I do need my windows. All my VST programs and the sampled instruments database is worth a lot of money. None of those things are compatible with anything else but Windozzzzzz

You can always run dual boot!!! Boot windows when you need those particular applications and boot linux for everyday fun!!!

If you need to have both running at the same time with easy switching between, you can run vmware workstation on either windows or linux!!!

I have to check out that vmware thingy. Thanks. Sunday I need to install the strut back in. You coming?

Of course!!!

Another virtualization option without the price tag:
https://www.virtualbox.org/

Ok as some of ya know I have tested many versions of Linux, the one I ran the most was Open suse, but it was more set up for running servers then home use. now beware,I found out the hard way that the file manager program it runs called Dolfin sucks badly. I lost a shit load of photos and files. what it does is makes all the folders, but then dumps the memory.

Also it had to select differant video players for differant Video formats. so ya that sucked.

So that all said and done, being that I follow the hacker group Anonymous and get the hacker news on facebook awhile back I heard about a hacker version of Linux called kali Linux. ( http://www.kali.org/ ) so I downloaded it and figured sometime i would play around with it. so finely last week I backed up my shit again, at least what i had left after Opensuse failed to copy my stuff right, and I installed kali.
What can I say! best version i have tried to date, almost everything worked the first time. it runs Icedove mail, which is like Thunderbird mail, and iceweasle browser, a modified version of Firefox.
happy to say it has a great and fast file transfer program, the video player called VLC worked on every format right off the bat.
the only thing that did not work out the gate was the Adobe flashplayer plug in to watch Videos on facebook.
I googled installed adobe flash and found a forum that told step by step how to manually installed the flashplayer and had it working in about 5 minutes.
it is packed full of hacker tools, but i don't know anything about them yet. just glad to finely find a version that everything just works perfectly. adding and removing programs is a click away. I installed Libra office and all my files from open office work just fine. I installed KDE Kaddressbook and have all my address files, installed Kopete messenger to chat on yahoo. it just works, and it also installed the grub loader right the first time.

now if you do decided to install this version, when you first boot up it will ask for a password, had to do a google search to find it.

from the CD the root PW is TOOR. as soon as you get in go to setting and make a new user account. it runs fast in live mode on the cd. but do not install in live mode as it had a few issues when I tried that . mainly the root password. when you install it from live it asks for you to make a new root password, but it does not take it.

learned if you install from the CD with out booting live, then it will except the password you make.
been running it a week now and it blows Open Suse and Ubuntu out of the water. it has multi desk tops and multi tasks great. transfered all my backed up photos in 4 hours, OpenSuse would take 8 hours and lost files.
kali has all kind of built in programs.

just wanted to let everyone know this is the best I have found to date. it is based on Debain linux, but does more then the debain distro. yep tried it also.

Figured if it was Good Enough for the Anonymous hackers group, then it had to be good. glad I tried it.
and yep my Windows 7 still boots up just fine.

Get a Mac

You guys still talking windows xp? That went out years ago, they haven't even had service packs for xp for at least 6 years? there has been vista, windows 7, windows 8 and 8.1 since then? I have no trouble with windows 8.... hes to be simple for me to work it, but it does everything I need it to

The only Mac's I like are drone motors, big trucks and at Maccas

I am still using XP......still have a dumb phone too.........I am technologically handicapped!

we need a "low tech" icon....maybe just the will do.

Yeah you are like me Scott... never mind technologically handicapped, just handicapped in general , my main phone is a dinosaur too, it is a Nokia 3310 from memory... about 8 years old... a friend gave it to me for free and it had sat in his drawer for 2 years with flat battery but charged up fine and works perfectly..... it is very simple .... but I only have to charge it every 4 or 5 days and it has good range. I have a galaxy mini as well, I got it for the camera and better messaging (sms) but the battery only lasts 8 hours whether I talk on it or not.... always have to have it on charge if not using it

I will stick with linux, no viruses, and I only use windows 7 to run my MS flight simm from time to time.

Why in the world would you need "hacker" software?
I can think of only one reason. Actually two.

It causes grief to others. It compromises their bank accounts, their homes and their safety.
If you hack somewhere you shouldn't the FBI knocks on or busts down your door.

Why do you want to cause grief to others when you hack their computers? It costs them a lot of money. It costs you a lot of money.

Macs are not immune and won't be if they become the most popular system used.
It takes less than two minutes to break into a Mac if you know what you are doing.

If you are really good at hacking into a computer then the ONLY good can be a career in the various 3 letter government agencies trying to stop it.

Ray, the good hacker software is probably "hacker proof" Not like the cheap crap that MS sells so they have to sell you a "patch" every 3 months to keep revenue coming in.

If you use the same stuff as the bad guys use, you should be well protected.

And if you are one of the bad guys.... even safer

Imagine how shitty a hacker would be if he got hacked?

There is no such thing as hacker proof software. It has been proven every year in symposiums held that no computer is secure.

Windows machines take on average less than a minute.
Macs ...about two minutes.

What is the best 'hack avoidance'?

Something like Norton 360 or is that just shit?

How are people best able to protect their computer, short of not going online? I for one don't store any passwords or bank stuff on my computer.... but protection from ones email account being hacked and sending out advertisements and crap?

Every anti virus has a back door (because the government says so) or some undiscovered hole that is yet to be exploited.
Why else is antivirus updated so often? Anti virus developers do not proactively prevent viruses. They are always reacting to threats.
If I didn't know better I think they develop the virus, infect computers then put out alerts so we will keep buying their product.
Call me cynical.

Ray.... you are cynical

Keep up the good work

I don't need it, but the program comes with a lot of good data recovery programs and tools that I can use in my computer business. plus if it is a version that hackers use, it is probably pretty secure.

sure it has hacking tools, but hell I have no clue how to use them.
just found this version to be the most stable and easy to use version of linux yet.