I'm only going to be using Windows XP through Parallels for 2 applications - Quicken and SportTracks. I will NEVER browse the web through XP on my Mac. Do I need to install antivirus software on my Windows installation? I'm going to be running the applications in coherence mode, so I'm afraid of the system interrupting me asking or notifying about firus definition updates.
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need to install antivirus on my Parallels Windows XP?
- Thread starter btownguy
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There are other ways to get viruses than from the Internet, but yes the risk is greatly reduced when your Windows machine isn't online.
I still wouldn't ever recommend someone go without anti-virus. Any data you transfer from outside sources has the potential to introduce baddies to your system (like if you transfer files via thumb drive a lot). Even if it's downloaded from the Mac side, a file can still contain a Windows-targeting virus you wouldn't want to accidentally copy or install on your virtual machine.
Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac comes with Parallels Internet Security with anti-virus powered by Kaspersky. I'm like you, though, and I don't like it when things pop-up while I'm in the middle of something. After installing anti-virus, I usually go into the anti-virus' preferences and turn off automatic update checking. I know I'm still protected, because I'm pretty good about manually activating the updates when I have spare time. It's always important to keep up to date.
I still wouldn't ever recommend someone go without anti-virus. Any data you transfer from outside sources has the potential to introduce baddies to your system (like if you transfer files via thumb drive a lot). Even if it's downloaded from the Mac side, a file can still contain a Windows-targeting virus you wouldn't want to accidentally copy or install on your virtual machine.
Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac comes with Parallels Internet Security with anti-virus powered by Kaspersky. I'm like you, though, and I don't like it when things pop-up while I'm in the middle of something. After installing anti-virus, I usually go into the anti-virus' preferences and turn off automatic update checking. I know I'm still protected, because I'm pretty good about manually activating the updates when I have spare time. It's always important to keep up to date.
First make two accounts on XP. The first will be by default a administrator. Use this account to administer your system only. Make your second account a limited user. Use this account for all your daily task. If you are logged in as a administrator when you encounter a virus, trojan, or adware, it will have full system write permissions just like the administrator that you are logged in as. If you encounter a virus, trojan, or adware while logged in as a limited user, it will not have system wide write permission, and will not be able to make system wide changes.
Secondly, VirtualBox has a option to take a snapshot of your VM. If Parallels has this feature also, get XP how you like it, take a snapshot of your VM, if you run into trouble, you can revert to your snapshot.
Secondly, VirtualBox has a option to take a snapshot of your VM. If Parallels has this feature also, get XP how you like it, take a snapshot of your VM, if you run into trouble, you can revert to your snapshot.
myself just don't surf the net or download from xp and you should be fine. no real point in that anyway. then you should be fine.