To uninstall the software Deep Freeze must first be disabled and then uninstalled.

To disable Deep Freeze:

1. Hold down the shift key and double-click on the Deep Freeze icon. Alternatively, you can press Crtl-Alt-Shift-F6. You should now see a password dialog.
2. Enter your password and click OK. If you have not yet entered a password you should be able to click OK without entering anything. You should now see a dialog with boot options.
3. Select "Boot thawed" and click OK. This will disable Deep Freeze on the next reboot.
4. Reboot your machine. After the machine reboots you are ready to uninstall Deep Freeze.

To uninstall:

1. Locate the installation file you used to install Deep Freeze to this machine. By default the name of this file is called "DF5Std.exe" for versions 5.X and "DF6Std.exe" for versions 6.X.
2. Run the installation file (DF5Std.exe or DF6Std.exe).
3. Select the option to "Uninstall"
4. The software should uninstall and reboot the machine. When the machine reboots, Deep Freeze should be uninstalled.

One or more methods can be employed to disable/enable (Thaw/Freeze) Deep Freeze depending on the edition being used.

A) Locally at the workstation (Deep Freeze Standard and Enterprise):

The following steps can be used to disable (Thaw) Deep Freeze:

1. Hold down the shift button and double-click on the Deep Freeze icon. Alternatively, you can press Crtl-Alt-Shift-F6. You should now see a password dialog.
2. Enter your password and click OK. If you have not yet entered a password you should be able to click OK without entering anything. You should now see a dialog with boot options.
3. Select "Boot Thawed" and click OK. This will disable Deep Freeze on the next reboot.

The same steps can be used to enable (Freeze) Deep Freeze. The only change is to select "Boot Frozen".

B) Remotely via Deep Freeze Command Line Control (Deep Freeze Enterprise only):

Deep Freeze Command Line Control (DFC.EXE) can be used to Thaw/Freeze Deep Freeze through a script or batch file. More information about using this utility can be found in the Deep Freeze Enterprise user guide available at: http://www.faronics.com/doc/DF6Ent_Manual.pdf

C) Remotely via the Enterprise Console (Deep Freeze Enterprise only):

The Deep Freeze Enterprise Console can be used to Thaw/Freeze a workstation using the following steps:

1. Select the workstations you would like to Thaw/Freeze.
2. Click the "Reboot in Thawed state" button to Thaw the selected workstations. The workstations should reboot and appear in the Console in a Thawed state.
3. Click the "Reboot in Frozen state" button to Freeze the selected workstations. The workstations should reboot and appear in the Console in a Frozen state.

Standard Version:

The evaluation version of Deep Freeze must first be uninstalled. This will involve disabling the software if it has not already expired and uninstalling it using the installation file used to install the evaluation version of Deep Freeze. After the evaluation software is uninstalled, you can re-install using the full version of Deep Freeze Standard.

Enterprise Version:

1. Install the licensed version of Deep Freeze using the same Customization Code used to install the evaluation version
2. In the Configuration Administrator of the licensed version of Deep Freeze, create a blank (default settings) workstation installation file and a Console using the same port number configured in the evaluation deployments.
3. Open the Console and select the workstations to be updated; these workstations can be in either a Frozen or Thawed state.
4. Right-click, and select Update Deep Freeze from the contextual menu. Alternatively, click the Update icon in the console toolbar.
5. A standard Open file window appears. Select the blank workstation file and click Open.
6. The selected workstations update to the licensed version of Deep Freeze, but retain all settings from the evaluation version.

The Enterprise Console can be installed on a Windows 2000 or 2003 Server.

A specific version of Deep Freeze (called Deep Freeze Server Edition) is required to Freeze or Thaw a Windows 2000 or 2003 Server. More information can be found at:

http://www.faronics.com/html/DFServer.asp

A fully functional evaluation version of any Faronics product can be downloaded at:

http://www.faronics.com/html/choose.asp

All our 30-Day evaluations stop functioning after 30 Days. Once our software has expired it can be uninstalled.

When the evaluation period is finished, the Deep Freeze icon in the System Tray has a flashing X indicating that Deep Freeze is in the Thawed state. Subsequent evaluations versions cannot be installed on a system that ran an evaluation version which has been expired.

