Best way to protect system from malicious software

[bigjoncoop]

Hey fellaz

 

I'm trying to figure out a way to keep my main system free of any malicious software or viruses. I play a lot of downloaded games and watch a lot of downloaded movies.

 

Am I better off using a virtual machine for my gaming and my movies or installing another operating system on a different hard drive and booting to that drive when I want to watch movies or play games. I don't know if I will have good gaming performance from my graphics card Etc through a virtual machine. And I have also read as so malicious software can tell that it's in a virtual machine and get out of it into the main system. You guys have any ideas on the best solution for my problem? Besides not playing downloaded games and movies

[Billy_Mays]

Don't download off of suspicious sites ever and use ad block for ingognito and regular browsers so you don't have even the slightest chance of getting one from downloads

[knightslugger]

downloaded games should be pretty sterile.

 

...unless you are pirating... in which case you get what you deserve...

 

best thing to do is employ a best practices policy. scan before unloading, and after installing.

[Zando_]

2 minutes ago, knightslugger said:

downloaded games should be pretty sterile.

 

...unless you are pirating... in which case you get what you deserve...

 

best thing to do is employ a best practices policy. scan before unloading, and after installing.

That's often what I do. My antivirus scans everything on a schedule, and upon opening. But when I download anything (even from a legit site) I scan it before opening it (it only takes 30 seconds max with an SSD). And don't download fishy things unless you can help it. 

[Emberstone]

Stick to known good sites and choose your downloads carefully.

 

Using practices like that, I've been completely fine for the last decade or so, and I don't even use antivirus.

[NinJake]

Yep... simple answer is don't pirate anything. BUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO ANYWAYS... keep a backup/system image of your pc before you start doing such things. The ultimate security always comes down to the user.

[WkdPaul]

The thread was moved to the Programs, Apps and Websites section