It’s always a little chilling to know your device is harboring a potential virus. But if that virus is contained should you be worried?
Let’s address what is going on with Winlator and how do you protect yourself?!
There has been virus scans stating Winlator has a virus for a long while now. The community has previously attributed it to a False Positive. That may have all changed recently however.
Over on Reddit the Winlater Virus is front and center once again. Part of the momentum seems to be users who are learning for the first time of this possible problem. It appears to finally have been proven that the Virus does indeed exist, but does that really matter?
Don’t get me wrong, Viruses of any sort whether it be biological or technical are bad. I should also state don’t take or not take precautions based on what I am saying, please use your own best judgment. When it comes to Winlator the virus is contained within the container it is infecting.
The virus has been found in the TestD3D application created by “bruno” shipped with nearly all versions/forks of Winlator. This virus is destroying and infecting exes/dlls files within Winlator containers. These containers are individual loads of Windows within Winlator that host their own settings, applications and Windows environments. These containers don’t share data with one another so they won’t cross pollinate.
The virus as it’s shown now can’t infect Android which is typically where you would be using Winlator. It wouldn’t make sense to run Winlator within Windows even on a virtual desktop, that would be like running Windows emulation Inception. I also can’t think of any reason you would run a file in Winlater and later transfer that file to your desktop. If you aren’t following, those are the scenarios that put you at risk. Also likely entering personal information wouldn’t be good, but there is no need to do that anyways.
Most people use Winlator to emulate PC Games on Android handhelds. If this is you then your biggest risk here likely is losing the container your game is installed in, if you installed correctly. Any gaming you might run through Winlator can be done without inputting your personal information.
If you install Steam into Winlator for example, use the QR and/or Authentication App to login. DONT input your personal information into Winlator at all. There is no need to. Other game apps will allow you to login with your Steam credentials as well after you Link the accounts. I shouldn’t have to say it but don’t set up account linking for the first time inside a Winlater container.
Always install individual games in their own containers and set a shortcut. This is how it is recommended to install games anyways. If a container does unfortunately get infected that infection is held within that container and your other games will be fine. Aside from protecting you it also allows games to run more smoothly.
This allows you to make necessary changes, dialing in to best settings for that individual game in that container. If you set a shortcut for your game it can easily be accessed within the Winlator app prior to searching for the container.
Knowledge of this virus has been debated for some time now and the most damage I can find is losing entire containers full of games. If your games start running poorly it’s more likely due to changes made in an update than anything else. Unless you are one not to keep your apps up to date, then it may be something else.
I guess what I’m trying to say is if you are smart about the way you use Winlator you should be ok. It is frustrating to lose a container but it’s a hell of a lot better than losing your personal information or Android device.
There is a Bionic Winlator fork said to have already removed the TestD3D virus. You can find the bionic Winlator fork here if you are interested.
To sum it all up, Yes Viruses are Bad. You should take every precaution necessary to prevent yourself and your tech gear from getting viruses. In this case it’s my opinion if you know how to protect yourself and what you are in for if your container gets infected, use Winlator at your own risk. But that’s just my opinion.
Until this is fixed I will be temporarily removing Winlator from my written guides. I will likely personally continue to use Winlator as it is a great tool in my gaming toolbox, but I can’t recommend you to do the same. Again Use at your Own Risk!
As always, once I get more information I’ll share it with you. If you want to follow along with this discovery on Reddit, Click this Link.
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