that keeps the original partition unmodified during the freezing process. This means that while the system is frozen, all reads are served from the original data alongside any pending changes, allowing applications to function as if they are interacting with a fully writable disk. Reverting to the baseline is instantaneous and inherently safe, as the baseline data is never altered.

Freeze any Partition

ShadowFreeze allows you to freeze any partition on a computer, including data disks, removable drives, and even the Windows system drive. When you freeze a partition, it discards any changes made during that time on the next reboot. This feature is especially useful for kiosks, lab and classroom PCs, shared computers, and malware analysis or software testing where permanent changes are risky.

With ShadowFreeze, users can freeze the entire system, including the C: drive, the EFI System Partition, and the recovery partition, ensuring the machine returns to its original state upon restart. For changes you need to keep, the software lets you permanently commit selected files or folders, designate specific files or registry keys as exclusions to preserve during reboots, or even commit an entire frozen session to disk.

ShadowFreeze Includes Persistent Freeze Capability

Additionally, ShadowFreeze supports persistent freeze functionality, allowing it to maintain its state across reboots and even hibernation. To enhance security, you can encrypt the shadow with AES-256-XTS and secure driver access with an administrator token and password. This makes ShadowFreeze a versatile solution for managing system changes effectively.

Supports NTFS, exFAT, FAT32, ReFS, and More

The software supports multiple file systems, including NTFS, exFAT, FAT32, and ReFS, and is compatible with both 512-byte and native 4Kn disks. It operates on x64 and ARM64 versions of Windows 10 and 11. ShadowFreeze also includes a user-friendly graphical interface, a command-line tool, a "Commit to disk" option integrated into Windows Explorer, and an offline recovery tool for use in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

Getting Started is Easy

A user guide is available here to help you install, freeze your first partition, and keep the changes you care about.

Geek Verdict

ShadowFreeze offers an innovative, modern alternative to traditional "reboot-to-restore" solutions like Shadow Defender. Built from the ground up as a Windows kernel filter driver, it offers a unique approach to system restoration, helping users maintain the integrity of their operating environment efficiently and effectively.