Can a virtual machine that is infected harm the host?

[Probzzie]

I have microsoft virtual pc installed on my pc, I was wondering if they shared the same hard drive if the infections can find their where onto my main.

Without being asked a million times, I want to bomb the virtual with viruses... Why? See the outcome.... learn to disinfect and deal with highly infected machines..Experiment with different measures used with different operating systems.

Any idea if I'll be okay?

[Hermite15]

Any idea if I'll be okay?

YES, GO AHEAD

...okay seriously if your settings don't allow the VM to interfere too much - via clipboard, shared folders, network etc... - with the host OS, then there's no risk.

[Probzzie]

Okay so as of now the network is enabled, basically removing it from the network and.. so too speak "isolate" it?

[Hermite15]

Okay so as of now the network is enabled, basically removing it from the network and.. so too speak "isolate" it?

no, what I meant is the following: of course you can keep networking both the host and the VM separately, but don't "bridge" them through a network connection. I shouldn't even have mentioned that actually, it's just something that I've personally done once between a Linux VM and Windows. I guess you never planned doing that so...

[Probzzie]

well actually the virtual computer found and connected itself too my file network as you said, so it was good you had mentioned it.

So yes, same modem, router can be used, as long as the file network isn't adding this computer into it.

[Hermite15]

So yes, same modem, router can be used, as long as the file network isn't adding this computer into it

exactly, enabling network file sharing between the host and the VM could lead to a disaster if you infect the VM purposely.

[essexboy]

Also ensure that your router password is not at default... There are router infections and that would open the main system to it

[Probzzie]

Thanks for that one, just one last thing.
I noticed I had too disabled the Avast firewall directly from my connection.
Is this safe while I'm creating this virtual disaster

[essexboy]

I have to disable Avast when I download malware to my VM as well 

[Probzzie]

Hurray, I'm glad too hear someone with your credentials uses this same angle on battling malware. Everytime I ever heard anyone say they were putting viruses on a VM they always portray the person doing it as uneducated....

[Probzzie]

UPDATE. I just wanna thank you guys, In one forced infection I truly learned absolutely so much.
The machine was so infected before windows showed up a rogue anti virus program.
Me not knowing hardly a thing about cmd and prompts was forced as that as last option and its far easier to get then I ever thought.
Got it running out of safe mode now and clean scanned.

[essexboy]

Yep and the bonus is that you can upload the file to Avast for inclusion