Should I install Antivirus within XP Mode for Windows 7?

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Does the Virtual PC XP Mode need safety measures?

I am using XP Mode within Windows 7, which creates virtual OS, but semi-intergrated into Windows 7. Do I need to install an antivirus program within XP Mode as well, or will the antivirus that I am running on Windows 7 take care of XP mode?

Answer 1

XP Mode is only integrated in that the VM window is hidden and the the applications are 'floated' into the host operating system

The VM XP does not have any direct access to the host HDD and the host Windows 7 does not have any access to the VM HDD.

Host antivirus will not be able to protect the VM

IMO you should install anti-virus into the VM if the network connection is enabled, irrelevant if you browse or not.

Answer 2

Your host antivirus will not scan things that are happening in the virtualization unless the virtualization is accessing files on the host hard drive (as opposed to inside a VHD, the way it normally works.)

However, unless you are surfing the web with a web browser that is being emulated in Windows XP or running an Email client that is being emulated in Windows XP, it is extremely unlikely that your virtualization will come in contact with a virus before the host.

So unless you are surfing or email from the virtualization, I would only worry about protecting your host operating system. You're going to use twice as much system resources protecting both your host and your virtualization.