Is that safe surfing internet using virtual machine ?
By winzpc
@winzpc (2354)
Indonesia
August 16, 2008 10:01am CST
I really afraid if I get virus, trojan or another bad things attack my computer. I think all of the people who using internet is feel like that too. I have been suggested by my friend to use a virtual machine to surfing internet. He also suggest to use virtual PC 2007. He said that using virtual machine is like using second os in our computer. So we use another os to online, and when we was attack by virus or hacked. the virus only effect the virtual machine and can't effect the real computer.
But before I try it, I need some information from all mylot members and my mylot friends.
Is that safe surfing internet using that? and also I want to know. Is that the virus or another things can't effect my real computer?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@drzeuss (130)
• United States
16 Aug 08
Your friend is correct. Using a virtual machine to surf the net is very safe. No matter what happens on the virtual computer, it does not affect the "host" computer.
There are drawbacks though. Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007, which is free, does not work on Vista computers. Which is why it is free i'm assuming. (VMWare does work with Vista and is slightly more complicated than Virtual PC 2007)
The "guest" computer (virtual) uses resources of the host computer. To get decent performance from a virtual machine, your host machine should have at least 512Mb of ram and at least a 2.4Ghz processor (those are ancient specs these days with laptops being equipped with over 4Gb of ram).
You must have the OS install cd. You can use the one that came with your computer and even use it's registration key since it is technically the same computer.
Virtual computers are fun to play around with, and even a good way to test out other operating systems such as Unix or Linux.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (40946)
• Philippines
16 Aug 08
That is an interesting theory about virtual machine. i have never heard about it but i think if that is a good thing that I should start looking at it.