There are no backdoor passwords to Deep Freeze. Using our unique One Time Password system, Deep Freeze Enterprise Administrators can generate One Time Passwords.

To generate an OTP, start by opening the Deep Freeze login box on the workstation you wish to generate it for, and write down the Token code, which is located at the top of the login box. Bring that code to the Deep Freeze Configuration Administrator and click on the One-Time Passwords tab, then enter the code you recorded into the Token field and click Generate OTP. Another code will then be placed in the OTP field. That second code is the password for the workstation. That One-Time Password can then be used to disable and uninstall/re-install Deep Freeze with the correct password configured.

If you are licensed for Deep Freeze Standard and have forgotten your password, please email technical support at support@faronics.com for further information. Include your license number and organization details.

If you are running the Evaluation version of Deep Freeze and have forgotten the password, restart the computer and enter the system BIOS settings. Advance the clock by at least 60 days and then restart, this will disable the software. After the system has started, run the Deep Freeze installation program to uninstall Deep Freeze. After the computer reboots, re-enter the BIOS and reset the clock to the current date. You can then re-install Deep Freeze after restarting.

Several methods are available:

1. Use the Scheduled Maintenance feature with the Run Windows Updates option enabled. Deep Freeze will disable (Thaw) itself and run the Windows Updates.
2. Use the Enterprise Console to centrally Thaw workstations and make them available for updating. The console can also be used to Freeze the workstations when the updates are complete.
3. Use any patch management solution in conjunction with the Deep Freeze Command Line Control (DFC) to control the Frozen and Thawed states via secure command lines issued over the network.

For more information about using this control, refer to the following white paper: Deep Freeze Remote Administration with Secure Command Line Control.

For additional information about patch management, refer to the following white paper: Deep Freeze Enterprise Patch Management

The primary use for Deep Freeze is to remove any changes made to a workstation after a restart. Although a restart will eradicate any spyware, virus, or unlicensed software from the system, the system is still vulnerable to infection prior to a restart. This is because Deep Freeze provides a completely non-restrictive environment on a workstation.

Anti-Executable is a restrictive application that will prevent any new executable from launching or installing whether it is good, bad, or really ugly. This will prevent any and all executable viruses, Trojans, or spyware from being run on the system at all. Furthermore, Anti-Executable will prevent any unwanted or illegal software from running, such as a game or copy of a messenger or P2P file-sharing program.

The two applications are designed for different, but complementary roles on the workstation.

This problem generally occurs on workstations running an nVidia nForce based motherboard chipset. Some errata in the way that the nForce IDE drivers report the characteristics of devices attached to the IDE controllers prevents our software from functioning properly on workstations running some versions of the nForce IDE drivers.

nForce IDE drivers with version numbers older than v6.66 "WHQL" will show this type of behavior. To resolve this issue it is recommended that the workstation be updated to the latest version of the nForce IDE drivers. If updated versions of the IDE driver are not available for your specific platform then the removal of the IDE drivers will be required to allow Deep Freeze to function properly.

In some cases workstations may be configured with an IDE or SATA raid controller, in these instances the update of the driver may require that the operating system be re-loaded and the updated driver used to allow Windows to see the RAID array during Windows installation.

Please note that if updated SATA / IDE RAID drivers are not available the system will be unable to run Deep Freeze if the computer boots from the SATA RAID controller. To resolve this issue the system will need to be configured with the hard disks connected to a non RAID controller that can be seen by windows without the use of the SATA RAID Driver.

This occurs due to a security feature of Deep Freeze. If the Deep Freeze Enterprise Consoles detects that it has been moved to a new computer, it will re-request authorization to run to prevent a rogue Enterprise Console from coming online and taking control of your computers. In some cases, computers with multiple network cards (such as both a wired and a wireless connection) or computers with a network card that has been replaced can generate this type of behavior even if the Enterprise Console is not moved to a new computer.

In Deep Freeze 6.3, a custom Enterprise Console can be generated that will allow the activation option to be disabled (using the Deep Freeze Console Customizer that is included in the downloadable .zip file of Deep Freeze Enterprise).