I like to browse peoples indexes through Google. That being said, you never know what you will find. There are lot's of nifty things in these directories and since they are usually personal or sometimes public, they are not well known so you can usually find the best stuff there. However, sometimes you will get files that make your AntiVirus go crazy but may not actually be harmful or only partly harmful.

In your opinions/expertise, what is the best method for running these files without risking your machine? I currently use VirtualBox for this purpose but also know of sandboxie. Are there any other programs or better/more safe ways you would like to share?


Also, on a side note: If you want to browse indexes just to see what you will find, here is the search query:


You can edit the above query and change the file types and file name also. For example, with that query above, you will search for indexes that have any image files related to Warcraft. I was looking for textures mostly which is why I included the format "dds" which is what most games these days package textures in.

Another good query is:


As for running the files, I use an old computer.
^^ Which I access through Putty.

Sandboxie is the safest way.
I use it to test shitty CMD batch viruses.

Sndboxie is a nice program for things but is it really safe to run files that could potentially contain harmful viruses? If I am not mistaken, doesn't sandboxie still grant some access to the system?

Nope, Sandboxie is like a dog, you always keep it on a leash. If you wanna pull it, you do it, if you wanna let it go, you release the leash.

Ok, so if I took a file that I knew was a virus and ran it sandboxed, it would do absolutely nothing to me?

Yeah, but wait, don't do it.

You gotta open SandBox and create a virtual box, and edit it's settings, do not give it too much power on your comp.

Oh, I was just speaking hypothetically. I have only used Sandboxie to run multiple Imvus so I haven't dug into it much yet.

when I'm against suspicious files I usually use vmware workstation or I simply run them on linux-os