Can I download viruses on Avast's safezone?

[gbpackerfan]

I was wondering, in avast!'s safe zone, does it prevent viruses from coming in too? So can I intentionally download a virus through the safe zone?

 

[Jack]

I was wondering, in avast!'s safe zone, does it prevent viruses from coming in too? So can I intentionally download a virus through the safe zone?

No.

The avast! SafeZone is special web browser in avast! Pro Antivirus 6.x and avast! Internet Security 6.x, which allows you to browse the web in a private, secure environment, invisible to the rest of your system.

If you do your banking or shopping on-line, or other security-sensitive and financial transactions, you can be sure that your personal data cannot be monitored by spyware or key-logging software. Unlike the avast! Sandbox, which is intended to keep everything contained inside so that it cannot harm the rest of your system, the SafeZone is designed to keep everything else out.

Avast Knowledgebase : Using the SafeZone

If you want to test a security product use a virtual machine , not only it will give you security but also because it basically uses it's own independent operating system , you'll have a "fair test" environment in which you can see how the products perform.

VMware Workstation - PAID
VirtualBox - Free

 

[gbpackerfan]

I was wondering, in avast!'s safe zone, does it prevent viruses from coming in too? So can I intentionally download a virus through the safe zone?

No.

The avast! SafeZone is special web browser in avast! Pro Antivirus 6.x and avast! Internet Security 6.x, which allows you to browse the web in a private, secure environment, invisible to the rest of your system.

If you do your banking or shopping on-line, or other security-sensitive and financial transactions, you can be sure that your personal data cannot be monitored by spyware or key-logging software. Unlike the avast! Sandbox, which is intended to keep everything contained inside so that it cannot harm the rest of your system, the SafeZone is designed to keep everything else out.

Avast Knowledgebase : Using the SafeZone

If you want to test a security product use a virtual machine , not only it will give you security but also because it basically uses it's own independent operating system , you'll have a "fair test" environment in which you can see how the products perform.

VMware Workstation - PAID
VirtualBox - Free

I downloaded a program though, just to test it out (Photoscape) but I don't see it in my normal system.. where did it go?

 

[Hungry Man]

Never heard of it. What a great feature.

 

[Jack]

I downloaded a program though, just to test it out (Photoscape) but I don't see it in my normal system.. where did it go?

That actually makes sense, the SafeZone was specially designed to give users a secure and private environment, isolated and invisible from their system.I don't believe you can download a file in the SafeZone and then be able to find it in the Normal Mode at the exact location. Otherwise there is little point in isolating it from the main system.
SafeZone should be used when you want to make financial transactions (like banking or shopping on-line) and not when you want to download/browse to risky stuff..... for that purpose you have the Avast Sandbox.
BTW if you didn't "Reset the SafeZone" the file is still in the SafeZone.

 

[Ramblin]

I downloaded a program though, just to test it out (Photoscape) but I don't see it in my normal system.. where did it go?

I dont use Avast, never used the Safe zone but I think you should
"reset" the Avast safe zone just to make sure that program is gone
from your system. Next time read the instructions before using the
program so you ll know where the program went to. I believe the
program is still inside the safe zone unless you already did a reset.

If you like to test programs use a VM as suggested by Jack or may I
suggest, use SBIE. I bet that program would install easily sandboxed
and you should be able to perform whatever test you want with it.
If you install the program sandboxed, the program will remain inside
the sandbox until you delete the sandbox.

Cheers
Bo