virtualbox.org

Simple question: is Oracle VM VirtualBox disk emulation software?

If you mean, does it allow you to treat files as disk drives in the host PC, then no. VirtualBox does include virtual disk functionality, but the disks can only be attached to a VM.

Hi mpack - thanks for answering.

I don't know what I mean. I have a malware infection, and the malware-removal forum helping me with this problem says I need to disable any disk emulation software on my machine before running the diagnostic utilities that they have provided me with. I'm running Windows 7 Professional, as well as an application that runs under Windows XP, so I'm also running VirtualBox VM Manager to allow me to run Windows XP in a virtual machine so I can run my application. I need to know if I need to disable VirtualBox VM Manager. Thanks for any help you can provide.

By the way: what's a VM? Pardon my ignorance, but I'm just a student...

Clotilde wrote:By the way: what's a VM? Pardon my ignorance, but I'm just a student...

Clotilde wrote:I'm also running VirtualBox VM Manager to allow me to run Windows XP in a virtual machine.

Thanks for the answer. The sarcasm wasn't necessary or appropriate. Lots of things are glaringly obvious in retrospect but not beforehand. Who knows, you might have once not seen something at first yourself.

Clotilde wrote:the malware-removal forum helping me with this problem says I need to disable any disk emulation software on my machine before running the diagnostic utilities that they have provided me with.

That sounds like bad advice - what if the malware is on the emulated drive?

In any case that category would not include VirtualBox. As I mentioned already, VirtualBox does not provide the host PC with extra disk drives.

Clotilde wrote:

rpmurray wrote:...

The sarcasm wasn't necessary or appropriate.

Speaking as mod, I don't see any sarcasm, I see a concise and somewhat clever way of answering your question. I think you need to grow a thicker skin, otherwise your time on all forums is likely to become unpleasant.

Clotilde wrote:Who knows, you might have once not seen something at first yourself.

Actually, I have that problem almost every day working on our database writing SQL. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic, I was just pointing out that you'd already answered your own question. Maybe I should have used a smilie,

Hi mpack -

That sounds like bad advice - what if the malware is on the emulated drive?

• Don't know - I know nothing about emulated drives. But I will say this: my lost application seems to be gone forever (since it no longer can be replaced), so there's no longer any need to run Windows XP, and therefore no longer any need to run VirtualBox, as I have replaced the lost application with a new one that runs under Windows 7.

• I personally would be unable to assess whether or not this is a good idea, but again, I will say this: these guys who run the malware forum are absolutely top-flight experts who know malware like nobody else. They personally have written some of the most advanced programs for detecting and removing the most sophisticated and insidious malware, and I trust them completely, so I'm gonna have to go with their advise.

Speaking of which, I strongly suspect that these malware experts' software, some of which circumvents Windows entirely, would hunt down, find and wipe out malware wherever it is on disk.

In any case that category would not include VirtualBox. As I mentioned already, VirtualBox does not provide the host PC with extra disk drives.

It seems to be creating an "extra" drive to me in that it's creating a virtual drive. This lost application running under Windows XP appeared to be on Z: drive.

Again, not trying to be oppositional here, I'm just trying to get rid of malware, and I can't help it if I know nothing about disk emulation.

Clotilde wrote:It seems to be creating an "extra" drive to me in that it's creating a virtual drive.

I chose my words quite carefully. I wrote that VirtualBox does not create extra drives on the host. You might like to stop and consider why that distinction might be important. I'm afraid I don't have the patience to be a good teacher, so if what I've said isn't enough for you then that is how it will have to remain.