Eli5 – How are computer viruses created without destroying the creator’s computer first?

Question

I’ve always wondered how computer viruses are made. If someone creates a virus on their own computer, wouldn’t it infect and potentially destroy their system first before it’s spread to others?

In: 249

Answer 1

Just like how you can build a bomb without blowing yourself up, you can make a computer virus without actually running it on your computer.

Of course, if you want to *test* your virus, then you likely will need to run it, and that’s where things like virtual machines that other people mentioned come into play.