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Help me understand Virtual Machine [VMWare]

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cyberdiva:
Btw since it hasn't been said in this thread yet -- a virtual machine is an absolutely essential tool these days; it lets you test software safely and without polluting your real machine.
-mouser (August 18, 2012, 11:52 AM)
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At the risk of appearing as dumb as I really am, I need to ask how this works.  If I install a program on a virtual machine and the program turns out to be malware that starts doing harm when you install it, how am I better protected if this happens on a virtual machine rather than on my real machine?  Obviously just getting rid of the malware program isn't enough.  Do I have to remove the virtual machine?  Is that what will solve the problem?  And does that mean that every time I encounter a problem, I have to trash the virtual machine and start over again?

skwire:
1) Create the VM.
2) Boot the VM and create snapshot.
3) Install and test chosen piece of software in the VM.
4) Shut down the VM.
5) Revert to previous snapshot, if necessary.

Honestly, the best way to learn about virutal machines is to actually create one.  Once you see a VM in action, things instantly become clear.

Renegade:
Btw since it hasn't been said in this thread yet -- a virtual machine is an absolutely essential tool these days; it lets you test software safely and without polluting your real machine.
-mouser (August 18, 2012, 11:52 AM)
--- End quote ---
At the risk of appearing as dumb as I really am, I need to ask how this works.  If I install a program on a virtual machine and the program turns out to be malware that starts doing harm when you install it, how am I better protected if this happens on a virtual machine rather than on my real machine?  Obviously just getting rid of the malware program isn't enough.  Do I have to remove the virtual machine?  Is that what will solve the problem?  And does that mean that every time I encounter a problem, I have to trash the virtual machine and start over again?
-cyberdiva (August 18, 2012, 04:58 PM)
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This is one of the PRIMARY reasons for using a VM. People PURPOSEFULLY install malware in VMs to study it. When you're done, you just delete the VM and the malware is gone with it. (It's not that simple, but just about. You still need to make sure that your network is protected if you are testing worms that reach out to find vulnerable machines - etc. etc.) 

Well, you should create a clean copy of your VMs to store, then when you need to use a VM, copy it before you use it. This guarantees that you won't accidentally monkey everything up by forgetting to take a snapshot or something. Also, if you can't take snapshots, then you MUST copy the files.

I keep a folder called "originals" in my VMs folder. It takes up a bit more storage, but it's not really all that much. And it's just a heck of a lot safer, especially when you've gone through the trouble of actually setting up the VM yourself instead of just downloading a ready-to-go VM.

cyberdiva:
Thanks VERY much, Skwire and Renegade, for your helpful responses.  I've got one more dumb question (well, actually I have an almost infinite store, but....): is a "snapshot" the same as an "image" such as those made by Macrium Reflect, Acronis, etc.?

mouser:
A snapshot is functionally equivelent to doing a drive image, with some advantages:

* Snapshots are managed and executed by the virtual machine software so it is really just a menu click away and could not be easier to use, and requires no extra 3rd party software installation -- snapshot making and restoring are built into the virtual machine software.
* Snapshots are saved and restored VERY quickly (maybe 10 seconds or so).

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