What happens if you download a virus?

[KnowNol]

A virus that is meant for a PC, but you download it on your Mac.

What if you have Boot Camp?

What if you dont?

 

[GGJstudios]

If it's on Mac OS X, nothing.
If it's on Windows, even under Boot Camp, you could be infected, but only on the Windows.... it would still have zero effect on Mac OS X.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

It won't effect the Mac OS. It could make the PC partition inoperable, forcing you to reinstall Windows.

 

[maflynn]

There's various different types of viruses and malware. Ones that are designed to execute natively cannot be propagated, nor will it affect OSX. If you were in bootcamp and downloaded the malware, then your windows partition could get infected - depending on if you had any antivirus software.

Then of course is the viruses that hide in emails, and word documents. Again they cannot harm your OSX environment, but you can certainly propagate the viruses to other people by passing on the infected email or word document.

 

[borcanm]

Dont worry about viruses while on a mac because there are non, and if you somehow download one onto your mac then nothing will happen since it cannot execute. Watch out for spyware though, because there have been know spyware for macs.

 

[Skippy440]

Funny thing that Norton is selling a Anti Virus program for Mac. Quite a waste of money I hear.

 

[mysterytramp]

There's various different types of viruses and malware. Ones that are designed to execute natively cannot be propagated, nor will it affect OSX.

Isn't this a tad overconfident? While you run Boot Camp or Windows using some other virtualization software, you do (and therefore the software does) have access to your Mac files. Theoretically, malware could disrupt OS X in that situation.

I don't bring this up to scare anyone, but I see an awful lot of comments here that Macs CANNOT be harmed by Windows viruses and I think some of that is whistling past the graveyard.

mt

 

[harleygold]

this is why i'm not downloading windows anytime soon. I have a laptop for that and it's not even mine. (works )

 

[fishmoose]

Isn't this a tad overconfident? While you run Boot Camp or Windows using some other virtualization software, you do (and therefore the software does) have access to your Mac files. Theoretically, malware could disrupt OS X in that situation.

I don't bring this up to scare anyone, but I see an awful lot of comments here that Macs CANNOT be harmed by Windows viruses and I think some of that is whistling past the graveyard.

mt

The obvious solution to your theory is to not share your OS X partition with the bootcamp partition.

 

[maflynn]

Isn't this a tad overconfident? While you run Boot Camp or Windows using some other virtualization software, you do (and therefore the software does) have access to your Mac files. Theoretically, malware could disrupt OS X in that situation.

Actually no especially if you run your VM w/o any sharing. Its more secure then bootcamp, where a virus could attack the boot sector, or modify the hard drive making both OSX and windows corrupted.

I don't bring this up to scare anyone, but I see an awful lot of comments here that Macs CANNOT be harmed by Windows viruses and I think some of that is whistling past the graveyard.

You see a lot of comments that windows cannot harm OSX because it for the most part true.