Installing OS on Virtual machine

[mitchell65]

I have installed Oracle VM Box and installed Win XP therein. All OK but do I need to install an anti Virus software to the OS in the VM Box or will the A/V on my PC protect it?

 

[Nigsy]

You can install anti virus on the VM as it could become infected.
As it runs seperate from the host machine I don't think there is any risk to the host if the VM becomes infected though.

 

[Kaktussoft]

I have installed Oracle VM Box and installed Win XP therein. All OK but do I need to install an anti Virus software to the OS in the VM Box or will the A/V on my PC protect it?

VM and HOST are totally seperated. They can talk to each other using a "virtual switch" so a virtual network inside your pc. So yes.... install antivirus

 

[AddRAM]

I would say no as your host OS takes care of all that. I don`t agree with you guys as everything is coming through the host. I never put antivirus on a virtual machine. Your not gonna load it up with a bunch of garbage are you ? Just the programs that you need to run on it, correct ?

Think of it as a yard inside your yard.

 

[whs]

I think Brian is wrong. vBox has it's own path to the net. There is not a big risk that the host will get infected (only possible thru shared data), but losing the virtual machine is no fun either. I would install MSE - better than nothing.

 

[Kari]

I would say no as your host OS takes care of all that. I don`t agree with you guys as everything is coming through the host. I never put antivirus on a virtual machine. Your not gonna load it up with a bunch of garbage are you ? Just the programs that you need to run on it, correct ?

Brian, this time I need to argue with you .

A virtual machine is like any other PC in your network. It can not and will not in any circumstances use any of protective measures of your host, needing totally independent protection (AV and firewall). Leaving a vm without AV protection is absolutely the same than leaving a physical computer without protection; you can do it but it is dangerous.

You say that everything comes through host. That is completely false information. A virtual machine communicates independently with the network.

I was shocked and surprised seeing this kind of foolhardy advice coming from you! We can not tell people not to protect their computers, physical or virtual. It is really bad advice.

Think of it as a yard inside your yard.

No, absolutely no! It is a totally different yard that just happens to be in connection with your yard. It has its own ecosystem, street number and mailbox by the street, it is separated from your yard with a clearly visible fence.

To OP: Please remember that a virtual machine is its own computer. It connects to network directly, not "through" your host. In every aspect it is as any other computer on your network.

Kari

 

[Kari]

Something important I forgot from above:

Nothing, absolutely nothing coming in or going out to / from a virtual machine is not, will not be and could not be blocked / inspected / controlled by AV and firewall of the host. The virtual machines network traffic does not go "through" the host.

Kari

 

[mitchell65]

Many thanks for the most informative replies. I have installed MSE!

 

[Kari]

Good to know, John. That's the one I use on all my vms. Costs nothing and takes not too much resources.

In using the XP vm always treat it as its own computer. As mentioned in previous posts, it communicates directly and independently with your local network and the Internet, having its own local IP on your network.

I would recommend you to learn to use VirtualBox Snapshot function as the "Plan B" (VirtualBox Snapshot is the same for your vm as a system image to a physical computer); creating snapshots helps you to revert to an earlier image if despite your efforts an infection happens, or if for some other reason the vm stops working.

Restoring an image in VirtualBox happens instantly, just select a saved snapshot and boot it to get your vm as it was at the moment of creating the snapshot.

Kari