Unified Write Filter (UWF) - Unified Write Filter

One challenge that IT always faces is ensuring the robust operation of commons (Infokiosks, internet cafe, educational workshops, etc.).

Incorrect or malicious manipulations, deletion of files without approval, installation of unnecessary programs, changes in system settings, etc. are common.

Creating a user profile with disabilities, combined with security policies that restrict access to Control Panel components and the processing of important components of the operating system, is partly a solution that does not work in cases where the user must have permissions. software installation / full access to the local disk for creating / deleting files etc, for example in a computer lab.

UWF is a feature found in the Enterprise versions of Windows and provides the solution to all of the above.

Enabling it ensures system reset after every reboot of, undoing any change made by the user, whatever group he belongs to (administrators, power users, etc.).

Applies only to the local drive (HDD / SSD / M2 etc) of the system in which the operating system is installed.

Unlike third-party software such as the well-known Deep Freeze, as a component of the operating system does not present incompatibilities.

It also does not involve System Restore, which undoes changes from () or device drivers (drivers) and not the total reset of the system.

Installation:

All steps are done as Local Administrator

1 Way:

Πίνακα Ελέγχου (Control Panel) → Προγράμματα και δυνατότητες/ Ενεργοποίηση ή απενεργοποίηση των of Windows (Windows Features / Turn Windows Features On or off).

From the list select Device Lockdown → Unified filter s (Unified Write Filter).

Shows us a progress bar and when done: Close.

2 Way:

Open a CMD window with administrator privileges (press Windows start, type CMD and holding down Shift + Ctrl click on it or select Run with administrator privileges from the left of the menu)

We give the order:

DISM.exe / Online / enable-Feature / FeatureName: client-UnifiedWriteFilter / all

Activation:

Open the cmd command window and give the command:

uwfmgr filter enable

We restart the computer.

Με το enter και την επανεκκίνηση  διαγράφεται η εικονική μνήμη (virtual memory) , απενεργοποιείται η επαναφορά συστήματος ( system), το Superfetch, η υπηρεσία ευρετηρίου (File indexing), fast boot, υπηρεσία ανασυγκρότησης (defragmentation) και στις ρυθμίσεις BCD η πολιτική bootstatuspolicy μπαίνει σε λειτουργία Ignoreallfailures. Ουσιαστικά οποιαδήποτε υπηρεσία κάνει χρήση του disabled (temporarily)

Since (as usual) the operating system is in partition C, we give the command from cmd:

uwfmgr.exe volume protect C:

and returns a message that it will be activated after rebooting the system.

To confirm that we have activated the filter and to get information about it, type

uwfmgr.exe get-config

in addition to whether it was activated, we see in our system if there are exceptions, ie directories that will not be protected.

An example of activating it with the information we get:

Exceptions: 

We can define some folders in which we do not want to undo the changes.

H δεν προτείνει να εξαιρέσουμε οτιδήποτε κάτω από τον κατάλογο (φάκελο) Windows και EFI, Boot, Paging Files και εννοείται δεν έχει νόημα να εξαιρέσουμε τον τόμο (Volume) στον οποίο εφαρμόσαμε εξαρχής την .

The command to do this is:

uwfmgr.exe file add-exclusion  path

uwfmgr.exe file add-exclusion path

Examples:

Disable UWF:

We order:

uwfmgr filter 

After the reboot we check if it was successfully deactivated with the command

uwfmgr.exe get-config

_______________________________

There is a case, despite the deactivation, we get an error in the addition and subtraction of a program.
Then we follow the route:
Control Panel Control Programs and Features / Enable or Disable Windows Features (Windows Features / Turn Windows Features On or off)
and uninstall the feature by restarting.

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Written by Lefteris

IEK Computer Applications, Networks and Office Automation Technician 2003

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