[X-Newbies] Virtual PC

[Randy B.Singer]

Tony Johansen said:

>Back to Virus issue, I had been under the impression that just being on
>broadband made an OS vulnerable, that opening mail is not the only risk with
>Windows viruses. Not true? Or does the emulated environment form a sort of
>insulation from the internet, especially if the emulated OS is not being
>used at the time. 
>
>I guess the question falls to, if the internet is disconnected while using
>the emulator, and Windows programs not used while internet connected, is
>that sufficient protection on its own?


Viruses don't show up on their own via the Internet, you have to do 
something on the Internet to open the door for them.  However, hackers 
can try to get into your computer via broadband without you doing much of 
anything.  (A firewall will foil them.) Just visiting Web sites using a 
browser in VPC opens you up to adware and spyware.

However, you have a perfectly good Mac for surfing the Internet.  If you 
confine your VPC use to running programs, and you don't access the 
Internet, and you don't share files with others, the risk of contracting 
a virus is next to nil.  There are free anti-virus programs for Windows 
that you can run, if you want to be extra careful.



Randy B. Singer
Co-Author of: The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th and 6th editions)

Routine OS X Maintenance and Generic Troubleshooting
http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html