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Will downloading Windows on my Macbook increase virus threat?

Hello Everyone,


Thanks for your help in advance. I would like to buy and download Windows 8 on my mid-2010 unibody White Macbook to run a few windows-only programs. Will downloading Windows 8 increase the chances of viruses and malware affecting my system? I understand windows-based PCs are significantly more susceptible to viruses, but since I am running it on a Mac will I be fine?


Thanks for all the input!

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Jan 1, 2014 10:22 AM

Reply
4 replies

Jan 1, 2014 10:25 AM in response to JSBillian

Not on the Mac, because you cannot run Windows like a separate application in OS X.


Windows on Intel Macs


There are presently several alternatives for running Windows on Intel Macs.


1. Install the Apple Boot Camp software. Purchase Windows

XP w/Service Pak2, Vista, or Windows 7. For Boot Camp

4.0 and above you can only use Windows 7 or later. Follow

instructions in the Boot Camp documentation on

installation of Boot Camp, creating Driver CD, and

installing Windows. Boot Camp enables you to boot the

computer into OS X or Windows.

2. Parallels Desktop for Mac and Windows XP, Vista Business,

Vista Ultimate, or Windows 7. Parallels is software

virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently

with OS X.

3. VM Fusionand Windows XP, Vista Business, Vista Ultimate,

or Windows 7. VM Fusion is software virtualization that

enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.

4. CrossOver which enables running many Windows

applications without having to install Windows. The

Windows applications can run concurrently with OS X.

5. VirtualBox is an Open Source freeware virtual machine such

as VM Fusion and Parallels that was developed by Solaris.

It is not as fully developed for the Mac as Parallels and VM

Fusion.


Note that VirtualBox, Parallels, and VM Fusion can also run other operating systems such as Linux, Unix, OS/2, Solaris, etc. There are performance differences between dual-boot systems and virtualization. The latter tend to be a little slower (not much) and do not provide the video performance of the dual-boot system. See MacTech Labs- Virtualization Benchmarks, January 2013 | MacTechfor comparisons of Boot Camp, Parallels, and VM Fusion. Benchmarks of all of the above except Crossover can be found in Benchmarking Parallels, Fusion, and VirtualBox Against Boot Camp - The Mac Observer. Boot Camp is only available with Leopard or later. Except for Crossover and a couple of similar alternatives like DarWine you must have a valid installer disc for Windows.


You must also have an internal optical drive for installing Windows. Windows cannot be installed from an external optical drive.

Jan 1, 2014 10:26 AM in response to JSBillian

The viruses that attack Windows will attack the "Windows install" portion. So Some Windows-based anti-virus is wise.


But Windows-based viruses are "exe"s and will not run under OSX. Any Windows virus in the windows portion will not magically pass into the OSX portion of your system. You *can* however unknowingly pass Windows viruses on to others through emails to other Windows machines.

Will downloading Windows on my Macbook increase virus threat?

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