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A few techs in another thread wanted some information on the upcoming d7x update to d7II (for various reasons) and I am happy to oblige, but to be honest the context of the thread's original subject wasn't how I wanted to kick off an announcement.
Also, I hope the post is within forum boundaries - I haven't received word in a bit on whether or not this would be ok, but I honestly don't see any issue and there are plenty of similar things being discussed, so hopefully it won't be a problem.
I don't expect to recreate the original "New Tech Tool: D7" thread
but beyond a licensing/upgrade clarification, it would be nice to explain a few features and concepts, and get some technician feedback on how things are developing.
A tech in another thread asked what (about d7x) would make him click the button to renew or reactivate his d7II subscription. I can only answer that with the same question: What (about d7x) would make you want to click the button? The point being: tell us!!
Now let's clarify what we're talking about: d7x is...
d7x is more of a change from d7II than it was from the original d7, truly a new app written from the ground up including backend AND interface.
...but first, here's the d7x update/licensing details for current subscribers to d7II:
You get it, don't worry about it. Consider it just a name change as far as your subscription is concerned, (a monthly or annual statement may reflect "d7II" although the software will soon reflect "d7x") It is an update included with every subscription and remains bound by the original d7II purchase terms.
You can contact us for more details on your subscription if necessary, or if purchased prior to May 2015 and subscribed through Paypal, we've written a guide here on managing your subscription through their website.
The d7 focus:
It doesn't seem widely known that "D7" wasn't originally about automating 3rd party apps as much as the internal automation of various known malware removals (often static-but-frequently-updated,) MSKB fixes, Windows repairs, and tweaks. Many of these occurred silently and automatically just by starting the main executable, some even split off into their own free mini apps (e.g. KillZA.)
It was also also greatly focused on the once-internal MalwareScan aka dFunk, with aggregation of file system and registry infection points (simultaneously across all user accounts) into a single interface, even on 'offline' Windows installations (from a WinPE bootable or 'Tech Bench Computer' with a customer's hard drive attached.)
While d7 and d7II became so much more, in our opinion the rest isn't the best value the tool has to offer in concept or even current reality...
The d7 concept:
Mainly d7 was designed to make a tech's job easier and even more interesting (reducing/removing the redundant and mundane,) and also more productive (enabling more work simultaneously,) while maintaining a consistent and quality output (not confusing results, repeating steps, or forgetting them entirely on one or more systems.) These concepts should hold true for single techs working on multiple systems at once, as well as entire departments of techs and teams working under a common brand.
Sometimes a desirable result does mean "automation" and this is especially true when it's going to run overnight anyway, or let's be real for some of you who know what I'm talking about -- the smoke break...
While we agree that automation is great, productivity is often the driving force behind the buzz, and we believe that means working smarter and leveraging a little experience and planning. Our approach is methodical but precise, and often far more valuable than brute force automation tactics that we see commonly used in d7/d7II and also provided in some manner even by free tools available today.
The true cost of brute force automation methods may not be the chance of an incomplete (or worse, botched) result. We think if nothing else that cost is time, and it may not mean much to some depending on your setup, but ultimately for most we see (time=money) as an eventual if not immediate reality. It may not be the technician's personal time, but it will be the time that repair is taking from the technician's "space" (bench spot, remote license, or other limited capacity resource) which reduces capabilities and output. It can also introduce maybe too much 'free time' during a repair and work day, and that's fine and dandy if you need the time to research, learn, or otherwise improve elsewhere, otherwise it is a waste.
The d7x focus:
That being said, the primary focus of d7x will be on the internal tool set and not so much the 3rd party apps. We hope to improve both manual and automated usage of our internal tools and all of their abilities. Manual inspection of aggregated system information, Windows events and errors, installed programs, running processes, file system objects, and registry data will be enhanced by bringing all of the important data into fewer more visible interfaces, providing instant access to easily understandable features that cut the workload significantly.
A redesign of the app from the ground up also brings the ability to easily and simultaneously apply enhancements across all areas, and further integrate multiple areas, of d7x and its internal feature set. As a result it should become far more common to see a features like automatically determining recommended actions (and subsequently reconfiguring the already fewer action buttons in the interface) based on the various information detected and some logic rules where applicable and possible.
