Question about Parallels and partitions

[bandersnatch]

Hello all,

I'm about to install Parallels and Windows XP on the family iMac. I haven't had to use Windoze since W95, and I'm a bit nervous about the potential for malware getting in and doing damage on the Mac side. Is it better (or safer) to create a separate partition for the install? Or is the Parallels file structure for the Win OS and virtual HD sufficient isolation for the host OS X.

I'm going to try to prevent my kids from accessing the internet from the Win side - I'd like to uninstall IE if that's possible.

Final question - the advance info for the Build 3120 RC says the entire Mac file structure will be shared between OS X and Windows. Does that mean that mean (theoreticallly speaking, of course) that a malicious virus in Win XP could wipe the Mac hard drive?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[The Duelist]

BootCamp & Parallels

Hi BanderSnatch

For Me, Setting Up A BootCamp Partition & Parallels Is The "Perfect" Configuration.
(Currently Using Parallels 3120 RC)

BootCamp Contains ALL My Windoze Stuff.
Formatting The BootCamp Partition FAT32 Allows OSX To Read/Write To The Partition. (Up to 32GB)
Formatting NTFS Only Allows OSX To Read the Partition (Any Size).

Using Parallels, Windoze XP Can Run In the OSX Environment.

If You Need 3D Graphics For Games Etc, You Can Run Windoze Natively Under BootCamp, As It Has The Necessary Drivers.

I Think You Need To Leave IE Installed,
As This Is The Only Browser That Can DL Windoze Updates.

Hope This Helps
The Duelist

 

[dkp]

Final question - the advance info for the Build 3120 RC says the entire Mac file structure will be shared between OS X and Windows. Does that mean that mean (theoreticallly speaking, of course) that a malicious virus in Win XP could wipe the Mac hard drive?

Thanks,

Steve

Some files on the Mac partition can be deleted from Windows. A simple script in Windows could walk the shared folder and try to delete every file it finds - most will fail, some will succeed. It can also try to rename them which would be as disasterous, and this will probably be more successful than trying to delete them. It took me less than one microsecond to realize I didn't need this kind of exposure and I disabled this feature. I think it is reckless and a security nightmare to have this folder as a default.

But deleting and renaming are not nearly the biggest problem. Any readable file is available for data harvesting by a malicious script. Your entire Mac drive's readable files could be ftp'd to some hacker's lair for later consumption should a really nasty virus be sucked into your Windows environment. And all you get for it is drag and drop. Hardly worth the risk. I'd prefer they make it a clickable option that can be configured after they've presented the horrors of what can go wrong, and even then the final acceptance screen should say "We warned you!" before setting it up.

 

[joem]

While a shared folder is certainly available to malicious software, it isn't clear that absent a shared folder (or a network connection), anything on the Mac partition is available to a Windows script. Since Windows can't access the Mac partition directly, it requires help from Parallels code, and at least some of that code is outside the sandbox. If Parallels requires operator action for drag and drop, which it should, and may, then drag and drop could not be simulated by a script and the Mac partition would be inaccessible to a guest script.

Parallels team: This could be an important issue. Can you comment?

 

[alkalifly]

While a shared folder is certainly available to malicious software, it isn't clear that absent a shared folder (or a network connection), anything on the Mac partition is available to a Windows script. Since Windows can't access the Mac partition directly, it requires help from Parallels code, and at least some of that code is outside the sandbox. If Parallels requires operator action for drag and drop, which it should, and may, then drag and drop could not be simulated by a script and the Mac partition would be inaccessible to a guest script.

Parallels team: This could be an important issue. Can you comment?

hey joem,

You will be glad to know that when you do upgrade from version 1970 to one with drag and drop capabilities, the function can be turned OFF so that you do not expose your whole Mac file structure to windows.

Unfortunately, it is ON by default, so one needs to go in to the "Shared Folders" tab of the "Configuration Editor" and UNCHECK the box that says "Enable global sharing for drag and drop"

Of course, this means that you can't use drag and drop, but since the only way to do that currently seems to require having the entire Mac file system be seen as a shared folder, I feel much more secure having it OFF.