Can you recommend me a free virtual software?

Hi!

I suddenly want to try test my security setup against a real malware.

To avoid the worst case scenario of virus penetrating through my setup,

I realized that it is good to do the test in a virtual environment.

Can you recommend me a FREE virtual software that doesn't need to reboot everytime you turn on or turn off the software?

I saw some screenies where there are two windows runnning at a sametime, the virtual environment was in a small box. Is it Virtual Box? VMware? Is it free?

Thanks!

 

VirtualBox and Virtual PC are free.

 

Microsoft Virtual PC



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Alright,
thanks for your advice.
I guess I don't have to play with malwares.

 

no malware with play with you
we normally dont look for trouble but sooner or later we will be in a situation where we have to learn how to remove malware or pc bye bye

 

It's easier to keep it off the pc in the first place. Failing that and malware gets on the pc, it's easier to replace a backup image rather than trying to remove the malware. Backup/restore software is invaluable imo and often isn't given the importance it deserves.

 

ofcourse prevention is better than cure

 

I agree with peter before any malware testing attempts,Know your software and its limitations.Be sure that all is up to date including the OS and applications, not just security but all application.Perhaps with time and experience with security software and research malware what it does and how it effects your machine and other users around you.The most Important that you can recover from worst case senario a replacement Image restore,Not window system restore but from an external Offline Image such as a External HDD a recovey CD formatt etc.Are you prepared to re4matt or restore an image if disaster strikes,If not don't do it let sleeping dogs lie.

 

and also not forgeting save all familly pictures in a usb stick

 

Yep or Burn to the CD

 

i tried returnil and it is very fast and ligth but i think it needs to be complamented with a firewall or hips for ID theft i think returnil plus malware defender that's the way to go

 

Thats where I Hope Antilogger and Defesewall would cover these areas while in sandboxie or returnil and I always start out with a new browser session.Another words I do not surf all over the web then go enter my password or credit info some where. I start fresh browser or returnil reboot and then go straight to where personal info is needed dont go past go dont collect 200 dollars.LOL

 

yeap

 

Instead of playing with malwares,
I decided to give Ubuntu a shot in a virtual environment.
I have 3GB RAM,
May I have slowdowns?

 

lol no.ubuntu has even less system requirements than win XP.

 

Ohhh, really?
Thanks!

 

Good advice for me too!

I started with Windows 95 in 2000 on an old hand-me-down computer. Then another hand-me-down computer installed with 128(later increased to 256)MB of ram and 6 gig hard drive running XP Pro.

Finally, in September 2007, to a custom built Quad Q6600 with 3 x 320GB harddrives and 2 gig of memory, running XP Pro SP2.
Programs on C: and data on H: drives,with an unused spare drive.

I have never had to reformat any of these systems. Also, I have never gone looking for malware to test. I believe in prevention rather than cure!

 

So why Ubuntu (8.10) runs so much slower than XP on my notebook (with Intel Atom)? I liked it , but it was an impressive experience to use that fast and responsive XP after several Linux-days . BTW: Ubuntu needed much more energy than XP.

What a pity.

 

take this advice very seriously unless you want to dump your PC to the trash been
Good luck

 

intel atom processors are very new yet and linux OS have bad quality drivers as their major drawback.
We are living in 2009 and their x-fi sb drivers are still in beta..
did you play with power settings enough btw?Linux is WAY supperior to win when it comes to power and resource managment..

 

Returnil 2.0 is good. Only problem is that I got infected with Confliker when I decided it would be fun to make a flash drive infected with Confliker.

So I upgraded to 2.1 beta, which can protect multiple drives.

 

I see. No, I did not play with power settings - except the obvious ones. And I tried to get the special laptop-power-mamagment to run (can't remember its name), but that was because of my harddrive parking its heads every 10s - just to be wakened up immediatly after parking.

Finally there were several reasons to go back to Win XP (for me at least), even Linux might be more sophistiicated.