The main attempt at an improved UI probably won't ever be 'flair' but currently I'm hoping to finally strike the right balance between simplicity/ease of use without sacrificing the power of a lot of flexibility/configurability in behavior and functionality.
A focus will also be on communicating to the technician what once-obscure names are throughout d7 and d7II that identify various internal features and repairs, and to remove the learning curve found with first time d7II use.
Now on to a few specifics and current design flow:
In the interest of clarity, the heading is the theme or title of a separate window within d7x, followed by each 'tab' of divided functionality / separated / by / a / forward slash.
System Info
This Session / System Info / Event Viewer / File & Registry Scan History and Quarantine / d7x & 3rd Party App Logs
Report Center
Though it may be integrated as a tab in System Info, generating reports in it's own floating window gives you the advantage of more information presented at once for easier drag and drop of objects from the System Info window. We'll also be adopting more template capabilities for your own HTML report designs.
One thought on this design is dragging a file result from the history window for an object you looked at earlier, having fields on the report auto-populate with the specifics on the file and your own specific notes recorded earlier.
The KillEmAll window (the meat)
Kill Programs / Allowed Programs / Prevent Programs / Uninstall Programs / File Search (Advanced) / Registry Search (Advanced)
Also optional (and massive) whitelists provided and maintained by our team will enhance your own created whitelists, removing known good or neutral items from view to simplify a quick inspection of whatever is left over, which by the way is a great way to find unknown infections for techs with the ability to 'feel out' the bad stuff based on the circumstances and characteristics of what they are looking at, or at least those utilizing the quick research tools that are built-in to d7x interfaces.
We even have a few ideas for new definitions types and implementations based on criteria that you haven't really seen before!
The File Inspection window:
Here and there in d7, d7II, dFunk, MalwareScan, KillEmAll, the installed right-click context menu for Windows Explorer, and other related interfaces, there are always a bit of options for working quickly and efficiently with individual files, providing research and delete functionality among quite a few other options, depending on the type of item being examined.
Now there is a common interface shared by all apps that allow examination of a file to aggregate information on that file and allow convenient action, for a consistent experience. In addition to improved functionality, all data collected via this interface is saved to the file/registry history mentioned in the System Info window for later automated re-inspection during end session and to have record and an easy way to add that information to custom reports.
Work Flows & Automation
Setup / <user defined tab for a specific job> / <user defined tab> (optional 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.) / etc.
There is tons more, but this is getting tiresome for this evening!
Other items on the board are new server-side or share functionality for LAN's and even bringing some new options to your own hosted server setups with webdav and IIS. An administrator/user permissions system for various configurations and actions can assist managed teams, and the new debug system will optionally and automatically submit problem reports to our server for examination; ultimately I'd like to see automated return assistance for recognized issues in some form. Finally in-app RSS updates from specific blog categories (d7x only) will keep you informed about the latest developments and updates.
The release of various d7x functionality will come in phases to d7II subscribers over the next few months and that's a whole new bit we're still discussing, so I'll hold off today.
The only thing we're really hoping for right now is to clear up any confusion for our users here, and then of course fish for the same awesome ideas and feedback that made d7 the unique and valuable tool it was, applying that to the next latest and greatest tech tool.
While I can't say that just anything and everything is feasible for inclusion, at this phase in development I need to know if the direction I am working towards is going where you need it to go (and what you might suggest otherwise.)
We will stay in touch here but you may also submit your questions, usability and feature suggestions, or other issues as always through the ticket system and community forums within our official support portal, or catch us live on the Foolish Tech Show or on the show's IRC anytime you happen to see one of us in there..
Thanks for reading!
Also, I hope the post is within forum boundaries - I haven't received word in a bit on whether or not this would be ok, but I honestly don't see any issue and there are plenty of similar things being discussed, so hopefully it won't be a problem.
I don't expect to recreate the original "New Tech Tool: D7" thread
but beyond a licensing/upgrade clarification, it would be nice to explain a few features and concepts, and get some technician feedback on how things are developing. A tech in another thread asked what (about d7x) would make him click the button to renew or reactivate his d7II subscription. I can only answer that with the same question: What (about d7x) would make you want to click the button? The point being: tell us!!
Now let's clarify what we're talking about: d7x is...
d7x is more of a change from d7II than it was from the original d7, truly a new app written from the ground up including backend AND interface.
