Windows 7: Creating a seperate disk image partition for running unwated programs.

Hello,

I need some help regarding disk imaging/partitions. I have a workstation on a gaming rig. I work and play games on it. I wanted to ask if I could separate my work files and GAMES setups (installed files) so they don't harm my work data.

I do play games with cheats/hacks and they mostly contain malicious files which can damage my operating system. I want to create a seperate DISK image like Vmware in which I can run games without being worried about any harmful files accessing my work partition.

Thanks in advance.

Click Start
Right mouse click My Computer and click manage

This will bring up the computer manager on the left click Disk Management under Storage

Here you will see your hard drive in a raw form. Right mouse click your hard drive and click Shrink Volume...
This may take a while but the Manager will now Query the volume for available Shrink Space.

Where it sais Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB is the amount of MB's your new Partition will have (remember there is 1024 MB's in 1 GB use the calculator to calculate how much gigs your assigning it. Press Shrink then once shrink the partition will NOT be available for use yet.

Next you need to right click this new Partition and click Format.. make sure its file system is NTFS and that you are using all the space available then format it and you have a second Partition ready for your games.

Your confusing imaging and partitioning, just because you run your games on a seperate partition doesn`t mean your work data won`t or can`t get compromised. If your worried, store your work data on an external.

Heh, just making and accessing a virtual disk (and Windows 7 does create/mount/use VHDs natively, we even have a tutorial you might check out) isn't going to make you any more secure.

The point is, that's still a disk in the end (albeit virtual), and the operating system working with it is still the same that is working on your work files. Malware usually compromises your OS, hiding it in a VHD does no difference.

What you want is a full-blown virtual machine, but I'm not that experienced in making them for a gaming rig. What are the needs of the workstation? You may virtualize that in a external HDD if you have USB 3.0 (with programs like say VirtualBoxPortable that ensure that as long as the memory device isn't damaged the machine can be run somewhere else.
Unless your workstation needs are pretty graphic-card-intensive as well.
I hope your CPU supports all features for virtualization, but most gaming rigs should.

I also don't know if you need to purchase another Windows 7 licence if you want to activate the OS in the virtual machine as well. But I think you should, which is annoying.

Run your games/browser in a Sandbox - that will protect you 100%. http://www.sandboxie.com/

the only problem with running the games through Sandbox, Other Emulation Software or even a VHD is that it does mean it no longer utilises the whole power of your PC. And some games may have to be played in the lowest graphics setting.