[trevo]

To me running another OS a mac sounds ram draining? What other cons are there using virtual pc, is windows vulnerable when running it off mac (virus, etc.) Just what are some of things i need to know?

Matt.

[Franz Josef]

Originally Posted by Matt O'Keyes To me running another OS a mac sounds ram draining? What other cons are there using virtual pc, is windows vulnerable when running it off mac (virus, etc.) Just what are some of things i need to know? Matt.

I use Virtual PC to access a remote server we run in the office - if there was any way to avoid it, I would. To run comfortably it needs at least 768MB and I would recommend 1GB. MS recommend 512MB.

It is slow and has the potential to allow Windows viruses to run on your Mac within VPC. I have never gotten comfortable that the OSX firewall fully eliminates the risk and I run a firewall within VPC. In OSX use a good virus scanner (such as Virex) which looks for Windows viruses as well as running heuristic scans.

Inevitably running one OS within another is not ideal and VPC is a case in point. Better to ask if there is any other way to achieve the same outcome.

[Brad]

I sense a little misinformation here.

Virtual PC provides wholly self-contained environments. All of an environment's files are stored an a disk image that VPC treats as the C: drive (or whatever letter you choose).

Yes, if you are running Windows in VPC, it can get viruses or spyware or anything else a regular PC would. However, it's all self-contained. Any viruses in a VPC environment will not affect anything else on your Mac. Any processes running on the simulated PC will end when you close Virtual PC.

So, there's really nothing more you need to worry about than if you physically had a separate box running Windows. Neither VPC or an actual PC will harm your Mac.

Virex won't do you much good if you have Virtual PC. Because VPC's environments are, again, self-contained, Virex won't be able to reach inside them to scan anything (just as nothing inside can reach out to your regular Mac files). If you want to scan your files in VPC, you'll need to get a regular PC virus checker to run inside it.

Am I making any sense?

In short, think of VPC as giving you a whole separate "box" that runs Windows. You'll have to perform maintenance from within that environment just as you would on a regular PC. It's entirely separate from your Mac's operating system and your regular files.

What are the benefits? Well, you can take it with you wherever you go. You can freeze the PC and resume it later at your convenience. You can run several different environments with different operating systems or other configurations.

What are the downsides? CPU speed. You're emulating a very different chipset when you run Virtual PC. It's going to be VERY slow compared to a moderately new PC. I'm talking a full magnitude or more.

[Franz Josef]

Originally Posted by Brad I sense a little misinformation here. Virtual PC provides wholly self-contained environments. All of an environment's files are stored an a disk image that VPC treats as the C: drive (or whatever letter you choose). Yes, if you are running Windows in VPC, it can get viruses or spyware or anything else a regular PC would. However, it's all self-contained. Any viruses in a VPC environment will not affect anything else on your Mac. Any processes running on the simulated PC will end when you close Virtual PC. So, there's really nothing more you need to worry about than if you physically had a separate box running Windows. Neither VPC or an actual PC will harm your Mac. Virex won't do you much good if you have Virtual PC. Because VPC's environments are, again, self-contained, Virex won't be able to reach inside them to scan anything (just as nothing inside can reach out to your regular Mac files). If you want to scan your files in VPC, you'll need to get a regular PC virus checker to run inside it. Am I making any sense? In short, think of VPC as giving you a whole separate "box" that runs Windows. You'll have to perform maintenance from within that environment just as you would on a regular PC. It's entirely separate from your Mac's operating system and your regular files. What are the benefits? Well, you can take it with you wherever you go. You can freeze the PC and resume it later at your convenience. You can run several different environments with different operating systems or other configurations. What are the downsides? CPU speed. You're emulating a very different chipset when you run Virtual PC. It's going to be VERY slow compared to a moderately new PC. I'm talking a full magnitude or more.

If this is indeed the case, I'm very heartened to hear it. I've been concerned about having to run Windows.

[Brad]

I use VPC quite regularly. Everything that I said is definitely true.

[MacWins]

Three questions:

1. What is Virex and do I need it for my Mac (last year's PB G4)?
2. What virus protection software would you recommend for VPC?
3. If I maxed out my RAM (1G+) and chose the fastest Windows OS (please recommend one), would the speed of running VPC via my Mac seem equivalent to running a PC built in 1998?

[Brad]

1. Virex is a virus scanner for Mac OS X. No, you probably don't need it because to date there are zero native viruses/trojans/etc. for Mac OS X.

2. Do you have a PC? Do you use any virus protection software on it? Like I said above, you should treat the VPC environment just as you would any regular PC. If you use utility X on your PC, it would probably be a good idea to use it in VPC also. I can't endorse any particular anti-virus package because I don't use any. I'm just smart with my PC computing habits and haven't gotten any viruses.

3. In my experience, Windows 2000.

[MacWins]

Thanks, Brad, for all your help. Since I will only be using VPC to pull down data streams from financial/stock servers to update stock quotes, I don't see a need for virus protection software. Is this a smart PC computing habit?

[turtle]

Originally Posted by Brad Virtual PC provides wholly self-contained environments. All of an environment's files are stored an a disk image that VPC treats as the C: drive (or whatever letter you choose). Yes, if you are running Windows in VPC, it can get viruses or spyware or anything else a regular PC would. However, it's all self-contained. Any viruses in a VPC environment will not affect anything else on your Mac. Any processes running on the simulated PC will end when you close Virtual PC.

Please forgive my ignorance Brad, but I'm trying to make sure I understand this to. My application is to transition all my WinXP machines over to new Mac's. The main drawback being my daughter is home schooled and uses a CD base curriculum that is only supported by MS OS'. I don't really have a choice though I have filed a couple or user recommendations for them to support OS X.

If VPC is it's own environment then it would have to be configured for net access and such. I currently use Norton Internet Security to keep my little 10 year old from seeing sites she shouldn't see. This isn't really effective since to block the "unknown" sites I end up blocking most of the sites the school CDs send her to as well. So it is either all or nothing.

I haven't yet learned the ends and outs of Mac user accounts since I am the only one on this Mac, but I understand that I can set up her an account that I can limit web traffic, is this true?

Now the heart of my question, if VPC is it's own environment then does it control it's own network traffic independent of the Mac? Since it is a "Window" on the Mac would this be the same a software switch that would allow the VPC and Mac to talk to the net at the same time. Meaning I would need some program to control her access and that the Mac's settings are irrelevant to the VPC settings. Would this mean new IP address and such?

Please help me understand better. I want to avoid using VPC in my quest to totally migrate to Mac (now that I got the print server working!) but understand there are times MS would come in handy or just be necessary.

Thanks for your help.
Tony