...but first, here's the d7x update/licensing details for current subscribers to d7II:
You get it, don't worry about it. Consider it just a name change as far as your subscription is concerned, (a monthly or annual statement may reflect "d7II" although the software will soon reflect "d7x") It is an update included with every subscription and remains bound by the original d7II purchase terms.
You can contact us for more details on your subscription if necessary, or if purchased prior to May 2015 and subscribed through Paypal, we've written a guide here on managing your subscription through their website.
The d7 focus:
It doesn't seem widely known that "D7" wasn't originally about automating 3rd party apps as much as the internal automation of various known malware removals (often static-but-frequently-updated,) MSKB fixes, Windows repairs, and tweaks. Many of these occurred silently and automatically just by starting the main executable, some even split off into their own free mini apps (e.g. KillZA.)
It was also also greatly focused on the once-internal MalwareScan aka dFunk, with aggregation of file system and registry infection points (simultaneously across all user accounts) into a single interface, even on 'offline' Windows installations (from a WinPE bootable or 'Tech Bench Computer' with a customer's hard drive attached.)
While d7 and d7II became so much more, in our opinion the rest isn't the best value the tool has to offer in concept or even current reality...
The d7 concept:
Mainly d7 was designed to make a tech's job easier and even more interesting (reducing/removing the redundant and mundane,) and also more productive (enabling more work simultaneously,) while maintaining a consistent and quality output (not confusing results, repeating steps, or forgetting them entirely on one or more systems.) These concepts should hold true for single techs working on multiple systems at once, as well as entire departments of techs and teams working under a common brand.
Sometimes a desirable result does mean "automation" and this is especially true when it's going to run overnight anyway, or let's be real for some of you who know what I'm talking about -- the smoke break...
While we agree that automation is great, productivity is often the driving force behind the buzz, and we believe that means working smarter and leveraging a little experience and planning. Our approach is methodical but precise, and often far more valuable than brute force automation tactics that we see commonly used in d7/d7II and also provided in some manner even by free tools available today.
The true cost of brute force automation methods may not be the chance of an incomplete (or worse, botched) result. We think if nothing else that cost is time, and it may not mean much to some depending on your setup, but ultimately for most we see (time=money) as an eventual if not immediate reality. It may not be the technician's personal time, but it will be the time that repair is taking from the technician's "space" (bench spot, remote license, or other limited capacity resource) which reduces capabilities and output. It can also introduce maybe too much 'free time' during a repair and work day, and that's fine and dandy if you need the time to research, learn, or otherwise improve elsewhere, otherwise it is a waste.
The d7x focus:
That being said, the primary focus of d7x will be on the internal tool set and not so much the 3rd party apps. We hope to improve both manual and automated usage of our internal tools and all of their abilities. Manual inspection of aggregated system information, Windows events and errors, installed programs, running processes, file system objects, and registry data will be enhanced by bringing all of the important data into fewer more visible interfaces, providing instant access to easily understandable features that cut the workload significantly.
A redesign of the app from the ground up also brings the ability to easily and simultaneously apply enhancements across all areas, and further integrate multiple areas, of d7x and its internal feature set. As a result it should become far more common to see a features like automatically determining recommended actions (and subsequently reconfiguring the already fewer action buttons in the interface) based on the various information detected and some logic rules where applicable and possible.
The main attempt at an improved UI probably won't ever be 'flair' but currently I'm hoping to finally strike the right balance between simplicity/ease of use without sacrificing the power of a lot of flexibility/configurability in behavior and functionality.
A focus will also be on communicating to the technician what once-obscure names are throughout d7 and d7II that identify various internal features and repairs, and to remove the learning curve found with first time d7II use.
Now on to a few specifics and current design flow:
In the interest of clarity, the heading is the theme or title of a separate window within d7x, followed by each 'tab' of divided functionality / separated / by / a / forward slash.
System Info
This Session / System Info / Event Viewer / File & Registry Scan History and Quarantine / d7x & 3rd Party App Logs
- This Session tab to contain both 'Start Session' and 'End Session' configuration/actions for client information, startup preferences, and what to do when you're finished with a repair (for reports, etc.)
- System info will have the same focus of aggregating details and potential problems in one place, but is yet undesigned.
- d7II's internal event viewer is powerful but under-utilized, and needs to be out in the open and potentially have some specific scans for issues automated.
