Does running windows on a mac open you up to spyware and viruses?

[StephenDaniel]

So it is common knowledge that Macs don't really get viruses and spyware.

But if i were to use boot camp to install a windows OS, would that open me up to spyware and other viruses for my laptop?

 

[0007776]

you would need to use virus protection on the windows partition, but any viruses you get there shouldn't affect your Mac partition.

 

[Hellhammer]

Yes, your Windows partition may get infected but it's impossible that virus could jump from Windows to OS X partition and affect OS X. You're safe, don't worry

 

[thegoldenmackid]

I run it on both sides to be OCD. But running it on the Windows os sufficient.

 

[Stridder44]

So it is common knowledge that Macs don't really get viruses and spyware.

But if i were to use boot camp to install a windows OS, would that open me up to spyware and other viruses for my laptop?

No, you have nothing to worry about because it's impossible. Hell, Apple just recently provided drivers for Windows to even read HFS (an OS X formatted drive). Before then it couldn't even see HFS. Again though, it can't happen, so you have nothing worry about.

As far as protection on the Windows side, MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) is your answer. Actually, I don't think it's officially out yet, but it's Microsoft's answer to a free anti-virus client for Windows. The beta (which you'll have to do some searching of your own to find it) is out there and very awesome. I know, Microsoft and security sounds kind of like an oxymoron, but so far it's turning out to to be one of the best available (both in speed, security, and cost). I've been running it myself and it's awesome. Very low impact, and updated often. Think Windows Defender, but now it does AV as well.

 

[Nohg]

All that being said, the hardware is still being shared, therefore any sort of hardware problem you have in Windows will hurt the Mac partition hardware-wise too. I'll use Limewire as an example.

Limewire wrecks your physical hard-drive. If your HD is dead...it's dead OSX or no.


In addition, unless you are using Snow Leopard and its BC drivers, beware of utilities like MacDrive that can open up your Mac partition to extreme data corruption.

 

[Stridder44]

Limewire wrecks your physical hard-drive. If your HD is dead...it's dead OSX or no.

I'm no fan of Limewire by any means, but "wrecks your physical hard-drive" is a bit hard to swallow. Where is this evidence that proves it physically wrecks your HDD? Again, I hate Limewire and wouldn't want anyone touching that crapware, but that's a pretty bold claim.

As fas as the hard drive being dead and not being able to access either OS X or Windows, that should be a given.

 

[Nohg]

I'm no fan of Limewire by any means, but "wrecks your physical hard-drive" is a bit hard to swallow. Where is this evidence that proves it physically wrecks your HDD? Again, I hate Limewire and wouldn't want anyone touching that crapware, but that's a pretty bold claim.

As fas as the hard drive being dead and not being able to access either OS X or Windows, that should be a given.

Words of the head Genius at our store. He seemed pretty convinced that LimeWire ate hard-disks of heavy users and heavy/constant HD use would cause damage.

I never knew anything to the contrary but if someone here wants to refute that, I'm more than willing to listen. Kurt isn't exactly infallible.

 

[eovnu87435ds]

You can say that about any P2P application. They are data intensive applications. So when you download and upload gigabytes of data daily, especially for computers that are not shut down(meaning limewire running 24/7), you will shorten the lifespan of your harddrive. You can say the same about bittorrent applications, video recording applications, just about anything that has alot of data to read to/write from the harddrive.
In other words, if you buy a car, and drive it 600 miles a day, every day, it will die sooner than if you buy the same car, and drive it 10 miles a day, every day.

harddrive killer? no
data intensive? yes