Windows XP Mode used in Windows 7

I am NEW to 'Windows SEVEN Forums' and sincerely hope I am posting this Question in the Right place. If I am not then I'll apologise now.

I recently took the Advice of Shawn (Brink) in a Brilliant Post concerning using Windows XP Mode in Windows 7. (Windows XP Mode - Install and Setup)

My request for help concerns this.

I immediately realised that when using XP Mode that I would need to treat this as a Separate Operating System and as such would need to have another Anti-Virus Software Program installed in XP Mode to protect myself from all the Internet Nasties out there.

However, it dawned on my last night, that Microsoft themselves would have Security Updates/Patches that I should look at and this I did.

I was horrified to see that there was the Multitude of Usual Downloads 100+ for such things like Microsoft Net Framework and a host of Security Updates and Patches etc.

Can I ask if I am supposed to Download all of that, as this would mean that the Solid State Drive I am using as my Windows 7 (64bit) Boot Drive and Operating System and Software Installation Drive would get very Full suddenly with that Host of Downloads from Microsoft's Update Site.

In Windows 7, I run with Norton 360 (Version 6), but on the Windows XP Mode, I have simply relied on Microsoft's 'Security Essentials', assuming that as I would ONLY ever use the Virtual XP Mode when wishing to run this 'One Piece of Software' that is now installed there and as such I wouldn't wish to Browse the Internet or anything else requiring being Hooked Up to the Net.

So do I need all that 'Bloat' from Microsoft's Security Updates please?

Many Thanks in advance to anyone who reads my post and that is able to help me with my Questions.

Thanks

Salisbury Sorcerer (SalsbrySorcerer)

Salisbury Sorcerer,

Welcome, I would suggest the updates as it is a seperate OS, particularly if you access the internet from the VM.

As stated MSE is very good and I know many run that on their VM (XP mode).

One thing you may not be aware of is Norton (Symantec) veiws your instalation as "one box" this means you are allowed to install Norton 360 on your VM with one licence. If you have a one licence version, contact customer support explain what you have and they will allow the additional install.

I use Norton internet security and have an additional install on my XP mode VM, it runs fine.

MSN would be a much leaner alternative with far less disk writes per week, do what makes you comfortable.

Enjoy your VM -- Bill

Hi Logicearth,

Thanks for the reply.

Maybe the term 'Bloat' was unfair when I used it, but I used it to explain that as I have all the Current MS Updates on my Usual OS (Windows 7 -64Bit) and am using a Solid State Drive, I am already at 75% Capacity of that Drive.

The thought of having to Update the Virtual XP with ALL those Umpteen Updates is NOT what I had planned or thought of and wondered if I can avoid doing so.

If I am to assume that even though Windows Xp has been installed as a Windows Virtual PC, I wondered if I needed to treat it as a FULL OS, as when I checked last night (Curiosity got the better of me) I was horrified to see 100+ MS Security XP Updates.

Do I need to Update all those or as my Use is as a Virtual PC just to allow this ONE Piece of Software to run, then can I avoid it, or is it a MUST DO?

Thanks

Salisbury Sorcerer

I see no reason to install any AV software into a Virtual Machine of XP, whether using XP Mode or some other VM software package and your own install of XP. Normally you install XP mode, or XP, in a VM on Win 7 host to run older software that does not install or run in Win 7. That is the point of virtual machine programs and installing your own copy of XP or using XP mode. So don't use the VM of XP for surfing the net or anything else dealing with the internet and you can't get any bugs.

As for updating XP with the latest updates again I see not need as it willl never be exposed to the internet.


If for some reason you home network is exposed to the internet then you don't have it set up correctly to begin with.

strollin said:

edwar said:

I see no reason to install any AV software into a Virtual Machine of XP, whether using XP Mode or some other VM software package and your own install of XP. Normally you install XP mode, or XP, in a VM on Win 7 host to run older software that does not install or run in Win 7. That is the point of virtual machine programs and installing your own copy of XP or using XP mode. So don't use the VM of XP for surfing the net or anything else dealing with the internet and you can't get any bugs.

As for updating XP with the latest updates again I see not need as it willl never be exposed to the internet.


If for some reason you home network is exposed to the internet then you don't have it set up correctly to begin with.

I disagree with this point of view and believe it is very short sighted. For one thing, whatever software you have installed in your VM may need to access the internet for whatever reason so you can't guarantee that a VM will never want to access the internet. In my opinion, a VM should be treated as if it was an additional physical machine complete with its own AV software and OS updates.

And I find your response paranoid. But then most people are these days. So what if some program access the internet. Most all programs do to check license status. That does not mean that they will download some malware to your computer. If your LAN is so insecure that things from the net can get through to it then you simply have not set your LAN up correctly.

I am on the net all the time. I do not use any Anti Virus programs of any type on any of the computer I own. Want to take a guess how many times I have been infected with anything? That number would be Zero.

Yes if you have No idea what you are doing then you need all the protection you can get. But all it really takes it some simple common sense.