I installed Parallels Desktop for Mac and installed Windows 7. It seems like I loaded an infected file and now there are some $RECYCLER.bin folders around some places. Is this the Recycler virus? How can I delete these files? Do I just delete the Parallels VM or do I have to do something else?
Windows – Is the computer infected by the Recycler virus
parallels-desktopviruswindows
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The best advice. Trail both and then decide. I was a long time fan of VMWare, however recently moved to Parallels. Side by side, Parallels gave me a 5.1 experience index for Windows 7, and VMWare Fusion gave me a 4.9. Performance wise both are solid on my hardware, however I prefer the interface and coherence features of Parallels over Unity. This is however a personal preference. Full disclosure: I run a MacBook Pro i7, 8GB's of RAM and a 500GB 7200RPM HDD.
Both product does the job, and both work well. They are also in the same price bracket. You also can't compare features since both have the same functionality, just the method of implementation differs. The choice between the two is really up to you and how you use Windows virtualised. I game in Windows, and Parallels provided me a better experience. I also had issues running Expression Web, Silverlight and WPF in VMWare due to the graphics card, but this has apparently been resolved in the latest update.
My wife however prefers VMWare and finds it easier to use then Parallels. Moving machines between the two are fairly easy. Use one for the full trail, and then transfer your machine to the other and trial it. Do a comparison on which one works for you.
I am assuming you did an Express installation. There is a few places in Parallels where the settings can or need to be changed.
The first place is under Configure -> Options -> Sharing.
This controls where and how Parallels can see the folders, and where and if they get mounted. Shared Profile is most likely enabled which is why you are getting the current result.
Another place to check sharing options would be under Configure -> Options -> Applications.
This controls which applications are shared between the Mac and Windows Virtual Machine and how they interact with each.
Lastly to completely disable sharing between the VM and Mac look under Configure -> Options -> Security
This will completely isolate the Mac from the VM, and nothing can be shared between the two.
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Best Answer
I presume you're referring to folders called $RECYCLE.bin and not RECYCLER (the latter is the recycler virus created folder).
These $RECYCLE.bin folders exist because they're created by Windows (through Parallels) because of the shared folders feature in Parallels (using which you can access folders on the other OS directly). These are not from a virus and you should just leave them as they are - they hold files/folders you delete.
This thread titled "$RECYCLE.BIN folder created?" in the Parallels forum provides a concise answer from the support team:
To make things simpler in your usage of Parallels, you may also want to explore the "Levels of integration - Like a Mac or Like a PC" knowledgebase article.