- File/Registry Scan History will detail saved information on objects from automated internal functions and your manual inspections of files through various d7x interfaces. Not only will details on the file/registry setting be logged (whether or not you deleted the file,) but quarantine/restore functionality will be available when enabled and some options will flag these objects for automatic checks during the 'end session' actions when you are wrapping up the repair, to ensure things stay deleted, uninfected, etc..
- The logs are just that - d7x will continue the log system to keep track of what it does (and what you do with it) including of course customizable text for various behaviors and configurations.
Report Center
Though it may be integrated as a tab in System Info, generating reports in it's own floating window gives you the advantage of more information presented at once for easier drag and drop of objects from the System Info window. We'll also be adopting more template capabilities for your own HTML report designs.
One thought on this design is dragging a file result from the history window for an object you looked at earlier, having fields on the report auto-populate with the specifics on the file and your own specific notes recorded earlier.
The KillEmAll window (the meat)
Kill Programs / Allowed Programs / Prevent Programs / Uninstall Programs / File Search (Advanced) / Registry Search (Advanced)
- Kill Programs tab to include an optional Report Only mode, a Manual Approve (Each Kill Attempt) mode, and will display Terminated Results only.
- Allowed Programs tab appears only after Kill Programs, for skipped/whitelisted processes
- Prevent Programs = processing with results of prevented programs, utilizing both IFEO Modifier and CryptoPrevent style Software Restriction Policies.
- Uninstall Programs = dUninstaller style program uninstall functionality
- File and Registry scans to contain both Custom/User Defined and Predefined dFunk/MalwareScan search items, with some interesting new stuff planned that really excites me.
Also optional (and massive) whitelists provided and maintained by our team will enhance your own created whitelists, removing known good or neutral items from view to simplify a quick inspection of whatever is left over, which by the way is a great way to find unknown infections for techs with the ability to 'feel out' the bad stuff based on the circumstances and characteristics of what they are looking at, or at least those utilizing the quick research tools that are built-in to d7x interfaces.
We even have a few ideas for new definitions types and implementations based on criteria that you haven't really seen before!
The File Inspection window:
Here and there in d7, d7II, dFunk, MalwareScan, KillEmAll, the installed right-click context menu for Windows Explorer, and other related interfaces, there are always a bit of options for working quickly and efficiently with individual files, providing research and delete functionality among quite a few other options, depending on the type of item being examined.
Now there is a common interface shared by all apps that allow examination of a file to aggregate information on that file and allow convenient action, for a consistent experience. In addition to improved functionality, all data collected via this interface is saved to the file/registry history mentioned in the System Info window for later automated re-inspection during end session and to have record and an easy way to add that information to custom reports.
Work Flows & Automation
Setup / <user defined tab for a specific job> / <user defined tab> (optional 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.) / etc.
- Setup - defines behavior, automation parameters, and tab/queue configurations
- <user defined tabs for specific job> are Work Flows or queue/job/item lists
- contains any combination of d7x Internal Functions, Repairs, Tweaks, or Custom (3rd Party) Applications
- each tab represents a separate auto mode queue, although items can of course be run manually/individually
There is tons more, but this is getting tiresome for this evening!
Other items on the board are new server-side or share functionality for LAN's and even bringing some new options to your own hosted server setups with webdav and IIS. An administrator/user permissions system for various configurations and actions can assist managed teams, and the new debug system will optionally and automatically submit problem reports to our server for examination; ultimately I'd like to see automated return assistance for recognized issues in some form. Finally in-app RSS updates from specific blog categories (d7x only) will keep you informed about the latest developments and updates.
The release of various d7x functionality will come in phases to d7II subscribers over the next few months and that's a whole new bit we're still discussing, so I'll hold off today.
The only thing we're really hoping for right now is to clear up any confusion for our users here, and then of course fish for the same awesome ideas and feedback that made d7 the unique and valuable tool it was, applying that to the next latest and greatest tech tool.
While I can't say that just anything and everything is feasible for inclusion, at this phase in development I need to know if the direction I am working towards is going where you need it to go (and what you might suggest otherwise.)
We will stay in touch here but you may also submit your questions, usability and feature suggestions, or other issues as always through the ticket system and community forums within our official support portal, or catch us live on the Foolish Tech Show or on the show's IRC anytime you happen to see one of us in there..
Thanks for reading!
