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

Every computer virus is different of course. It’s just a branch name for any malicious code that produces unwarranted effects.

But it all boils down to the difference between compiling and executing code.

When you write code on a machine, that code doesn’t necessarily run in that computer unless you actually execute it.

The producer of the virus never actually has to execute the instructions on their own machine, just compile it (which means; check it’s sound and ‘get it ready to launch’ in very layman’s terms).

Source: computer science grad and 10 years in programming.