If I got a virus on a Virtual PC, would it affect my real PC?

Question

I have Windows 7 Enterprise and downloaded the Windows XP mode. For research and testing, I want to test the behaviour of viruses and the removal of them.

If I used Windows XP mode on Win7, will XP only contract the virus? Or will it spread to my real PC?


Please, no comments about "How stupid I must be to want to download a virus". I have full backups of my PC and windows installation discs and am fully prepared if something goes wrong.

Answer 1

yes you can infect the host o/s,



there are dns changers that can interact with systems on your network, so you would need to isolate the vm from your network



the guest will still be using your router to connect to the internet, the same router your host is using



http://blog.trendmicro.com/dns-changer-malware-evolves-again/



shared files between the host and guest can infect either - there are virus's that are vm aware, they can detect that they are running in a virtual environment so become dormant, the user is tricked into thinking its clean so they transfer files across - bang, instant infection of the guest,

some will hunt out the shared folder, this gives access to the host



http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24687



http://www.technibble.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14350



http://superuser.com/questions/29611/can-a-virus-from-a-virtualbox-vm-affect-the-host-computer



i would advise that you read those links, most are for virtualbox but you will get the idea

Answer 2

Viruses can only influence your laptop in case you have not have been given a perfect anti-virus answer put in or while you're lacking protection updates on your working gadget and application or while you're silly adequate to ignore approximately all warnings and run an contaminated record besides. If a digital gadget gets contaminated with a virus and you have not saved your very own laptop as much as date, the virus can nonetheless unfold on your laptop via potential of the digital community between your laptop and the digital gadget, so in case you do not save your very own laptop as much as date, a digital gadget is of little need. in case you save your laptop marvelous as much as date and you have a perfect anti-virus answer put in, a digital gadget is a stable thank you to stay away from harm on your laptop. it won't velocity up something however, this is going to only sluggish issues down, simply by fact the digital gadget will eat hardware materials out of your laptop, leaving much less hardware materials attainable.

Answer 3

No, It will not affect your Virtual PC provided you have not transferred any affected file from Virtual PC to Real PC.

We frequently used Virtual PC for opening suspected files or suspected sites to safeguard our Real PC especially for game crack etc.

Answer 4

dont worry it does not affect you real pc, it virtual pc only...it doesn't spread..so no need to worry